# First-launch brief and record

Use this worksheet to prepare one first launch and record what happens afterward. Keep the launch small enough to support, and leave every result field blank until a real person does something.

## 1. What I'm launching

**Product or release:**  

**Why this release is ready now:**  

**Launch type:**

- [ ] Private beta or design-partner release
- [ ] Soft public launch
- [ ] First general release
- [ ] Substantial relaunch

**Intended customer:**  

**User:**  

**Buyer:**  

**Approver, if different:**  

**First distribution route already chosen:**  

**One main job for this launch:**

- [ ] Invite a small group to test an early version
- [ ] Find the first users or customers
- [ ] Hear questions from a defined group
- [ ] Begin sales conversations
- [ ] Grow a waitlist for later access
- [ ] Announce general availability
- [ ] Help partners, journalists or referrers share it
- [ ] Create a permanent marketplace or directory page
- [ ] Another single job: 

**One action I want one person to take:**  

**What will happen immediately after that action:**  

## 2. Can somebody get through?

### Can they understand it?

In one sentence, what does the product help this customer do?  

What demonstration or evidence supports that promise?  

What remains uncertain or unproved?  

### Can they act?

Main action:  

Page or starting point:  

Signup, checkout, booking, download or access route:  

### Has the whole route been tested?

**Date tested:**  

**Person or device used for the test:**  

| Step | Expected result | Actual result | Fix needed | Owner and date |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| First click |  |  |  |  |
| Main action |  |  |  |  |
| Confirmation |  |  |  |  |
| Access or onboarding |  |  |  |  |
| First promised product result |  |  |  |  |

### Can I answer and fix problems?

Where questions will arrive:  

When I will respond:  

What I can fix during the launch:  

What requires the launch to pause:  

### Can I record what follows?

How I will record the announcement source:  

How I will record the customer action:  

How I will know whether somebody begins using the product:  

### Additional trust and safety check

Complete only what applies.

| Area | What the customer needs to know | Evidence or approval | Unresolved issue |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Data access and privacy |  |  |  |
| Security |  |  |  |
| Payments or financial effect |  |  |  |
| Health or safety |  |  |  |
| Legal or regulatory requirement |  |  |  |
| Customer, partner or third-party permission |  |  |  |
| Important business operations |  |  |  |

**Decision:**

- [ ] Launch as planned
- [ ] Make the launch smaller
- [ ] Delay it
- [ ] Cancel it

**Reason and next check:**  

## 3. Places I will announce it

Begin with the first distribution route you already chose. Use fewer than three places when your time or support capacity is limited. Add a fourth only when you can explain what it contributes and support the response.

| Place | Intended audience | Why it fits and what it adds | Material needed | Customer action | Time to publish and respond | Current rule to check | Tracking method |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1. |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| 2. |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| 3. |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |

**Optional fourth place and why it is supportable:**  

## 4. Product Hunt check

Complete this section if Product Hunt is one of the selected places.

- [ ] The intended customer overlaps with Product Hunt's technology and early-adopter audience.
- [ ] The product is new, usable or substantially updated.
- [ ] A person can understand it through the page, demonstration or example.
- [ ] My personal account is eligible to submit under the current rules.
- [ ] I checked Product Hunt's official launch guidance on this date: 
- [ ] I can answer questions and support new users while the launch is live.
- [ ] My sharing plan asks for use, feedback, comments or help spreading the word without asking for, coordinating or rewarding votes.
- [ ] Any promotion encourages product use and isn't tied to voting.
- [ ] If this is a relaunch, it meets the current significant-update and timing requirements or has been reviewed by Product Hunt.

**What customer or business result would make Product Hunt worth the time?**  

**What would attention without that result tell me?**  

## 5. What needs to be ready

- [ ] One page
- [ ] One main action
- [ ] One clear demonstration or piece of evidence
- [ ] Working signup, checkout, booking, download or access route
- [ ] Reply and support plan
- [ ] Simple source and action tracking
- [ ] Approved customer, partner or third-party material
- [ ] Required privacy, security, legal and safety answers

**Anything deliberately excluded from this launch:**  

## 6. Before, during and after

### Before

| Test, decision or material | Owner | Needed by | Complete |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Test the route from first click to the promised product result |  |  | [ ] |
| Check the page, promise and evidence |  |  | [ ] |
| Prepare the selected announcement material |  |  | [ ] |
| Check current platform and community rules |  |  | [ ] |
| Protect time for replies and repairs |  |  | [ ] |
| Confirm permissions and risk checks |  |  | [ ] |

### During

**Launch date or period:**  

**Times I will check replies and support:**  

**Where urgent product problems will be recorded:**  

**The condition that would make me pause the launch:**  

### After

**People who need a follow-up:**  

**Date I will review product use and questions:**  

**Date I will decide whether to continue, change, pause or launch again:**  

## 7. Response and learning record

Don't complete this table in advance.

| Person or audience type | Source | What they did | What they asked or couldn't do | What I changed | Customer result | Public attention as context |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |

Customer result may be: tried, joined, booked, bought, requested a conversation, returned, reached the promised product result, introduced or referred somebody.

## 8. What the launch changed

**The most important intended-customer action:**  

**The most specific question, concern or broken step:**  

**The most relevant introduction, referral or discussion:**  

**Did new users begin, return or reach the part of the product that delivers the promised result?**  

**Traffic, comments, votes or rank that add context:**  

**Specific learning:**  

Write what happened and the decision it changes. “Marketing is hard” is an observation. “Three intended users stopped at the permissions screen, so I will explain repository access before the connection button” is a learning you can use.

**Decision:**

- [ ] Continue this route
- [ ] Change the page, product, route or audience
- [ ] Pause
- [ ] Prepare another launch after a meaningful change

**What I will do next:**  

**What would give people a reason to reconsider the product later:**  

**If Product Hunt is involved, what current relaunch rule applies:**