The Product Life Cycle: What to Do from Launch to Decline

In this episode of The Product Handbook, we break down the Product Life Cycle (PLC) — the classic model for understanding how products evolve from launch to eventual decline.

You’ll learn:

• The key stages: Introduction, Growth, Shake-Out (optional), Maturity, and Decline

• How sales, profits, and cash flow behave at each phase — and what that means for your product strategy

• Which tactics to prioritize: from aggressive marketing and feature rollouts in growth to cost optimization and sunset planning in decline

• How to recognize when your product is shifting stages — and how to adapt before it’s too late

• Modern takes on the PLC, including eco-design, multiple life cycles, and strategies for extending product value through reuse and remanufacturing

Whether you’re launching something new or figuring out how to keep an aging product relevant, this episode gives you a clear and timeless framework for making smarter product decisions.