How do you collect lessons learned from a launch and implement it into the next one?

We focus on three main areas to ensure every launch is better than the last:

1. Reporting cadence
We gather data and feedback at set intervals to track impact and learnings:

• 2-3 days post-launch: Initial reactions from customers and the market. What channels are showing promise and an overall confidence of if we’ll hit the goals.

• 2 weeks post-launch: A deeper dive into numerical goals and primary drivers—this is where most insights emerge based on the success or failure of the launch.

• 3-4 weeks post-launch: Final reflections and a summary of all learnings, including our retro (more below).

2. Launch retros
Every GTM moment gets a retro, even if it’s just the directly responsible individual (DRI) running it async. Ideally, these are collaborative sessions with cross-functional teams.

Allocate at least 15 minutes during an existing sync if you can’t schedule dedicated time to do it. Use voting — we have folks add their fav emoji of the day — to filter the most valuable/important lessons and ensure all voices are heard.

3. Evolving the GTM template
We continuously refine our launch template by adding or removing sections, updating processes, or improving how we share it out. Documenting these updates ensures that lessons are easy to reference.

With this approach, when we revisit a decision or suggestion, we can point to past launches to justify why something worked—or didn’t. This reduces redundancy and keeps us moving forward.

This is a great question and is often overlooked! Even though most launches don't have a set end date, they do have a key milestone date (that's usually when the feature or product is released). After that, there may be additional activities that help support the launch and ensure it stays top of mind for the audience post-key milestone.

When it comes to collecting lessons learned, here are a few things to consider:

• Timing: Make sure enough time has passed since the key milestone date. Two weeks after is good because by then, you should have some core metrics of success, and everything will still be fresh.

• People: Bring together the GTM team that helped you execute the launch. Tell them in advance that you'll be conducting a post-mortem so they can start gathering thoughts. Depending on the organization and comfort level, you can either do it in a big group if you think everyone will be brutally honest, or you can go department by department. As different teams share feedback, take notes in a doc. Ask for clear examples and for their advice on how it could be improved. Then, ask for ownership. Once you gather everyone's feedback in the document, share it with the GTM team to ensure you documented it correctly and give everyone a chance to add other thoughts.

• Adapt: Once you have your feedback, consider what makes the next GTM a task, what's just a note, and what to keep an eye on to identify patterns. Then, update your GTM activities document (spreadsheet or project management tool) with the activities and owners. As the next launch rolls around, review the postmortem document again and make any final adjustments.