Every product ages.
The right move at one stage is the wrong move at the next. Know which stage you're in before you choose.
Introduction
Stage 01
Prove anyone wants it.
Find product–market fit. Talk to early users daily. Change fast.
WATCH OUT FOR
Scaling before it works.
Growth
Stage 02
Win the market while it's open.
Onboarding, reliability, sales enablement, the features that unblock adoption.
WATCH OUT FOR
Drowning in feature requests from the loudest customers.
Maturity
Stage 03
Defend and extend.
Retention, efficiency, pricing, adjacent segments, fewer but bigger bets.
WATCH OUT FOR
Adding features nobody asked for to look busy.
Decline
Stage 04
Harvest, migrate or reinvent.
Protect key customers, cut cost to serve, plan the exit or the rebirth.
WATCH OUT FOR
Pretending it's still in growth.
Source: Corporate Finance Institute ↗
Know your stage. Pick your moves.