AMA: Observable VP, Marketing, LaShaun Williams on Release Marketing

I really enjoyed launching branching and merging at Figma. It's a technical feature that is challenging to build as well as communicate to a non-developer audience. Both the product and marketing teams worked hard to simplify the complexity of the feature in experience and messaging. It was a two-part launch, public beta and GA. There was an interesting back story to share, we made hard decisions, timelines adjusted, the team rolled with the ebbs and flows, and we launched a great feature.

This is where tiering comes in handy. We adjust the depth and breadth of GTM plans based on the estimated impact of the launch. We also decouple product launches from product releases. For example, some small launches are bundled into a larger themed launch, which may happen after some of the features have been released. It's helpful to align on this approach and set expectations with your product management partners early on — they drive what is being built and PMM drives how and when it is communicated to the market.

We communicate updates and progress two ways. For each launch, we create a Slack channel specific to that launch and the people directly involved in decision-making and execution. Whether it is private or public depends on the culture of your organization. We also have a public marketing Slack channel where we generally keep folks in the loop on marketing efforts. We share weekly updates that can include updates and progress on product launches.

Yes, I do. We continue to tweak and refine it. The document serves as the single source of truth and artifact for each launch. Here's what in it: Strategy * Product/feature/capability narrative: A short story that provides context into the why behind the release. * Product/feature/capability overview: This is a snapshot of the what it is and why it's important. If you were giving a feature elevator pitch, this would be it. * Who cares: The primary and secondary audiences in a "think, feel, do" framework. * Messaging framework Execution * Goals: The top three things we want to accomplish and how we will measure success. * Deliverables: These are organized in a channel matrix with DRIs (directly responsible individuals who are typically the channel owners). * Product release date * Launch date * Run of show: Organized into a table. Tracking * Meeting notes * Performance against goals * Landing review notes

I segment communications into three audiences: 1. Product management 2. Project DRIs (Directly Responsible Individuals, typically marketing team members) 3. Leadership Communication with product managers driving particular features or areas of the product occurs regularly, typically on a weekly basis. I use these meetings to remain aligned on positioning and messaging, accuracy in deliverable development, product/feature readiness, and timelines. I see this ongoing communication as foundational to the other pieces of the puzzle. After formally kicking off a launch plan, I also like to meet with project DRIs on a weekly basis to communicate product updates, any potential changes to the timeline, surface dependencies and blockers, and maintain alignment on goals, deliverables, and timelines. This approach has helped me effectively manage the project coordination and wrangling needed to pull everything together for launch day. For larger scale releases, I include a leadership GTM review in my process. I like to run these meetings prior to kicking execution off with DRIs. During GTM reviews, I develop a slide deck that outlines my GTM plan and includes context on the why behind my decisions. It is reviewed with the product manager leading development and sometimes the engineering lead prior to leadership review to ensure alignment on timelines, dependencies, and potential trade offs (if needed).