Why Category Management Matters — And Why Planned Obsolescence Isn’t a Dirty Word

Tim Coomer • December 6, 2025

One of the biggest lessons I've learned in product leadership is this: healthy categories don’t manage themselves. If you’re not actively shaping the lineup, the market will shape it for you.

Category management isn’t about maintaining the biggest catalog—it’s about maintaining the smartest one. Every SKU should have a purpose, a role, and a plan.

Not Every Product Deserves to Live Forever

Hard truth: some products outlive their usefulness. They get outdated, lose competitiveness, or create more noise than value. Holding onto them isn’t loyalty—it’s indecision. A strong category has clarity, not clutter.

Planned Obsolescence = Planned Evolution

“Planned obsolescence” gets a bad reputation, but in modern product strategy it simply means: we understand the lifecycle of every product we make.

We know when it should launch, how long it should be competitive, when a replacement is needed, and what the next version must improve. It’s about staying proactive instead of scrambling to fix outdated products. Intentional lifecycles keep your category moving forward.

End-of-Life (EOL) Is Part of a Healthy Category

EOL isn’t failure—it’s strategy. A clean, disciplined EOL process:

Prevents catalog bloat
Reduces operational drag
Protects margin
Improves customer clarity
Makes room for innovation

The categories that win are the ones that know when a product’s job is done

A Healthy Lineup Is Obvious to Everyone. When a category is managed well, you see it instantly:

Clear Good/Better/Best tiers
Modern, refreshed offerings
Obsolete items removed promptly
A lineup that makes sense to customers, sales, and retail partners
It’s the difference between a crisp portfolio and a cluttered garage.

Category Management Is Leadership

Category management requires tough calls and forward thinking. But when you embrace product lifecycles, planned obsolescence, and EOL as strategic tools, you end up with a category that’s:
Stronger
More profitable
Easier to sell
Fully aligned with customer expectations

A category without an obsolescence plan doesn’t have a plan at all.

Industrial Design Isn’t Just About Looks — It’s About Line Strategy

By Tim Coomer • January 8, 2026
Industrial Design Importance
Person designing a mobile app, using a phone, paper mockups, and color swatches.

The Power of a Simple UI: When Great Products Don’t Need a Manual

By Tim Coomer • December 6, 2025
One of the most overlooked competitive advantages in product development isn’t a new feature, a breakthrough material, or even a lower price point—it’s simplicity. A truly great product doesn’t need a manual. Not because documentation isn’t valuable, but because the product itself communicates how to use it. Whether you’re developing a consumer electronics product or a toy for children: clear, intuitive UI design directly impacts product adoption, customer satisfaction, and long-term loyalty. The moment a customer must pause, Google instructions, or watch a YouTube video just to “get started,” we’ve already introduced friction. And friction kills momentum. Simplicity Isn’t Basic—It’s Strategic Designing a simple UI is not taking the easy way out. It’s the opposite. It requires discipline: Eliminating unnecessary steps Prioritizing what the customer needs Making the product feel familiar the first time it’s touched Ensuring every button, icon, and interaction has a clear purpose If the interface is confusing, it doesn’t matter how powerful the hardware is or how clever engineering might be. Complexity becomes an anchor that weighs down the entire product experience. There are plenty of case studies on this, including BMW’s iDrive, which was almost impossible to use when driving – something that should have been prioritized. “I Should Just Know How to Use This” That’s the standard I push for in every product review. If I hand a prototype to someone who has never used it, and they can complete the top three tasks without a single question, that’s when I know the UI is heading in the right direction. When the interface teaches itself, the product becomes accessible, empowering, and more likely to be recommended. In a world where everyone is overwhelmed with apps, screens, and notifications, simplicity becomes a form of respect. Apple is the master of this. Simple UI Drives Sales and Reduces Support Costs This isn’t just good design philosophy, it’s good business. Fewer returns Fewer customer support calls Higher satisfaction Faster retail adoption Better reviews Stronger brand reputation Customers reward products that remove friction and make their lives easier. The Best UI Is Often the Quietest The products people fall in love with don’t shout for attention, they simply work. They anticipate rather than confuse. And they guide the user without forcing them to overthink. As product leaders, we don’t just design interfaces—we design confidence. And confidence is built when a customer says: “I didn’t need the manual. I just got it.”