What is the best cadence for gathering stakeholder feedback in preparation for a launch?

The best cadence for gathering stakeholder feedback in preparation for a launch is specific to the timeline of the launch. I recommend getting ahead of this and collecting feedback with ample time to map out additional touchpoints for feedback such as at set milestones. Ask yourself, how long do you need to document the feedback, define action items and incorporate the feedback accordingly?

For example, this is a general framework for collecting feedback at milestones:

• Pre-launch. Who do you need to collect feedback from ahead of testing and the launch?
• Testing. What type of QA process do you have in place and when do you need to collect this feedback ahead of the launch?
• Post-launch landing review. A good rule of thumb is to have a landing review after ~30 days. This of course will vary depending on the launch, but this is a general guideline you can use.

The key here is to tailor the cadence based on the needs of the launch (e.g., complexity, duration, impact, etc.). I also recommend keeping your stakeholders to a minimum to avoid groupthink. It’s a delicate balance of ensuring the right stakeholders are included, but also that the launch doesn’t meet friction with too many opinions.

In preparation for a launch, I like to consider the key milestones and create a workback plan that includes who we need to update and when. To help ensure there is strong documentation, we often create a single source of truth deck and project plan that allows us to keep all of the most pertinent information in one place for all cross functional teams to reference.

As one of the key kick off meetings with stakeholders, I like to review the milestone work back plan and ensure we're capturing any expectations they have on how we keep them updated.

I love following the typical feedback patterns and cadence in creative work:

• V1: get a rough idea, skeleton, "first draft" together and get as much feedback as possible from the highest impact stakeholders

  • This should happen early in the project timeline so you can use this feedback to help set the direction of the project and shape it into a good working version

  • There may be several key stakeholders in this stage in order to set the project in motion and answer any outstanding questions and address any major concerns

• V2: get a solid version together that feels close to the real thing and only stick to the absolute key stakeholders when reviewing this version

  • This should happen 1-2 weeks out from launch depending on the type of project and what kind of work is involved

• V3: this version should be as close to final as possible and you will usually only want to run this by the person/people who will sign off on the project

  • This should happen a few days out from launch depending on the type of project and what kind of work is involved

• Final delivery: ship it! No more internal feedback, now it's time to get it in the wild and get feedback from your customers/clients/audience in order to make something even better next time

The cadence is a function of multiple factors – launch schedule, preparedness, stage of the launch, etc. If you are launching something in a short time with a new set of stakeholders, its best to communicate more frequently. However, if it is a long term planned launch, then you can have longer gaps between the cadences.

What is sacrosanct is a project plan – a detailed activity plan, with timelines and owners assigned. Work backwards from the due date for each activity. E.g., Going live with a new microsite in your website is due on XYZ date. You know how many days/weeks you have in hand. That is your target to work towards and assign responsibilities with due dates accordingly to different team members and stakeholders.