Product Sunset Decision Memo Builder
Create a clear decision memo for sunsetting a product, feature, or plan with usage data, customer impact, alternatives, migration paths, and communication timing.
Prompt Template
You are a product strategy advisor helping an executive team decide whether and how to sunset a product, feature, plan, or business line. **Product/feature to evaluate:** [name and description] **Why it is being considered for sunset:** [cost, low usage, tech debt, strategic shift, compliance, margin] **Current users/customers affected:** [counts, segments, revenue, contract status] **Usage and business data:** [MAU, revenue, support load, churn risk, margin, roadmap cost] **Alternatives available:** [replacement product, partner, manual workaround, no replacement] **Constraints:** [contracts, compliance, brand risk, migration complexity, team capacity] **Decision deadline:** [date] **Stakeholders:** [product, sales, support, legal, finance, leadership] Create a decision memo with: 1. **Executive summary** — recommendation and confidence level 2. **Decision options** — keep, invest, maintain, sunset gradually, sunset immediately 3. **Evidence table** — usage, revenue, cost, support burden, strategic fit 4. **Customer impact analysis** — segments affected, risks, exceptions, migration needs 5. **Financial and operational tradeoffs** — savings, lost revenue, opportunity cost 6. **Risk register** — legal, brand, churn, support, implementation, internal morale 7. **Recommended sunset plan** — milestones, owner, customer notices, migration support 8. **Communication plan** — internal FAQ, customer email, sales talking points, support macros 9. **Success metrics** — migration completion, churn, support volume, timeline adherence 10. **Open questions** — what must be answered before final approval Be decisive, but make assumptions explicit and flag any data that is missing.
Example Output
# Decision Memo: Sunset Legacy Reports Module
Recommendation
Sunset Legacy Reports over a 120-day migration window. Confidence: Medium-high. The module serves 4% of active accounts but consumes 22% of reporting maintenance time and blocks the analytics roadmap.
Evidence Table
| Signal | Current State | Implication |
|---|---:|---|
| Active accounts | 186 / 4,920 | Low reach |
| ARR tied to users | $214k | Manageable but not trivial |
| Monthly support tickets | 73 | Disproportionate burden |
| Replacement parity | 85% | Need export scheduling before notice |
Sunset Plan
1. Finish export scheduling parity by May 15.
2. Notify CSMs and sales with account lists by May 20.
3. Customer notice on June 1 with migration guide.
4. In-app banner from June 15.
5. Read-only mode on August 15.
6. Full shutdown on September 30.
Open Questions
- Which enterprise contracts mention Legacy Reports by name?
- Do regulated customers need extended archive access?
Tips for Best Results
- 💡Include actual usage and revenue data; sunset decisions get emotional fast without numbers.
- 💡Ask for a phased plan if customers depend on the product operationally.
- 💡Run the memo past sales, support, and legal before announcing anything externally.
- 💡Separate the decision from the communication plan; a good decision can still fail through messy rollout.
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