launch

Use the five-phase launch approach: Internal testing with friendly users, Alpha with a landing page and early access signups, Beta with teasers and influencer outreach, Early Access with throttled invites, then Full Launch with open signups and multi-channel announcements.

Prepare 2-4 weeks ahead by optimizing your tagline, visuals, and demo video, building supporter relationships, and engaging communities before pitching. On launch day, respond to every comment, treat it as an all-day event, and funnel traffic to your own email list.

Apply the SLC gate: the product should be Simple (does one thing), Lovable (users choose it, not just tolerate it), and Complete (a whole experience, not a stub). If you keep adding features or polishing past this bar, cut scope and ship.

Diagnose whether the cause was insufficient pre-launch audience building, wrong channels, or weak messaging. Analyze which channels produced your existing signups, double down on those, leverage early users for testimonials, and run a structured 30-day recovery plan.

Use the update priority matrix: major features get a full campaign with blog post, email, in-app messages, and social; medium updates get targeted emails and in-app banners; minor fixes go in the changelog. Scale tactics to the update's significance.

Focus on Borrowed channels: podcast guest appearances, co-marketing with complementary tools, influencer partnerships, guest posts, and community engagement in relevant Slack groups or subreddits. Start building these relationships well before launch day since they take time.