Change Management Insights For Product Launch Planning

Most companies suck at launching products. They’re like Alice in Wonderland — chasing shiny objects and getting lost along the way. Here’s the 11-step process we perfected after 25 years of product launches (in a collaboration with Jason Oakley): 1. Competitive Research The key to great strategy is to look externally. Take notes on competitor's features and how they grow. Build a database so you can counter-position appropriately. 2. Segmentation A launch aimed at “everyone” will miss everyone. Instead, build a laser-focused Ideal Customer Profile (ICP). Follow this chain of thought: What are they craving? → What frustrates them daily? → What job are they trying to accomplish? 3. Pricing & Packaging Even the smallest feature can have a ripple effect on your pricing and packaging. Don’t wait until launch week to figure this out. Before launching, assess things like: Will this be a paid feature or free? Who will get access? What’s the plan for feature gating? 4. Positioning Now it’s time to craft a message that resonates. Speak to their deeper desires, not just their immediate problems. Communicate the outcome your product delivers and why you’re different from the rest. 5. Assemble Your Launch Team You can’t do it alone, and you shouldn’t. A successful launch involves stakeholders across the company. Use the RACI framework to assign clear roles. 6. Clear Objectives Too many teams dive into a launch without defined goals. And that’s why they miss the mark. Set clear objectives and key results. 7. Distribution Channels Many teams fall into the trap of trying to be everywhere; LinkedIn, email, ads, you name it. Reality check: Most startups only have 1-2 effective distribution channels. Find yours and double down on it. 8. Launch Milestones Planning your entire launch around individual tasks will overwhelm you. Instead, focus on major milestones and build a work-back plan. Some key milestones to include: Early access launch → Customer launch → Kickoff meeting. 9. Bill of Materials Your Bill of Materials is the content engine of your launch. Focus on: → Writing the message they want to hear → Designing visuals that captivate and appeal to them → Creating email sequences tailored to every user flow 10. Sales & Customer Success Teams Too many launches fail because these teams are looped in at the last minute. Enable them early with a messaging deck, internal FAQs, and demo materials... And they’ll become powerful advocates for your product. 11. Launch Day Make sure everything is launched smoothly and on time. If you achieve early wins, be the first to celebrate them and rally the team. And don’t forget to keep pushing the momentum forward. There's much more in the deep dive: https://lnkd.in/eB7s6umA If you don't plan your launches, even the best products will fail.

I’ve led significant products and successfully brought them to the finish line. Every time I take on a massive product, the first thing I do is plan for the pre-launch and post-launch activities. I brainstorm with product, UX, engineering, and QA teams to list all the different areas, milestones, risks, and dependencies. When building a new product or introducing significant enhancements, there are hundreds of things to track and align to ensure a timely launch and avoid getting stuck in an endless development cycle. Remember, coding-related activities contribute only 30% to a product's success. The remaining 70% comes from ideation, planning, communication, and adoption. Here are some of the crucial activities I focus on when I start working on a product launch: 1. Visualize the Go-Live Understand this: at this stage, most teams don’t even have a running product or final mockups yet. But we do have a high-level understanding of what it will look like. So, we start by imagining the change already in the hands of our users. Imagine the go-live day and map out every activity that comes to mind. This includes: - Product is live for consumers - Stakeholders are communicated with - A go-live support center is established - Customers and support teams are well-educated and informed Think about users, - What are they feeling? - What are they missing? - What questions do they have? - What challenges are they facing? - What do we wish we had done differently? We ensure that our entire team—engineering, product, support, marketing—knows how to support and communicate with both internal and external users about the new changes. 2. Visualize the Pre-Go-Live Map out every activity leading up to go-live. What needs to happen right before go-live? This includes: - Coding is completed - Extensive testing is conducted - Preparation for deployment - Production infrastructure is configured - Education, training, and pre-go-live communication 3. Create a Master List These brainstorming sessions result in a master list of activities—from initial development to launch. This list ensures we cover every critical step, such as: - UX design - Development - In-sprint testing - DevOps activities - Regression testing Additionally, it includes activities related to: - Risk management - Dependencies - Communication - Education & training Remember to balance the big picture with the details. We use JIRA to plan and track our day-to-day work. It’s invaluable for tracking details, but it can also be overwhelming. That’s why we need a high-level view with milestones, dependencies, and potential risks. This top-down planning approach—working backward from the launch to where we are today—has transformed how I manage and deliver big initiatives, and it can do the same for you. What approach do you follow when planning a significant initiative? Let’s discuss.

Most marketers ruin their product launches with one fatal mistake: They launch once. They spend weeks hyping up a new product… Email list. Check. Influencers. Check. One big push across all channels. And then? Nothing. The launch becomes a single moment. Here’s a better way to think about launches: Like Netflix releasing a season. Each piece builds on the last. Each drop is a new chapter. Instead of: • “Launch day email blast” • “One post on IG and TikTok” • “Hope for the best” Try this: The Layered Launch Sequence: 1. Tease it. • Show behind the scenes. • Let people feel like they’re part of the process. • Let them vote on options. Involve them emotionally. 2. Educate before you ask. • Highlight the problem this product solves. • Tell the story of the pain it removes. 3. Micro launch. • Give early access to VIPs, affiliates, or email subscribers. • Share their feedback/testimonials before the main push. 4. Main launch. • Go omnichannel. • Use scarcity (real, not fake). • Keep it tight: 72 hours or 7 days, max. 5. Post launch content series. • Customer stories. Unboxings. UGC. • “Things you didn’t know about X.” • “How to get the most from X.” You turn one spike into a rolling wave. Because a product launch isn’t a finish line. It’s day one of demand generation.

If I was launching your next product, here's the plan I would follow: It would take 16 weeks acceleratedl and I'd ignore anyone pushing for shortcuts. Most launches sputter and fail to meet expectations because teams get distracted by things like launch parties while skipping the boring-but-critical groundwork. Pulling off a successful launch means paying attention to EVERY detail. Over the years, I've built and refined this framework across dozens of launches. This is a high level version of my playbook. 1. MARKET ANALYSIS Analyze your target landscape thoroughly before designing a single asset. I've watched too many brands jump into creative work without understanding who they're competing against or why their product matters. 2. SALES ENABLEMENT Give your sales team the tools they actually need - not just pretty slides, but things like pre-sales materials, product knowledge training and objection guides for buyers and a compliant buyer sampling cadence. 3. RETAIL PARTNERSHIPS Sort out your shelf displays, merchandising units, and pricing strategy early. The physical pieces have long lead times - a reality that hits many brands in a panic three weeks before launch. 4. DIGITAL PRESENCE Make sure your product detaills; photography, naming conventions are consistent and compelling across Weedmaps Jane Technologies, Inc. , Leafly and your own platforms. There are a few SEO tricks too. I'm amazed how many brands mess this up. 5. EDUCATION PROGRAM Your budtenders make or break your launch. Create training modules on Seed Talent and SparkPlug they'll remember and incentive programs that actually motivate them to recommend your product. 6. CONSUMER JOURNEY Map out every single touchpoint from first impression to post-purchase. Each one needs to reinforce your key message and move consumers along a clear path. 7. AMPLIFICATION Get your social and PR engines running in a way that creates momentum your sales team can leverage when talking to buyers. I have a painfully detailed 16-week launch spreadsheet that maps every deliverable, deadline, and responsibility. I’ve been building on this and refining it for years. Those "boring details" everyone rolls their eyes at - UPC codes, compliance updates, inventory forecasting - usually determine whether you succeed or fail. What pieces are you pulling together for your next launch, and how far ahead have you started?

Launching a bundle when your products aren’t ready at the same time? Welcome to the beautiful chaos of product marketing. Most people ask: “How do I GTM a product suite that rolls out one part at a time?” Here’s the truth 👇 You don’t market Product A, then Product B. You market the bundle’s promise from day one. Your strategy? Think “rolling thunder.” Each subproduct is a lightning strike, but the real impact is the storm cloud you’re building. Here’s how you create that GTM momentum: 1. Build the bundle’s storyline early. Start with the “why.” What can this bundle do together that nothing else can alone? 2. Divide your GTM plan into 3 coordinated tracks: → Subproduct readiness → Bundle-first enablement → Market education + buzz 3. Map launches to GTM layers. Treat every product milestone as a campaign moment. 4. Train sales to sell the whole, not the parts. “Start with Product A. But wait till you see what’s coming.” Bonus: Set up a GTM war room. Weekly. Cross-functional. No excuses.