The #1 mistake lifecycle teams make: the reactive sending trap
Here’s why most lifecycle programs plateau — and the framework I used to grow LTV at Peloton, Casper, and Thirty Madison that avoids it.
Phi Pham
September 10, 2025
|1 minutes
After leading lifecycle programs for 10+ years and working across brands like Peloton, Casper, Thirty Madison, and more, I’ve seen what makes lifecycle marketing teams successful and the mistakes that derail their efforts. The core issue boils down to this: Many programs are built around what teams need to send to hit internal goals — not on the user behaviors they’re trying to drive.
It sounds like a subtle difference, but it creates two completely different outcomes. Designing for internal benchmarks leads to short-term lifts, calendar-driven campaigns, and constant pressure to get a send-out. But orienting around user behaviors is the key to long-term retention, habit building, and durable LTV.
In this post, I’ll show you how to avoid the first path and build for the second.
