This is the final part of a four-part story about building my own business and then closing it. This part covers end-of-life.
Part of a product's lifecycle is its end. Just like in real life.
One of the hardest responsibilities a PM carries is recognising that the time has come.
One more success story first
At one Carnivore Nights I noticed two women who'd come together, so I went over to talk with them, as I usually did, and find out what had brought them and from where. One of them was nine months pregnant at the time.
They had heard about me online and from friends, and had decided to travel all the way from Kfar Aza to my house up north, just to take part in what they described as a unique and delicious experience.
So why close a business that was working?
It was never primarily about the money. Money was a result.
Over the years, friends and suppliers told me on various occasions that I could raise my margin by using lower-quality meat. My answer was always the same: I would rather close permanently than lower the quality of my product, raw materials included.
Then several things happened at once. I was climbing the ladder in my hi-tech day job, which left less and less time for the business. Meat prices rose significantly, to the point where I'd have had to charge a price per person I wasn't comfortable charging. A flood of similar businesses turned the blue ocean bloody. And then COVID-19.
Together those brought me to the realisation that it was time to close shop.
If memory serves, the last event I held was in July 2020 — a meat and whisky theme night, in cooperation with a well-known liquor importer.
It was a night to remember.
So there you have it: the connection between Carnivore Nights, entrepreneurship, innovation, and product management.