Launch Planning

---
name: launch-planning
description: >-
  Plan product and feature launches across owned, earned, community, partner, and outbound channels. Produces launch narrative, audience map, asset checklist, channel calendar, risk plan, and measurement dashboard. Use when launching a startup, feature, campaign, Product Hunt post, or category narrative.
license: MIT
compatibility: Claude Code, Codex, GitHub Copilot, Cursor, Gemini CLI, OpenCode, Goose, Hermes, Windsurf, Zed
metadata:
  version: "1.0.0"
  author: LeadMagic
  category: founder-led
  tags: [launch, product-launch, go-to-market, product-hunt, press, channels]
  related_skills: [positioning-messaging, social-media-strategy, content-marketing, sales-enablement, founder-brand]
  frameworks:
    - "Maja Voje — Go-to-Market Strategist"
    - "Lenny Rachitsky — B2B Launch Playbook"
    - "Andy Raskin — Strategic Narrative"
---
# Launch Planning

## Overview

Most product launches fail not because the product is bad but because the launch
is treated as an announcement instead of a coordinated campaign. The mistake:
publishing a blog post on launch day and hoping for virality. This skill covers
tiered launch architecture, 16-channel coordination, Product Hunt optimization,
press/influencer outreach, and post-launch measurement — built on Maja Voje's
proven GTM launch phases and Lenny Rachitsky's B2B launch methodology.

## When to Use

Trigger phrases: "plan a product launch", "launch our new feature", "build
a pre-launch checklist", "set up Product Hunt launch", "coordinate a
multi-channel launch", "product launch strategy", "Tier 1 launch", "launch
timeline and channels"

## Authoritative Foundations

### Maja Voje — GTM Strategist Phases 7-9
Phases 7 (Pre-Launch), 8 (Launch), 9 (Post-Launch) are the execution phases
where most companies fail. The key: 70% of launch effort happens BEFORE launch
day. Launch day is execution, not planning.

### Andy Raskin — Strategic Narrative
Every launch needs a narrative: "The world has changed (old game), and here's
the new game you need to play. Our product is the vehicle to win the new game."
This narrative becomes the through-line across all launch channels.

### Lenny Rachitsky — B2B Launch Playbook
The most successful B2B launches follow a multi-week timeline with coordinated
channel strategy, not a single-day spray. Lenny's framework emphasizes building
a "launch coalition" — partners, influencers, and customers who amplify
simultaneously.

## Step-by-Step Process

### Phase 1: Launch Tier Selection

**Tier 1 (Major — 6-8 weeks prep):**
- Triggers: New product, pivot, rebrand, major funding announcement, $0→$1 launch
- Channels: ALL (16+ channels)
- Budget: $5-25K (press, ads, design, video)
- Assets: Land page, demo video, press kit, social campaign, email sequence,
  blog posts (3-5), customer stories, partner co-marketing, paid amplification

**Tier 2 (Medium — 3-4 weeks prep):**
- Triggers: Major feature, integration launch, new pricing tier, new vertical
- Channels: Blog, email, social, in-app, community, partner co-marketing
- Budget: $1-5K
- Assets: Blog post, email sequence, social graphics (3-5), in-app announcement,
  sales enablement (1-pager, pitch deck update)

**Tier 3 (Minor — 1 week prep):**
- Triggers: Feature update, minor integration, improvement
- Channels: Changelog, in-app notification, email to affected users, social post
- Budget: $0-500
- Assets: Changelog entry, in-app notification, 1 social graphic

### Phase 2: Pre-Launch Timeline (Tier 1)

**Week -6 to -4: Foundation**
- Finalize positioning and strategic narrative (Raskin framework)
- Identify target audience segments and key influencers
- Build press list (30-50 journalists, bloggers, newsletter authors)
- Reach out to 10-20 partners for co-marketing ("we'll promote your launch too")
- Draft all launch assets

**Week -3 to -2: Asset Production**
- Landing page (hero, demo, social proof, CTA)
- Demo video (2-3 minutes, produced or high-quality Loom)
- Press kit: logos, screenshots, founder bios, key stats, quotes, press release
- Blog post (long-form, SEO-optimized)
- Social campaign (10-15 posts across platforms)
- Email sequence (3 emails: teaser → launch → follow-up)
- Customer case study (if applicable)

**Week -1: Pre-Briefing**
- Email VIP customers: "Launching next week — here's an early look"
- Brief partners: send assets, suggested social copy, launch day instructions
- Brief investors: send deck, ask for social amplification on launch day
- Submit to Product Hunt (if applicable — get listed, prep hunter)
- Pre-submit to Hacker News, Reddit (build relationships with mods/community)
- Schedule all social posts and emails

**Week 0: Launch Day**
- 6:00 AM: Blog post published, all social posts go live
- 7:00 AM: Email #1 sent to subscribers
- 8:00 AM: Partners post (coordinated timing)
- 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM: Engage with every comment, reply, mention
- Throughout: Monitor Product Hunt, HN, Reddit, Twitter — respond fast
- End of day: Internal debrief — what's working, what's not, what to amplify

**Week +1: Amplification**
- Email #2: "In case you missed it" + social proof ("X people signed up")
- Boost top-performing social posts with $100-500 each
- Follow up with press who didn't respond
- Publish "launch recap" or "behind the scenes" content
- Engage with every Product Hunt review

**Week +2 to +4: Sustain**
- Email #3: Customer story or use case deep dive
- Retargeting ads: website visitors from launch week
- Publish 1-2 follow-up blog posts (deeper dives)
- Pitch guest posts and podcast appearances about the launch
- Measure: signups, demos, pipeline, revenue

### Phase 3: Channel Architecture (16 Channels)

| # | Channel | Tier 1 | Tier 2 | Tier 3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Blog post | ✓ | ✓ | |
| 2 | Email newsletter | ✓ | ✓ | |
| 3 | LinkedIn (company page) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| 4 | LinkedIn (founder personal) | ✓ | ✓ | |
| 5 | X/Twitter (company) | ✓ | ✓ | |
| 6 | X/Twitter (founder personal) | ✓ | ✓ | |
| 7 | Product Hunt | ✓ | ✓ | |
| 8 | Hacker News | ✓ | | |
| 9 | Reddit (relevant subreddits) | ✓ | | |
| 10 | Community groups (Slack, Discord, WhatsApp) | ✓ | ✓ | |
| 11 | Partner co-marketing | ✓ | ✓ | |
| 12 | Press outreach | ✓ | | |
| 13 | Influencer outreach | ✓ | | |
| 14 | In-app announcement | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| 15 | Changelog | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| 16 | Paid amplification | ✓ | ✓ | |

### Phase 4: Product Hunt Playbook

**Preparation (2+ weeks before):**
1. Choose a hunter (influential PH user with 5K+ followers — they get notified)
2. Create maker profile with real photo, bio, previous launches
3. Prepare: tagline (< 60 chars), description, first comment (long-form story),
   5+ screenshots/GIFs, demo video (YouTube/Vimeo), icon (240x240)
4. Line up 20+ people to upvote and comment within first hour (critical for
   ranking algorithm)
5. Prep reply templates for common questions

**Launch day:**
- Post at 12:01 AM PST (Product Hunt day starts midnight Pacific)
- First comment posted immediately by maker
- Engage with EVERY comment within 30 minutes
- Don't ask for upvotes directly (violates PH rules)
- Ask supporters: "We're live on Product Hunt — would love your support today!"
  (acceptable)

**Post-launch:**
- Thank every reviewer publicly
- Share badge/"#1 Product of the Day" on social and website
- Follow up with leads from PH comments

### Phase 5: Press and Influencer Outreach

**Press list building:**
- Search: journalists who covered competitor launches, your space, or related
- Tools: Muck Rack, X/Twitter lists, journalist databases
- Target: 30-50 contacts. Each gets a personalized pitch, not a spray.

**Pitch structure:**
```
Subject: [Company] launches [product] — [one-line value prop]

Hi [name],

I'm reaching out because you covered [related story they wrote].

We're launching [product] on [date]. It [one sentence what it does and why
it matters]. We're at [$X ARR / X customers / X metric — something newsworthy].

I can offer:
- Exclusive early access
- Interview with our founder
- Customer data/stories
- Screenshots and assets

Available this week if you'd like to chat.

Best,
[Name]
```

**Influencer outreach:**
- Identify 10-20 influencers in your space with engaged audiences (not just
  follower count)
- Offer: exclusive early access, affiliate commission, co-marketing, interview
- Don't pay for coverage — it's unethical and audiences can tell

## Output Format

```
LAUNCH PLAN — [Product Name]

Tier: [1/2/3]
Launch Date: [date]
Pre-Launch Start: [date — 6/3/1 weeks before]

Strategic Narrative:
- Old game → New game → Our product as vehicle

Target Audience:
- Primary: [specific segment]
- Secondary: [specific segment]

Key Messages (3):
1. [message]
2. [message]
3. [message]

Timeline:
[Week-by-week task list with owners]

Channel Plan:
[16-channel grid with ✓/✗ for each]

Assets Checklist:
[Every asset with status: Draft / Review / Final]

Success Metrics:
- Signups/Demos: [target]
- Pipeline: [target]
- Press mentions: [target]
- Product Hunt: [target upvotes/ranking]
- Revenue: [target — often delayed 30-90 days]
```

## Implementation Checklist

- [ ] Launch tier selected based on scope (T1/T2/T3)
- [ ] Strategic narrative written (Raskin: old game → new game → vehicle)
- [ ] 16-channel grid populated for launch tier
- [ ] All assets produced and reviewed before launch week
- [ ] Partners pre-briefed with assets and suggested copy
- [ ] Product Hunt prepared (hunter, assets, first-hour supporters)
- [ ] Press/influencer list built with personalized pitches
- [ ] Social posts and emails pre-scheduled
- [ ] Launch day engagement plan (real-time response to every comment)
- [ ] Post-launch follow-up sequence ready (emails, content, retargeting)

## Quality Check

Before delivering, verify:

- [ ] Output matches the user's stated request
- [ ] Named frameworks or sources are reflected in the recommendation
- [ ] The deliverable is specific enough for an agent to execute
- [ ] Any assumptions, risks, or dependencies are explicit
- [ ] No unsupported claims, invented facts, or private/internal references are included

## Common Pitfalls

1. **Launch without pre-launch.** Showing up on launch day with no audience,
   no partners, and no press list is publishing, not launching. Fix: 6 weeks
   pre-launch for Tier 1. 70% of effort is pre-launch.

2. **One channel only.** Product Hunt without email, social, partners, and
   press reaches 10% of your potential audience. Fix: Activate minimum 8
   channels for Tier 1 launches.

3. **No launch narrative.** "We launched a new feature" is not news. "The
   old way of X is dead — here's the new way" is a launch. Fix: Write the
   Raskin strategic narrative before writing anything else.

4. **Poor Product Hunt execution.** Launching at 9am with no first-hour
   supporters and a generic first comment = page 3 of PH, 10 upvotes. Fix:
   Launch at midnight PST, line up 20+ supporters, write a compelling first
   comment story.

5. **No post-launch follow-up.** Traffic spikes and disappears in 48 hours.
   If you don't have retargeting, email sequences, and follow-up content
   ready, you'll capture 5% of the value. Fix: Build post-launch sequences
   during pre-launch. They go live automatically.

6. **Measuring the wrong things.** Upvotes and pageviews feel good but don't
   pay bills. Fix: Measure pipeline and revenue. Content → signup → demo →
   close. Launch is a GTM motion, not a vanity contest.

## Execution Artifacts

- `references/framework-notes.md` — Named frameworks and reference tables
- `templates/output-template.md` — Deliverable shell for agent output
- `scripts/check-output.py` — Lightweight deliverable validator

## Related Skills

- `positioning-messaging` — Dunford positioning, Raskin narrative, messaging matrix
- `social-media-strategy` — Per-platform content, posting cadence, engagement
- `content-marketing` — Content strategy, SEO, pillar pages
- `sales-enablement` — Pitch decks, one-pagers, battlecards
- `founder-brand` — Personal brand amplification during launch