How do you think about product launches for big strategic bets, when the product isn't "there" yet?

Everything is a trade-off discusssion. If you launch a big bet before a product is "there" there will be risks, but if launching the product comes with acceptable risk and you can still hit the metrics you want to hit, you can do it. I've recently stolen this durable decision framework and find it excellent. As a product marketer, we're rarely the sole decision-makers on whether to push the launch button. But if you want to drive alignment around the launch, this is how I would approach.    DURA ...Read More

I can so relate to this question! One of the things I've grown more comfortable with over time is the idea that if we wait until something feels truly "fully baked" then we probably aren't moving fast enough! This is especially true if you've got longer sales cycles. I used to be really uncomfortable with that, but I think there are a number of ways to mitigate risk. Here are some of the things I think about: Can I phase the launch or roll out? For example, is there a pilot I can do with a subse ...Read More

It sounds like this conversation is around pre-launching products that need to go live to further the company or portfolio's narrative among your customers, or other key opinion formers in your space. I believe you can only launch a product once. Pre-launches are tricky because you get one splash, but you know you're going to try to make news again when the product is ready. Here's my general flowchart on the key actions I take. Understand the goal of the launch: Pre-launches are exciting when t ...Read More

We've all had to launch products before they're fully baked, and while it may be nerve-racking, you can think of the exercise more of a market introduction rather than a traditional product launch. You might want to focus on building awareness and credibility through top-of-the-funnel assets like whitepapers and infographics that speak to the market landscape and the use cases that your in-development product is setting out to tackle. Setting the groundwork with any 1st or 3rd party research abo ...Read More

It's fairly common to launch a product before it's baked. In my experience, PMM should drive the launch but bring in different teams within marketing at different stages of the product's maturity. Here's how I've done this in the past at each stage of the product - Ideation - this is largely about bringing your customer insights back to your product teams and ensuring they're building what's relevant for your audience. as the industry and subject matter expert, your guidance is critical in influ ...Read More