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Zhongwei Li
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skills/launch-planning-frameworks/SKILL.md
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skills/launch-planning-frameworks/SKILL.md
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name: launch-planning-frameworks
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description: Master product launch planning including launch types (soft, hard, tiered), launch strategies, launch timelines, cross-functional coordination, and launch execution. Use when planning product launches, coordinating cross-functional teams, creating launch plans, timing market entry, executing launches, or building launch playbooks. Covers launch tier frameworks, launch checklists, and launch management best practices.
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---
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# Launch Planning Frameworks
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Frameworks for planning and executing successful product launches including launch strategy, cross-functional coordination, and launch measurement.
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## Why Launch Planning Matters
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A great product poorly launched underperforms. A good product well-launched succeeds. Launch planning ensures:
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- Products reach target customers
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- Messaging resonates clearly
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- Teams execute in coordination
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- Success is measurable
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- Issues are caught early
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## When to Use This Skill
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**Auto-loaded by agents**:
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- `launch-planner` - For launch tiers, timelines, checklists, and go/no-go decisions
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**Use when you need**:
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- Launching new products/features
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- Major releases or rebrands
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- Market entry or expansion
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- Coordinating cross-functional teams
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- Post-launch analysis
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- Creating launch timelines
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- Defining launch tiers (soft, hard, tiered)
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- Building launch checklists
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---
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## Launch Tier Framework
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Not all launches are equal. Determine your launch tier first - it drives everything else.
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### Three Tiers
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**Tier 1: Major Launch** (Company-wide priority)
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- New product line, platform launch, major strategic initiative
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- 8-12 weeks planning, full cross-functional team
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- High investment: PR, events, full marketing campaign
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**Tier 2: Standard Launch** (Team priority)
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- Significant feature, market expansion, competitive parity
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- 4-6 weeks planning, core team (PM, Marketing, Sales)
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- Medium investment: Email campaigns, blog, in-app
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**Tier 3: Minor Launch** (Low-key release)
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- Feature improvements, enhancements, quality updates
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- 1-2 weeks planning, PM + minimal support
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- Low investment: Release notes, in-app notification
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### Decision Framework
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Determine tier by scoring 6 factors (1-3 points each):
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1. Customer reach (all/segment/small)
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2. Customer importance (critical/important/nice)
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3. Revenue opportunity (high/medium/low)
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4. Strategic importance (critical/supportive/incremental)
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5. Competitive impact (differentiation/parity/minor)
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6. Complexity (high/medium/low)
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**Total Score**: 15-18 = T1 | 10-14 = T2 | 6-9 = T3
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**Full framework**: See `assets/launch-tier-decision-template.md` for scorecard, decision matrix, and examples.
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---
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## Ready-to-Use Launch Plans
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### 12-Week Launch Plan (Tier 1)
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Complete timeline for major launches with weekly breakdown:
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- **Weeks 12-10**: Strategy & planning
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- **Weeks 9-7**: Content & assets creation
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- **Weeks 6-4**: Team enablement & preparation
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- **Weeks 3-1**: Final prep & go-live
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- **Week 0**: Launch day execution
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- **Weeks 1-4**: Post-launch monitoring
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**Template**: `assets/12-week-launch-plan-template.md`
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Includes: Weekly activities for each function, deliverables, team roster, meeting cadence
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**Adaptable**:
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- Tier 2: Condense to 6 weeks
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- Tier 3: Condense to 2 weeks
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- Solo operator: Simplify cross-functional activities
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---
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### Launch Checklist
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Comprehensive readiness checklist across all functions:
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- Product readiness (features, QA, performance, security)
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- Marketing readiness (website, content, campaign)
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- Sales readiness (enablement, pipeline, demos)
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- Customer Success readiness (comms, onboarding)
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- Support readiness (training, runbooks, FAQs)
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- Technical readiness (deployment, monitoring, rollback)
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**Template**: `assets/launch-checklist-template.md`
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100+ checklist items with critical items (⚠️ = go/no-go blockers) identified
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**Use at T-2 weeks**: Begin checking items, hold readiness review, make go/no-go decision
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---
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### Go/No-Go Decision Framework
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Final readiness decision at T-1 week from launch.
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**Decision Criteria**:
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- Must-Have (hard blockers): Product stable, teams ready, critical deliverables complete
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- Nice-to-Have (soft preferences): Polish items, optional features
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- Risk Assessment: Likelihood × Impact with mitigation plans
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- Readiness Scores: Each function rates 1-5
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- Confidence Poll: Team votes on launch confidence
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**Decision**: GO (with conditions) or NO-GO (with new date and action plan)
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**Template**: `assets/go-no-go-template.md`
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Includes: Meeting agenda, decision matrix, sign-off template
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---
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## Launch Messaging Framework
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Clear positioning and messaging are critical for launch success.
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### Positioning Statement
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**Format** (Geoffrey Moore):
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```
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For [target customer]
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Who [customer need]
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[Product] is a [category]
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That [key benefit]
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Unlike [competitors]
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We [differentiation]
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```
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### Message Hierarchy
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**Level 1: Headline** (8-12 words)
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- Grab attention, communicate core value instantly
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- Example: "Ship features 2x faster with continuous deployment"
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**Level 2: Subhead** (20-30 words)
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- Expand on headline, clarify specific value
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**Level 3: Key Messages** (3-5 bullets)
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- Core value propositions, each standing alone
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- Use numbers, focus on outcomes
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**Level 4: Proof Points**
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- Stats, customer quotes, case studies
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- Back up key messages with evidence
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**Full framework**: `assets/launch-messaging-template.md`
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Includes: Examples, audience-specific messaging, testing framework
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---
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## Cross-Functional Coordination
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Successful launches require tight coordination across teams.
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### Launch Roles
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**Product (PM)**: Launch owner, strategy, coordination, go/no-go decisions
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**Marketing**: Campaign strategy, content, PR, demand generation
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**Sales**: Enablement, outreach, pipeline, competitive positioning
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**Customer Success**: Customer comms, onboarding, adoption, feedback
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**Engineering**: Development, deployment, monitoring, stability
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**Support**: Training, runbooks, triage, escalation
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**Design**: Marketing assets, landing page, demo video
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### Coordination Patterns
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**Weekly Launch Sync** (6-8 weeks before launch):
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- Status updates per function
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- Go/no-go checkpoints
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- Key decisions
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- Timeline review
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**Launch Readiness Review** (T-1 week):
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- Final go/no-go decision
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- 60-minute meeting with full team
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**Launch Day War Room**:
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- Real-time monitoring and triage
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- Dedicated Slack + Zoom
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- All day with core team
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**Comprehensive guide**: `references/launch-coordination-guide.md`
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Includes: Full role descriptions, RACI matrix, meeting templates, escalation framework, solo operator adaptations
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---
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## Launch Channels
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### Internal Channels
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**All-Hands Announcement** (T-1 week): Build company excitement
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**Internal Email** (Launch day): Mobilize company to spread word
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**Slack Announcement** (Launch day): Real-time celebration and links
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### External Channels
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**Email to Customers**:
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- Beta users (T-1 day)
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- Target customers (Launch day)
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- All customers (T+1 week)
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**Blog Post** (Launch day):
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- 800-1,200 words
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- Problem, solution, how it works, customer stories
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- Screenshots, demo video, clear CTA
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**Social Media**:
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- Announcement (Launch day)
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- Testimonial (T+1)
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- Deep-dive (T+2)
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- Results (T+1 week)
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**Press Release** (Tier 1 only):
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- Launch day distribution
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- Press briefings scheduled
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**Website Landing Page**:
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- Hero, benefits, how it works, social proof, demo, CTA
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### Channel Selection by Tier
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**Tier 1**: All channels (email, blog, social, PR, paid ads, events)
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**Tier 2**: Core channels (email, blog, social, in-app)
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**Tier 3**: Minimal channels (email announcement, blog/release notes)
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**Comprehensive guide**: `references/launch-channels-guide.md`
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Includes: Channel templates, timing calendars, best practices, platform-specific tips
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---
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## Launch Metrics
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### Leading Indicators (Week 1)
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Early signals that predict success:
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**Awareness**: Website visits, blog views, social impressions, email open rates
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**Early Adoption**: Signups, activation rate, time to first use, D1 retention
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**Technical Health**: Uptime, error rate, performance, support tickets
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**Purpose**: Quick feedback, course correction
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---
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### Lagging Indicators (Months 1-3)
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Longer-term measures of success:
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**Adoption**: % of target segment using, DAU/MAU, retention (D7, D30), usage frequency
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**Business Impact**: Revenue, conversion lift, expansion revenue, churn reduction, LTV impact
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**Product Quality**: Bug rate, support volume, NPS, CSAT, app ratings
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**Purpose**: Validate product-market fit, business impact
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---
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### Metrics by Launch Tier
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**Tier 1**: All metrics, high targets, daily monitoring Week 1
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**Tier 2**: Focus on adoption and business impact, weekly monitoring
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**Tier 3**: Basic adoption and technical health, monthly check-ins
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**Comprehensive guide**: `references/launch-metrics-guide.md`
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Includes: Complete metrics catalog, success criteria examples, dashboard templates, measurement setup, red flags for pivoting
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---
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## Launch Best Practices
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**DO**:
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- Start planning early (8-12 weeks for Tier 1)
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- Align on launch tier first
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- Coordinate cross-functionally (not PM alone)
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- Test messaging with customers
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- Set clear success metrics
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- Communicate internally before externally
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- Have rollback plan ready
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- Monitor closely post-launch
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- Iterate based on feedback
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**DON'T**:
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- Launch without clear positioning
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- Surprise internal teams
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- Over-promise in messaging
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- Forget support training
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- Launch and disappear (no follow-through)
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- Skip post-launch review
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- Launch on Friday (no support over weekend)
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- Make everything Tier 1 (save energy for what matters)
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---
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## For Solo Operators / Small Teams
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If you don't have separate marketing, sales, CS teams:
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**Simplify the framework**:
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- You own all functions (PM + Marketing + Sales + CS)
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- Focus on: positioning, website, email, blog, basic support
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- Skip: elaborate sales training, press release (unless Tier 1), complex campaigns
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- Use templates aggressively
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- 4-6 weeks is plenty for Tier 1 solo launch
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**Timeline**:
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- Week 6-4: Strategy, positioning, messaging
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- Week 4-2: Create content (website, blog, email)
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- Week 2-1: Final prep, customer comms
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- Week 0: Launch
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- Week 1+: Monitor, iterate
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**Key**: Do less, but do it well. Better to nail positioning + blog + email than to spread thin across 10 channels.
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---
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## Templates and References
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### Assets (Ready-to-Use Templates)
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Copy-paste these for immediate use:
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- `assets/launch-tier-decision-template.md` - Determine T1/T2/T3 with scorecard
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- `assets/12-week-launch-plan-template.md` - Complete timeline, all functions
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- `assets/launch-checklist-template.md` - 100+ readiness items
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- `assets/launch-messaging-template.md` - Positioning + message hierarchy
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- `assets/go-no-go-template.md` - Decision framework and meeting template
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### References (Deep Dives)
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When you need comprehensive guidance:
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- `references/launch-coordination-guide.md` - Cross-functional roles, meetings, RACI, escalation
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- `references/launch-channels-guide.md` - All channels with templates, timing, best practices
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- `references/launch-metrics-guide.md` - Complete metrics catalog, dashboards, success criteria
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---
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## Related Skills
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- `competitive-analysis-templates` - Competitive positioning and battle cards
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- `product-positioning` - Market positioning and differentiation
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- `go-to-market-playbooks` - GTM strategy and distribution channels
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---
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## Quick Start
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**For your first launch**:
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1. Determine launch tier using `assets/launch-tier-decision-template.md`
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2. Choose timeline based on tier (12 weeks T1, 6 weeks T2, 2 weeks T3)
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3. Create positioning using `assets/launch-messaging-template.md`
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4. Use `assets/12-week-launch-plan-template.md` to plan activities
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5. Track readiness with `assets/launch-checklist-template.md`
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6. Make go/no-go decision using `assets/go-no-go-template.md`
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7. Execute launch, monitor metrics
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8. Post-launch: Review results, document learnings
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**For repeat launches**:
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- Update your launch playbook based on learnings
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- Refine messaging based on what resonated
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- Adjust timeline based on what took longer than expected
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- Build on what worked, fix what didn't
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---
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**Key Principle**: Launch planning is about coordination and preparedness, not perfection. A well-coordinated launch of a good product beats a chaotic launch of a great product. Plan thoroughly, execute decisively, measure rigorously, iterate continuously.
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