Decide Whether to Sunset a Product
Added 2026-11-04
Weigh maintenance cost, user dependence and an exit plan.
We are considering sunsetting a product (context below). Help me judge: 1) the current maintenance cost — people, money, attention; 2) how many users depend on it and what they lose; 3) three options — shut down, migrate to an alternative, maintain without updates; 4) the communication and transition time each needs; 5) the hidden cost most easily missed; 6) a rule for when it is safe to close. Do not look only at revenue.
Site original
Chinese original
How to use
下线产品的难点不在技术，在依赖它的那批人。
Try tweaking it
- Have it state how the hypothesis could be falsified before discussing execution.
- Split the plan into a one-week testable experiment.
What you should get
- A small testable experiment with a failure threshold
- Costs, risks, and what needs outside confirmation
Common mistakes
- Asking for a "full business plan" and getting unverifiable optimistic assumptions.
- No failure threshold, so you never know whether to continue.
How to check the output
- There is a clear failure threshold, testable within a week.
- Costs, assumptions and risks are listed separately.
Where it works
- Good for: turning business assumptions into a small testable experiment with a failure threshold first.
- Watch out: for pricing, contracts and legal points, treat output as a draft needing professional review.