CI-301h · Module 1

Product Lifecycle Management

3 min read

Intelligence products have lifecycles. A new product launches as a pilot — delivered to a limited audience with explicit feedback collection for 2-3 cycles. If the pilot demonstrates consumption and actionability, the product graduates to production — full audience, standard cadence, quality gates. Over time, a product may need refresh — the format evolves based on consumer feedback, the scope adjusts based on changing requirements. Eventually, a product may reach retirement — when consumption drops, the competitive landscape changes, or the product's purpose is better served by a different format.

Do This

  • Pilot new products before committing to production — test consumption and actionability first
  • Solicit explicit feedback during pilot phase — did consumers read it, act on it, value it?
  • Refresh products based on consumer feedback, not internal assumptions about what is useful
  • Retire products that are no longer consumed — dead products consume capacity that could serve living ones

Avoid This

  • Launch products directly into production without pilot feedback — you are guessing about utility
  • Maintain products indefinitely because they were useful once — past utility does not guarantee current utility
  • Refresh products based on the analyst's preferences rather than the consumer's needs