Skill: jk-0001/product-launch (version 0.1.0)

--- name: product-launch description: Plan and execute a product launch for a solopreneur business. Use when launching a new product, feature, service, or major update. Covers pre-launch strategy, building anticipation, launch day execution, post-launch momentum, and measuring launch success. Trigger on "product launch", "launch my product", "launch strategy", "how to launch", "launch plan", "go-to-market launch". --- # Product Launch ## Overview A launch is your best opportunity to create momentum, generate buzz, and acquire customers at scale in a short window. Most solopreneurs launch quietly and wonder why no one notices. This playbook shows you how to launch with impact — turning launch day into launch week, and launch week into sustained growth. --- ## Step 1: Define Your Launch Goals A launch without clear goals is just noise. Before planning tactics, answer: **What does success look like?** - Revenue target? (e.g., $10K in first month) - User/customer target? (e.g., 100 signups, 20 paying customers) - Awareness target? (e.g., 10K impressions, 500 email signups) - Press/social mentions? (e.g., featured on Product Hunt, 3 industry blogs) **Pick 1-2 primary goals.** Everything in your launch plan should ladder up to these. **Launch goal → Tactic mapping:** - Revenue goal → Pre-sales, launch discounts, urgency - User growth → Free tier, viral loops, community activation - Awareness → PR outreach, influencer partnerships, paid ads - Validation → Beta program, early adopter interviews, feedback loops --- ## Step 2: Build Your Pre-Launch Strategy (4-6 Weeks Out) Great launches are won in the pre-launch phase. You build momentum BEFORE launch day, so when you hit "go," there's an audience ready to act. **Pre-launch timeline:** ### 6 Weeks Before Launch: Build Your Waitlist Create a simple landing page with: - Headline stating the problem + solution - Bullet points of key benefits - Email signup form ("Join the waitlist — launching [date]") - Social proof if you have any (testimonials from beta users, logos, early results) Drive traffic to the waitlist from: - Your existing email list ("something new coming — sign up to get early access") - Social media (tease the launch, link to waitlist) - Relevant communities (Reddit, Slack, forums — if allowed, or via helpful engagement) **Goal:** 50-200 waitlist signups by launch (or 10x your target customer count). ### 4 Weeks Before Launch: Create Launch Content Prepare content to go live on launch day and the week after: - Launch blog post (the story, the problem, the solution, the demo) - Demo video (2-3 min walkthrough showing the product in action) - Social posts for launch week (7-10 posts across platforms) - Email sequence for waitlist (3 emails: 1 week before, launch day, 3 days after) - FAQ or help docs (so people can self-serve questions) **Rule:** All content should be DONE 1 week before launch. Launch week is for execution, not creation. ### 2 Weeks Before Launch: Seed Early Reviews Reach out to: - 5-10 people in your network who would be ideal customers - Ask them to try the product early (give them beta access or a preview) - Request honest feedback + a testimonial if they like it - If appropriate, ask if they'd share on launch day **Why this matters:** Social proof on day 1 builds credibility. "Just launched!" with zero reviews = risky click. "Just launched — here's what early users are saying" = trust. ### 1 Week Before Launch: Notify Your Audience Send an email to your list and post on social: - "Launching [Product] in 7 days" - Brief reminder of what it does - Exclusive launch offer or bonus (e.g., "First 100 customers get 30% off") - CTA: "Mark your calendar" or "Reply with questions" **Goal:** Build anticipation. Prime people to act on launch day. --- ## Step 3: Launch Day Execution Launch day is a coordinated push across all channels. Treat it like an event, not a quiet announcement. **Launch day checklist (complete in this order):** - [ ] **8 AM:** Publish launch blog post on your site - [ ] **8:30 AM:** Send launch email to waitlist ("We're live! Here's what's new.") - [ ] **9 AM:** Post on Product Hunt (if relevant — tech/SaaS products perform well here) - [ ] **9:15 AM:** Post on Twitter/X (thread format works best — announce, explain value, demo link, ask for RT) - [ ] **9:30 AM:** Post on LinkedIn (longer post with story + value + CTA) - [ ] **10 AM:** Post in 2-3 relevant communities (Reddit, Slack, Discord — add value, don't spam) - [ ] **12 PM:** Respond to every comment, reply, and question across all channels - [ ] **6 PM:** Send launch email to your main email list (not just waitlist — your full audience) - [ ] **Throughout the day:** Engage on social, thank supporters, amplify user posts **Launch day content structure (social posts):** ``` HOOK: "Today's the day — we're launching [Product]!" PROBLEM: "We built this because [specific pain point we kept hearing]." SOLUTION: "Here's what it does: [3 key features or benefits]." DEMO: "See it in action → [link to demo video or site]" CTA: "Try it free / Grab the launch discount / Let me know what you think" ``` **Pro tip:** Schedule posts in advance so you're not scrambling. Use Buffer, Hootsuite, or native platform scheduling. --- ## Step 4: Launch Week Momentum (Days 2-7) Launch day is just the start. Most solopreneurs go quiet after day 1 and lose all momentum. Extend the launch into a full week. **Daily launch week content (1 post/day on social, 1-2 emails over the week):** - **Day 2:** Share a customer testimonial or early result ("Here's what [User] said after trying it") - **Day 3:** Behind-the-scenes content ("Why we built this / What we learned building it") - **Day 4:** Feature deep-dive ("Here's how [Feature X] works and why it matters") - **Day 5:** Use case or case study ("How [Customer] uses [Product] to solve [Problem]") - **Day 6:** Objection handling ("Wondering if this is right for you? Here's who it's for — and who it's not for.") - **Day 7:** Last call + urgency ("Launch week ends tonight — grab your [discount/bonus] before it's gone") **Email sequence (to waitlist + main list):** - **Launch day:** "We're live! Here's how to get started." - **Day 3:** "Already seeing results — here's an early win from [Customer]." - **Day 6:** "Launch offer ends in 24 hours — don't miss it." --- ## Step 5: Post-Launch Follow-Up (Week 2+) The launch window closes, but the work continues. Now you shift from hype to retention and iteration. **Week 2 priorities:** - [ ] Thank everyone who supported the launch (email, DM, or public post) - [ ] Survey early customers ("What's working? What's confusing? What should we improve?") - [ ] Fix any critical bugs or UX issues that surfaced during launch - [ ] Analyze launch metrics (see Step 6) - [ ] Share a post-launch recap ("Here's what we learned from launch week") **Week 3-4 priorities:** - [ ] Turn early customers into case studies or testimonials - [ ] Re-engage people who signed up but didn't convert (email: "Still on the fence? Here's what you need to know.") - [ ] Plan next content or feature announcement to maintain momentum - [ ] If launch went well, consider a second wave (submit to more directories, reach out to press, run ads) --- ## Step 6: Measure Launch Success Track these metrics to evaluate how the launch performed: | Metric | What It Tells You | How to Track | |---|---|---| | **Waitlist signups** | Pre-launch interest | Landing page analytics | | **Launch day traffic** | Reach and attention | Google Analytics | | **Conversion rate** | Traffic → signups/purchases | Analytics + CRM | | **Revenue (if applicable)** | Immediate $ impact | Stripe/payment processor | | **Email open/click rates** | Engagement with launch emails | Email tool (ConvertKit, Mailchimp) | | **Social engagement** | Reach and amplification | Platform analytics (Twitter, LinkedIn) | | **Customer feedback** | Product fit and satisfaction | Surveys, support tickets, conversations | **Post-launch review (1 week after):** - Did you hit your primary goal(s)? - What worked better than expected? (do more of this) - What underperformed? (diagnose why — messaging? channel? timing?) - What would you do differently next launch? **Rule:** Document your learnings. Every launch teaches you something. Write it down so you don't repeat mistakes or forget what worked. --- ## Launch Strategies by Product Type Different products benefit from different launch strategies. ### SaaS Product Launch - **Pre-launch:** Waitlist + beta program (get 10-20 users testing before launch) - **Launch channels:** Product Hunt, Twitter, LinkedIn, email list - **Launch offer:** Free trial + launch discount (30% off first year for first 100 customers) - **Post-launch:** Onboard early users aggressively, collect feedback, iterate fast ### Info Product / Course Launch - **Pre-launch:** Waitlist + free mini-course (5-day email course as lead magnet) - **Launch channels:** Email list (this is #1), YouTube, social - **Launch offer:** Early-bird pricing (20-30% off for first week) - **Post-launch:** Deliver value to first cohort, collect testimonials, open cart periodically ### Service / Agency Launch - **Pre-launch:** Case study from pilot client + referral outreach - **Launch channels:** LinkedIn, email, direct outreach - **Launch offer:** Founding client rate (discounted for first 5 clients in exchange for testimonial) - **Post-launch:** Overdeliver for first clients, turn them into referral engines ### Physical Product Launch - **Pre-launch:** Kickstarter or Indiegogo (if applicable) or pre-orders - **Launch channels:** Email, Instagram, TikTok, Facebook ads - **Launch offer:** Pre-order discount + limited edition bonus - **Post-launch:** Fulfill orders fast, request reviews, retarget buyers with upsells --- ## Launch Mistakes to Avoid - **Launching with zero audience.** Build a waitlist first. Launching to silence is demoralizing and ineffective. - **Launching without a clear offer or CTA.** "We launched!" is not an offer. Tell people exactly what to do: "Sign up free", "Buy now", "Book a demo." - **Going quiet after launch day.** Launch is a week, not a day. Sustain momentum through Day 7. - **Overpromising during launch.** Hype is good, lies are not. Only promise what you can deliver. - **Not following up with early users.** Your first customers are your best advocates. Nurture them. - **Skipping the post-launch review.** If you don't analyze what worked, you'll repeat the same mistakes next time.


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