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