What milestones would you look for to determine if a product isn’t performing well, and what process would you lay out to sunset the product while handling stakeholders?

To assess a product's performance and decide on sunsetting, I'd focus on key metrics like user engagement (daily/monthly active users, session duration), retention rates, conversion rates (if applicable), customer satisfaction scores (NPS, CSAT), and revenue/profitability trends. Declining trends across multiple metrics, especially engagement and retention, would signal underperformance.

If sunsetting is considered, the process would involve:

1. Data Analysis & Decision: Confirm underperformance with data and establish clear criteria for sunsetting.
2. Stakeholder Identification & Communication Plan: Identify all affected parties (users, internal teams, partners) and develop a transparent, phased communication strategy.
3. Roadmap Adjustment: Halt new feature development and focus resources on maintaining essential functionality and supporting the sunset.
4. Migration/Transition Support: For users, provide clear migration paths to alternative solutions (internal or external) with ample notice and support.
5. Technical Decommissioning: Plan a phased shutdown of infrastructure and services, ensuring data archival or deletion according to policy.
6. Post-Sunset Monitoring: Track any residual issues and ensure a clean exit.