Managing Product Cycles

In this chapter, Uncle Paul must manage the influx of seasonal fruits—certain fruits sell best during specific months. He must predict when to order, how much to order, and when to advertise to ensure maximum sales. Similarly, product managers need to balance product lifecycle management—knowing when to ramp up marketing, when to refine features, and when to phase out products. Effective forecasting and timing, just like Uncle Paul’s seasonal knowledge, drive success in product management. He has learned the The Art of Seasonal Promotions.

Uncle Paul had always known that fruit was a seasonal business. Each year, he watched the cycle of fruits: apples in the fall, strawberries in the summer, and oranges in the winter. If he didn’t adjust his strategy in time, he could lose out on key sales. Similarly, product managers must recognize the cyclical nature of products, managing the lifecycle of a product from development to decline.

In the case of Uncle Paul’s store, he learned that successful seasonal promotions required planning ahead. For example, in early spring, he started preparing for summer fruit sales. He calculated when strawberries would be at their peak and when the demand for them would dwindle. He knew that advertising and special deals needed to begin weeks before the fruits arrived in full force. If he waited too long, he missed the surge in demand.

For product managers, this mirrors the challenge of forecasting demand and planning marketing efforts. Just like Uncle Paul, product managers must understand the product lifecycle—knowing when to push for maximum engagement, when to refine and update features, and when to retire a product altogether. This requires careful analysis of both market trends and consumer behavior.

The "growth phase" of a product is akin to the height of strawberry season. It’s when your product is most popular, and the market is hungry for it. Here, the focus is on scaling, optimizing, and ensuring that marketing efforts are fully aligned with the product’s availability. The more customers buy into your product, the more you must ensure the systems and support are ready to keep up. Like Uncle Paul setting up his store with extra stock and promotional signage, product managers should prepare for this surge in demand by refining the product experience and optimizing sales processes.

However, as with fruit, every product will eventually reach its peak and begin to show signs of aging. Uncle Paul would notice when the strawberries were no longer as sweet, the oranges losing their juiciness, or when customers stopped buying altogether. That’s when he had to shift his focus—introducing a new fruit to keep sales up, or clearing out the overstock before it spoiled.

Product managers face a similar reality. As a product matures, the market interest begins to wane, and the product must be either reimagined or phased out. A key part of the product management role is understanding the "decline phase" and knowing when to pivot, release a new version, or sunset the product entirely. The challenge, however, is knowing when that phase begins.

One mistake Uncle Paul made early on was failing to manage the inventory correctly. There were seasons when he bought too many strawberries, and by the end of the season, he was left with boxes of overripe fruit. It’s a mistake that cost him sales—and trust with his customers. Similarly, product managers need to know when to limit resources and avoid overcommitting to a product that's reaching its end.

Effective seasonal promotion management doesn’t just depend on knowing when to scale back, it’s also about creating the right incentives at the right time. For example, Uncle Paul learned that offering a discount on apples at the start of fall would boost sales in the early part of the season, helping him clear out space for the next wave of fruits. This promotional strategy was successful because it met customer expectations at the right point in the buying cycle.

In product management, timing is critical. Launches need to be well-timed to capture the market’s attention, but so do updates and promotions. Special offers, new feature announcements, and even product pivots should be carefully planned around key periods of the product lifecycle. Product managers should prepare for moments when new features are required to keep customer interest alive and when adjustments are needed to continue offering value.

Uncle Paul also understood that advertising was vital to promoting seasonal products effectively. While some fruits sold themselves through word-of-mouth or reputation, others needed to be promoted early to build awareness. In much the same way, product managers must keep potential customers informed and excited about a product's availability, new features, and upcoming versions. Advertising and communication strategies should evolve with the product’s stage—early on, it's about educating the customer; later, it’s about loyalty-building and maintaining user satisfaction.

But just as Uncle Paul’s store could not survive by relying only on seasonal fruits, product managers must diversify their offerings. Relying on a single product can be risky, especially when that product is nearing its end of life. Uncle Paul diversified by offering a variety of fruits, catering to different tastes at different times. Similarly, a product manager might need to develop additional products or services to complement the existing offerings, ensuring a consistent and diverse revenue stream.

Finally, just like Uncle Paul would carefully consider how to restock and clear out inventory, product managers must pay attention to data and metrics. How do customers interact with the product? When are they most engaged? What happens when the product reaches its peak? Monitoring the product's performance at every stage of its lifecycle helps inform the decisions about whether to add new features, raise prices, adjust messaging, or phase out certain offerings.

Through Uncle Paul’s experience, we see that managing a product—whether fruit or software—requires a combination of strategy, foresight, and careful observation. Just as he learned to balance inventory, understand customer demand, and adjust his promotional tactics, product managers must also carefully manage their product's lifecycle, ensuring that each stage is optimized for success. The challenge, like Uncle Paul's seasonal promotions, is finding the right balance between supply, demand, and timing, ensuring that customers get the best product at the perfect moment.

By mastering these aspects, both Uncle Paul and product managers can ensure their offerings thrive, stay relevant, and continue to satisfy customers—even as the seasons change.