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Launch Management Cheat Sheet Cheat Sheet (DRAFT) by

A concise and practical reference for planning, executing, and optimizing product launches ideal for product managers, marketers, and cross-functional teams.

This is a draft cheat sheet. It is a work in progress and is not finished yet.

Launch Basics

What is a Product Launch?
Common Launch Challenges (Bench­marking Insights)
The 3 Phases of Launch (The Three A's)
Launch Workflow
Role of the Executive Champion
The transition from New Product Develo­pment to market introd­uction. - Failure or success is quickly evident and impactful.
- No defined market window.
- Arrange - Prep tasks: docume­nta­tion, strategy alignment.
- Starts during develo­pment. - Uses a multi-­phase approach
- Required for important launches.
One of the most visible and critical milestones in a product's lifecycle.
- Lack of executive champion oversight.
- Activate - Execute plans, validate readiness.
- Uses a multi-­phase approach (Early, Middle, Late).
- Ensures cross-­fun­ctional teams are aligned.
Failure or success is quickly evident and impactful.
- Launch plans misaligned with - Business Cases or Marketing Plans.
- Announce - Publicly release product, trigger full launch.
- Enables go/no-go decisions at each stage.
- Provides market­-facing presence and internal support.
 
- Poor or insuff­icient sales training.
  
- Encourages better team commun­ica­tion.
 
- Operat­ional systems not launch­-ready.
 
- No launch metrics tracked.
 
- Reluctance to cancel or pause failing launches.

Planning & Readiness

Confirm the Market Window
Synchr­onize Key Documents
Beta & Market Testing
- Best time for launch = unique market position.
- Ensure alignment between Business Case, Marketing Plan, and Launch Plan.
- Market tests: Validate customer interest + forecast.
- Avoid launching just to meet internal timelines.
- Keep documents in sync throughout the process.
- Beta trials (B2B): Ensure product performs as intended.
- Market tests, customer needs, season­ality, and competitor inactivity all inform timing.
  
- Support pivot or no-go decisions early.

Execution & Monitoring

Product Availa­bility Ratings
Marketing Collateral + Promo Readiness
Channel & Readiness
Operat­ional Readiness
Launch Metrics
Be Prepared for No-Go Decision
The Announ­cement
Launch Checklist Highlights
- GA (General Availa­bil­ity): Open to all customers.
- Create clear, readable, on-brand materials.
- Confirm channel capacity.
- Ensure infras­tru­cture is go-live ready:
- Examples: Announ­cement first order, Order invoice payment.
- Encourage the team to pause or cancel if needed.
- Signals to the market: "­We're live!".
- Confirm strategy, alignment, docume­nta­tion.
- CI (Contr­olled Introd­uct­ion): Limited market­/test group.
- Include: Sales briefs, FAQs, Objection handling docs.
- Assign channel capacity manager.
- Order, fulfil­lment, logistics.
- Inventory turnover, Call center response times.
- Anyone should be able to "pull the emergency cord".
- Backed by all marketing, sales, and ops.
- Ready all systems: ops, sales, marketing.
- LA (Limited Availa­bil­ity): Wider access but still limited.
- Plan for creative, legal, layout, and fulfil­lment time.
- Use historical data to inform feasib­ility.
- Customer service + returns.
- All can be tailored to your company and industry standard.
- A flawed launch can do long-term damage.
- Coordi­nated via PR, media, internal and external channels.
- Validate: market need, sales enable­ment, customer readiness.
   
Ensure distri­butors and retailers are equipped and incent­ivized.
- IT systems + support.
Track time to order, fulfil­lment, payment, and support intera­ctions.
    
- Set and track metrics.
     
Logistics, ordering, support, and customer service must be live at launch.
Use metrics to assess success and refine future launches.