Outcomes matter more than output

How many times have you cut scope to meet an arbitrary deadline?

Have you ever focused too much on craft at the expense of solving real problems?

When was the last time you were truly proud of a software release your team shipped?

If the above statements make you feel uncomfortable, it could be time to re-think your approach.

There is a better way

Here are five ideas that will help you to think in broader perspectives and get closer to your customers.

Make UX prototypes enablers for conversations - There's a saying in software devlopment which is: "I know it when I see it". Nothing drives a conversation better than a user interface, good or bad. Show prototypes even if you're not proud of the first version and iterate until the feedback from customers gets consistent. Pro tip: you don't need to start with high fidelity prototypes. All it takes is a whiteboard and a marker pen to get the conversation started.
Understand your customer's frustrations - People will only buy your software if it saves them time and doesn't frustrate them in the process of using it. Ask customers what features they want but also ask them what annoys them. Pro tip: trawl through the support forums of your competitors to get the real dirt. See whether there are common complaints and try to find the nuggets of what aggrevates users about that product. Learn from the mistakes of your competitors.
Get out of the building - Great software cannot be developed in a vacuum. If the team is discouraged from talking to customers, they will not be able to effectively build their knowledge of the domain. Product owner gatekeeping prevents delivery teams from making faster, better informed decisions. Pro tip: Walk the gemba or invite customers in to talk with the team and share their knowledge and goals. Developing a strong rapport with customers allows you to draw deep into the goodwill bank when relationships get strained.
Iterate and inform - Make it a priority to to collaborate with an important customer and get their feedback at key stages in the product development process. Pro tip: Customers who have been long-standing skeptics might be looking for you to fail. Deeply involving them in the product discovery process will gain their trust and make them feel valued. In the end they will be willing for you to succeed because you have invested your time in them.
Focus on outcomes - Great outcomes matter more than hitting an arbitrary date. There is little to be gained from falling into the feature factory trap or shipping software that doesn't deliver tangible benefits. Pro tip: stakeholders will still want some idea of what dates you are going to deliver a release on. Focus on roadmap certainty for your next two months. Beyond that, talk in in quarters or halves and don't lock-in features a year ahead because the market and competitors can move quickly on you.

Concluding thoughts

Companies that focus on outcomes rather than ouput are often leaders in their field. Get closer to your customers by understanding their frustrations, sharing UX prototypes, and iterating with their input. Great software products are never developed in a vacuum.