A guide to feature sunset and product decommissioning

Sunsetting a product or decommissioning a feature requires careful strategic planning and communication to minimize disruptions and maintain customer trust. As markets evolve, product managers must decide when features become obsolete due to declining usage, high maintenance costs, or misalignment with business goals. Proper planning involves developing a comprehensive decommissioning strategy, engaging internal stakeholders, assessing risks, and creating a customer communication plan to address potential issues like customer churn and compliance risks. Effective user transition and data migration are critical to maintaining customer satisfaction, while legal and compliance considerations must be proactively managed to avoid penalties. Measuring the impact of decommissioning through customer feedback and operational data helps refine future strategies and enhance overall product lifecycle management.