Jacqueline Snyder argues that killing a product is a sign of mature leadership, not failure. She warns against the sunk cost fallacy: past investment shouldn't force you to keep spending money on something that no longer works. Successful scaling comes from making rational decisions, not emotional ones.
Retiring a product is not failure. Letting go of something that no longer fits is not failure. It's you leading your company because it's discernment, maturity, and leadership. And I know that can be hard because you've poured so much into something, but sunk cost is not a strategy. Just because you invested in it does not mean you have to keep investing in it forever. This is one of the most important muscles you can build, the ability to make really clear decisions without your emotions, because businesses that grow well are not built on attachment, they're built on discernment.
