What are action items that you always include on your product launch checklist?

I won't share the full list -- there are some great resources out there like SiriusDecisions -- but here are a few that I've learned through trial and error are really helpful. PRFAQ: As soon as possible, I work closely with PM to craft a "PRFAQ" (fake press release, customer and internal FAQs). Then, we circulate that to cross-functional stakeholders from sales to legal to finance to customer success to enablement. It's a killer way to make sure everyone is on the same page, and flag items that ...Read More

This has depended fairly dramatically depending on the size of the product launch, how ready the product is for prime-time, and the scale of the company! For example, for my Jira Work Management launch we needed to make sure that: Purchasing and provisioning pathways were live Support / sales teams were enabled to answer questions Email comms were accurate and scheduled PR interviews were completed the week prior to launch Landing pages are live and priority pages were translated We had a market ...Read More

For a launch of any significant size, the most valuable action on my checklist is a post-launch retro. You will always want to measure KPIs and ensure positioning is accurate, but the retro is often overlooked. A well-run retrospective can uncover meaningful insights to both improve the recent launch success as well as avoid unnecessary challenges and uncover new opportunities in future launches. It also builds partnerships across teams reinforcing the value of the key stakeholders involved in t ...Read More

Here are some of the core steps I'll take leading up to a product launch. Depending on the type of launch these may be more intensive or unnecessary. Create a pre-launch brief and set up weekly/bi-weekly meetings Define your stakeholders using RAPID (Recommend, Agree, Perform, Input, Decide) framework Complete your messaging/positioning framework and get stakeholder feedback Test your messaging with your beta customers or a customer advisory board Outline your marketing program to support your l ...Read More