Launching a product for the first time !
Re-posting my LinkedIn Article (https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/launching-product-first-time-sarvadnya-arjunwadkar/)
Well, there are some things which you can learn only by doing and launching a product is one of them! There are so many things which can go wrong, no amount of planning can solve it. However, good planning can definitely reduce uncertainty to a large extend around the launch. There is an endless list of things you need to prepare for before the product launch however from my experience and learning below are few deal breakers below -
Pre- launch activities
Depending on the product focus, your launch prep list changes completely. If you are launching a brand-new product for external customers, you have to focus on marketing activities, getting initial user traction in terms of site visits / sign ups / free trial subscriptions etc. if the product is replacing an existing product, it is important that the customers receive communication on the new product onboarding processes. Using various product tour tools can make the process of onboarding existing customers on new product very easy and efficient. In either case, it is important to gather data to run analytics on the success of the newly launched product. More on the success of product later.
Product Success
Define what success means for your product at every release level. Every goal would have different success metrics. E.g. for B2C SAAS product, at MVP launch a goal could be to get product visits and sign ups. Now with every release, the success for the product will be change with respect to users. For e.g. after getting sign ups, next phase of the product should track daily active users and user churn. Next phase of the product, it is important to track free trial sign ups. Last phase would track paid subscriptions. Once the product starts making money there are many of other success metrics that will start contributing to product success. This metrics mentioned in my example will change depending on how product releases are planned.
Ready for Launch — Clarity in what exact problem the product is solving
It’s very tricky to get ready for the launch. There always are improvements in the product. Different stakeholders have different vision for the product and they keep suggesting changes to the product. As a product manager/ product owner, it is very important to stay true to product vision and ensure that the MVP solves the problem it is supposed to solve and all the suggestions can go in to next release buckets.
Pilot/ Beta testing
Pilot testing a great way to find bugs and any product issues before the product gets launched to all customers. Make sure that the beta testers cover all types of customers performing mix loads of work. This also helps making sure that the customer expectations are managed through the freshly built product. Based on the usability testing from these users, onboarding process can fine-tuned to make sure all the user flows and UX for the product is meeting set expectations. Beta testing is great way for evaluating product performance in real world with real user data and through real users. Beta is testing is the most important part of a product launch and if done well can significantly contribute to the success of the product.
What’s next after the launch?
Product launch seems like a big milestone and people tend to relax after they finish with it. Product launch is not an end of a software development process. After the launch, make sure you gather feedback from the users, analyze the data and let that data influence the upcoming product releases.
Change management
Change is never easy but mandatory. Make the teams ready for the change from day one. Make sure all the teams working on the product are cross functional. All the changes need to be documented and clearly communicated throughout the process. It is very crucial to create training material for users. Ensure that the product is self-serving to users which will help users find answers quick without getting frustrated on the product. All communication must focus on how the new product is going to solve the problem in better way.
To summarize there is no standardized check list to prepare for a product launch. So work hard, set milestones, plan for the unplanned and do no forget to open a bottle of champagne when you launch and enjoy the moment!!!!!!!
I found these blogs very useful while summarizing my thoughts -
https://bugfender.com/blog/top-reasons-beta-testing-important/
https://clearcode.cc/blog/post-launch-minimum-viable-product/
https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/elements-flawless-product-launch-li
https://www.centercode.com/blog/2017/01/how-beta-testing-benefits-different-departments
