Review
“If Peter Drucker taught us how to think about management in the industrial and knowledge-work eras, Mik Kersten is helping define management for the Age of AI. Output to Outcome combines systems thinking, software delivery, and organizational design into a clear playbook for leaders who need to harness AI without losing control, accountability, or purpose." -- Gene Kim, researcher and bestselling author of Vibe Coding, The Phoenix Project, and Wiring the WInning Organization
“In a world where AI can amplify output endlessly, many organizations risk optimizing the wrong thing. Mik Kersten provides exactly what’s missing: An operating model that keeps value creation and measurable outcomes at the center. Timely, insightful, and highly actionable." -- Ralf Waltram, Head of IT Global DevOps Hubs, BMW Group
“Technological revolutions reshape not only economies and industries but also the way organizations must adapt to succeed. Output to Outcome is a timely and thought-provoking contribution in a period of information technology and AI-driven socioeconomic transformation." -- Calota Perez, author of Technological Revolutions and Financial Capital
“Output to Outcome presents a radically new model of how a complex organization can take full advantage of the rapid rates of improvement that can take place when AI agents are fully integrated into a company’s organizational design." -- Carliss Baldwin, Professor of Business Administration, Emerita, Harvard Business School
“With Output to Outcome, Mik defines the next critical shift for enterprises in the age of AI—moving from activity to measurable impact. Building on Lean principles and decades of transformation insight, he provides a clear, practical roadmap for leaders who need to compete and win. This is a must-read—and a call to action—for every software-driven organization.”
-- Dean Leffingwell, Createor of SAFe
“We are in a chaotic environment driven by a rate of change that current systems and businesses cannot absorb. The climate crisis, pandemics, and wars disrupt business plans and supply chains, and the pace of AI- driven development means that tools are obsolete before they stabilize. We have to reorganize to focus on outcomes, and rebuild everything to deliver them using new tools that are building themselves. This is the definitive guidebook for that transition." -- Adrian Cockcroft, Tech Advisor, Formerly of AWS and Netflix
“Everyone in the software community feels something big is happening. AI is revolutionizing how product development works…[Mik Kersten’s] approach is both refreshing and based on solid experience. As we look to the future, [Output to Outcome] is an excellent guide, encouraging a thoughtful, empirical approach to what lies ahead.” -- Dave West, CEO and Product Owner, Scrum.org
“Mik does it again! This time, with the advent of the Age of AI, Output to Outcome provides a unique and comprehensive strategy that can drive companies to best surf the promising AI wave. This book is a starting point in the launch of a new movement. This movement is the Operating Model for the Age of AI." -- George Kadifa, Cofounder, Sumeru Equity Partners
“At Vanguard, we’ve seen firsthand that meaningful transformation requires more than new technology. It requires a data-driven operating model that improves how we create and deliver value. In Output to Outcome, Mik Kersten provides a practical framework for establishing that robust data-driven operating model, allowing you to scale up in a world increasingly shaped by AI.”
-- Michael Carr, Chief Technology Officer, Vanguard
“After transforming how we measure and manage software delivery with the Flow Framework in Project to Product, [Mik Kersten] is now guiding enterprises through the deeper AI transition. In Output to Outcome, he provides the vocabulary, models, and practical frameworks needed to turn AI into a genuine operating system for the enterprise—not just another feature. If your company is serious about surviving and thriving in the AI era, Output to Outcome is essential reading.” -- Pieter Jordaan, Group Chief Information Officer, TUI Group
About the Author
Dr. Mik Kersten is an independent technology strategist and researcher best known as the creator of the Flow Framework and author of the bestselling book Project to Product and the new book Output to Outcome. Mik founded Tasktop and led the company as CEO until its acquisition by Planview in 2022. Mik started his career as a Research Scientist at Xerox PARC as part of the team that created the first aspect-oriented programming language. He then completed his PhD in Computer Science at the University of British Columbia, where he pioneered the integration of software development and collaboration tools. That work became the foundation for Tasktop and helped shape the emerging field of Value Stream Management. Before shifting his focus to flow, outcomes, and organizational modularity, Mik wrote more than one million lines of open-source code that are still in use today. His work now focuses on helping leaders transition from output- driven management to outcome-driven operating models, enabling organizations to harness the power of AI in a human-centric way. For more information, please visit the book‘s website at https://outputtooutcome.org/.
