490: Dr. Mik Kersten on Output to Outcome

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. Mik founded Tasktop and led the company as CEO until its acquisition by Planview in 2022. He continues to support Planview as an Executive in Residence.

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. Mik lives in Vancouver, Canada, and enjoys skiing, biking, and surfing with family and friends.