Output

In my last post, I described the importance of systems.

But, a system is only ever a means to an end.

Getting a result is the real end.

We can use this as a guiding principle:

Output First!

The art and challenge lie in connecting the two.

To get the direct output and simultaneously create a system that allows me to scale, improve quality, and reduce costs in the next step.

This closes the loop to the thinker and the hustler.

The hustler creates the direct output, the thinker builds the system.

What do I mean by Output First?

Output First means that in the end, only what I can show as an actual result counts.

Of course, the question arises, what is an "actual result"?

For me, it's something that I share with the world.

Anything I do in my private chamber, on the other hand, is not actual output.

It's preparation at best. In the worst case, a waste of time.

My blog posts are the best example of this.

I have become rigorous in publishing.

At earlier times I used to rework every single post painstakingly to make it perfect ... and then not publish it, or publish it too late.

THAT is the difference.

I get things out into the world faster - and can still improve them from there.

The principle applies to everything you or I undertake.

Starting a business, becoming a blogger, solving this job assignment? - Output first applies everywhere.

If we start a business, we can spend forever on refining our website, logo design, and other planning.

OR, we can find our first customer and solve their problem.

Then the next and the next.

And WHILE we do that, we refine the system.

What does the principle help me?

In summary, it gives me traction! - I put the horsepower I have straight onto the street.

If I don't follow the principle, I try to make my engine stronger and stronger, but just rev it up and don't move forward.

In the worst case, it blows up on me when I try to drive it for the first time.

In other words, I get:

Faster results because I immediately engage with the world, instead of tinkering too long in dry dock.

Faster feedback: I get feedback for my early versions and can quickly use it for improvement.

Of course, the prerequisite is that I use feedback!

Better feedback: The feedback I get is better because it refers to my actual result. If I deal with focus groups and theoretical surveys instead, the feedback is of much lower quality. Why? Because it's always just hypothetical.

How do I implement it?

You and me, we could easily implement the Output-First principle by following the MVP approach from the startup world.

The MVP (Minimum Viable Product), the minimal version that gets me by.

Let's modify the whole thing into an MVX approach where "X" is whatever we wish to produce.

MVP - My Minimum Viable Product

MVS - My Minimum Viable Service

MVP - My Minimum Viable Blog-Post

And so on and so forth.

You've grasped the idea...

We start with a minimal version, bring it into the world, collect feedback on it, and improve from there.

ALL three steps are crucial.

Because, if I only bring a minimal version into the world but collect NO feedback and do NOT improve it, then I have... well... just a minimal version.

On the other hand, we hurt ourselves if we skip shipping a minimum viable version and try to create the final one before we publish.

But..., But..., But...

Aren't I publishing a lot of garbage?

Yes and no.

Usually, we are most critical of ourselves.

Accordingly, our minimal versions are often much better than we believe.

So, it's more the fear of criticism that keeps us from publishing rather than the actual lower quality.

Plus, directly published results have the advantage of being authentic and not too overthought.

However, it may indeed be that I publish garbage.

But here comes the big secret: that's TOTALLY OK!

Why?

First, because I collect feedback and can turn my garbage into a shining gold nugget, bit by bit.

Second, because I can use my momentum to make the next thing I publish a little better, and the one after that even better, and so on and so forth.

Many shining works have only been created because their authors published a ton of mediocre things, and then the gold piece was among them.

These people have followed a principle: Output-First!

P.S. Take this blog post as an example. I have no idea how much you see it on the garbage side or the gold-nugget one. But what I DO know is that I've published the post, shipped it! So it at least has a chance to make an impact as actual output. - And besides, I have the chance to do it even better tomorrow... and the day after.

P.P.S Speaking of feedback. What DO you actually think of this post? - Please let me know here, so I can improve it, and learn. Thank you and have a great day!

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