Product evolution map in Miro: MVP, PMF and sunset

Table of Contents

• Why map your portfolio's evolution
• The five zones of the map

  • MVP: do we have a real problem?
  • PMF: could users live without it?
  • Maturity: are we optimizing what works?
  • Sunset: is it time to let go?
  • Cooling off: the planned pause
• How to build it in Miro in 15 minutes
• Rules to keep the map alive

Every product goes through the same cycle: it starts as an uncertain bet, finds (or fails to find) its market, matures and eventually fades out. The problem is that few teams have that cycle drawn on a board. When the portfolio includes several products or major features, the question "what stage is this in?" usually gets answered by whoever talks loudest in the meeting, not by the data.

This evolution map fixes that with five zones on a whiteboard: MVP, PMF, maturity, sunset plus a transition zone called cooling off. Each product in the portfolio is a sticky note that moves between zones according to signals agreed in advance. You can set it up in Miro — or FigJam, Mural, or a physical whiteboard — in about 15 minutes and update it at every QBR.

Why map your portfolio's evolution

A map like this gives you three things a spreadsheet can't:

• It makes movement visible. Static position matters less than direction: a product entering maturity is not the same as one that has spent two years trying to leave MVP.
• It forces signals to be agreed before the debate. Each zone defines which entry signals activate it, so the QBR discussion is about data, not impressions.
• It turns sunset into just another decision. When "letting go" is one more zone with its own signals, it stops being taboo and becomes a manageable option.

The five zones of the map

MVP: do we have a real problem?

The green zone. New bets live here, and the only goal is to validate that someone wants to pay for the solution.

Entry signals:

• 5 or more qualitative interviews completed
• Prototype validated with 3 users
• TAM/SAM/SOM estimate documented

Guiding question: "Would people pay for this?" Expected timeline: 3 to 6 months. If there are no clear signals by month 6, the note gets questioned at the QBR.

PMF: could users live without it?

The blue zone. The product found its market: users don't just use it, they would need it if it disappeared.

Entry signals:

• NPS above 40
• D30 retention above 60%
• Organic growth above 20%
• 80% of features perceived as "must-have"

Guiding question: "If we removed the product, would users complain?" Expected timeline: 12 to 24 months from MVP.

Maturity: are we optimizing what works?

The yellow zone. The product is stable and predictable; the risk here isn't failing but stalling.

Entry signals:

• Stable growth, below 15%
• Annual churn below 5%
• Predictable revenue (ARR)
• Team of more than 20 people

Guiding question: "Where is the next 10x?" Timeline: indefinite, as long as the product stays relevant.

Sunset: is it time to let go?

The red zone. No product lives forever, and this zone exists so that the exit is a deliberate decision rather than a surprise.

Entry signals:

• Negative growth for more than 3 quarters
• Maintenance cost exceeds marginal revenue
• A superior alternative exists in the market
• The team keeps asking to deprioritize it

Guiding question: "What will we do with the resources we free up?" Options on entry: keep in legacy mode, sell, shut down or replace with a new product.

Cooling off: the planned pause

The white zone, set apart from the main cycle. An initiative enters when the cooling off policy is triggered: it pauses for a maximum of N weeks defined in advance and, when the deadline arrives, it is either resumed or cancelled. Without this zone, "paused" products tend to sit for years consuming maintenance while nobody decides anything.

How to build it in Miro in 15 minutes

1. Create the stage frames. Draw 4 frames on the board —MVP, PMF, maturity and sunset— and leave an extra one on the side for cooling off. Each box is a Miro frame.
2. Move each product to a note. One sticky note per product or major feature, placed in the zone where it stands today. If the portfolio is large, start only with the products that generate or consume the most resources.
3. Color-code the map. Green for MVP, blue for PMF, yellow for maturity, red for sunset and white for cooling off. The color should read from a meter away.
4. Draw the evolution with arrows. Connect each product's path across zones with arrows. The arrows accumulated over several quarters tell the portfolio's story better than any slide.
5. Update the map at every QBR. The board is reviewed every quarter: stages are adjusted according to entry signals, and only the notes that moved — or should move — get discussed.

Rules to keep the map alive

The first month of enthusiasm isn't the problem; month six is. Three simple rules keep the board from becoming decoration:

• One signal, one data point. If nobody can point to the data supporting a note's current stage, that note gets discussed at the QBR.
• Signals are negotiated before, not during. Changing a zone's threshold mid-meeting so "a product looks good" poisons the whole system.
• Movement matters more than position. A product that has gone four quarters without new arrows deserves as much attention as one that entered sunset.