Product development

So... I killed my product. Am I still invited to lunch?

Product Managers face emotional challenges when ending a product. The talk explores biases and necessary preparations for tough decisions.

Basti Witsker

Basti Witsker

Basti Witsker has over a decade of experience in product management, with a background that includes roles at Dataport, Eventim, and FREE NOW. Today, he’s a co-founder and Head of Product at Spaceteams, a software service provider building custom solutions and working closely with clients to tackle real-world challenges in digital transformation and product development.

In his talks, Basti shares hands-on lessons and best practices from the many teams and organizations he’s worked with – always with a focus on what actually works, not just what looks good on a slide. Outside of work, he’s a dad, a sports enthusiast (watching and playing), a regular at concerts, and part of the organizing team behind a local music festival.

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Product Managers are supposed to be rational, experimental, and brutally honest. If something doesn’t work – kill it! Simple, right?

Well... not really.

Because that product? It’s your baby. You named it. You fought for it. You maybe even skipped a vacation for it. And now you're supposed to shut it down? And tell your boss their empire just got smaller?

In this talk, we’ll ask ourselves some uncomfortable but essential questions:

  • How can we overcome our own bias?
  • Would you really be ready to pull the plug?
  • Is your organization truly prepared for that moment?
  • What needs to happen before that decision can be made?
  • And what can still go wrong after you do the right thing?

We’ll explore the human, political, and emotional layers of ending a product. With a wink, a few laughs, and hopefully some clarity about how to make bold decisions – and survive them.