Thread by @IndieHackers

Launching a product? Here’s a checklist. 🚀

Let’s break it down.

Thread 👇

Prelaunch

1. Market research/competitive analysis: Before you do anything, take time to understand the environment that you'll be launching into. Do some market research to understand your consumers. Conduct a competitive analysis to understand your competitors.

2. Name your product: Just make sure the name is unique enough that it won't get buried in Google.

3. Create a logo: Head over to a tool like Canva or Stencil and put together a simple logo. It doesn't need to be a masterpiece. Side note: Logo GIFs do well on Product Hunt.

4. Determine your value prop/USP: These will inform your product and your marketing.

5. Validate the idea: It's best to validate before you even start building (and then keep doing it).

6. Figure out your business model and pricing: What is the best way to sell your product? Get clear on this, as it will affect everything. And while you're at it, figure out your pricing, based on your market research (and your needs).

7. Create a landing page with email capture: You can create simple one-pagers with tools like Carrd and Umso.

8. Set up your product's socials: Do this early in the process so that you can start building the hype. Post consistent, high-value content for best results.

9. Link to your product from your personal socials: And start talking about it — better yet, build in public.

10. Hang out where your target market hangs out: Not just to set the stage for future sales, but to learn and build relationships too.

11. Participate in communities/launch platforms: Communities are great sources of learning and support. And you can set the stage for launch.

12. Build an audience: Post consistently, collaborate, guest post, start a newsletter — just get people interested in what you're doing.

13. Build an email list: Your email list is one of your best assets because you own it — and it's particularly powerful for launches.

14. Get clear on your goals and metrics: Know your goals for launch and beyond. Track them and let them inform your decisions.

15. Pick a launch date: Make sure it's feasible, but not overly comfortable. Spread the word. And stick to the date.

16. Build your minimum viable product: Start as soon as you feel confident that the idea has been validated (to the extent that it can be without a real product).

17. Spread the word in communities/social media: Self-promotion is shameless and necessary, so long as it isn't spammy and you abide by the guidelines of each community.

18. Create an explainer video: While it's not a must, these can be hugely beneficial when done well.

19. Create a waitlist or run pre-sales: Get emails (and maybe even some dollars) and further validate your product. Sweeten the deal with exclusive offers.

20. Create an outreach list: Influencers, journalists, potential customers, etc. Warm them up if they're cold.

21. Finish the rest of your website: A one-pager is technically fine for a launch, but most products will benefit from a pricing page, contact page, about page, etc.

22. Add privacy-friendly analytics: Not a must, but helpful. Try tools like @PlausibleHQ or @FriendlyAnalyt

23. Set up support and feedback features: Make it painfully easy for your users to talk to you, ask questions, and provide feedback. Chat is a good option.

24. Conduct a beta for feedback (and early adopters): Squish bugs and learn what your target market wants by doing a beta.

25. Collect social proof: Get testimonials and other forms of social proof from friends, beta testers, and early adopters. Emphasize them on your website, pricing page, marketing, etc.

26. Stress test your product and site: Make sure your site can handle a spike in traffic.

27. Create a media kit: If your outreach list includes journalists, a media kit can move things along.

28. Notify email list and waitlisters before launch: Reach out a few days before launch. Offer value and be specific in your asks.

29. Tell your support system: Not just so that they can shout it from the rooftops, but so they can support you if things get stressful too.

30. Prepare outreach/posts/promotion for launch day: You'll probably be very busy on the day, so prepare everything ahead of time.

🚀 Launch

31. Launch on platforms/communities/directories: Now we've come to the most important step of all. Some platforms (like Product Hunt) have best practices of their own, so make sure to familiarize yourself first. See the original post for a link to a list of platforms.

32. Reach out to your email list and outreach list: On launch day, take your prepared outreach and send it.

33. Market/promote/advertise: Now that it's out there in the wild, you've gotta let the world know. Check out Growth Bites for solid tips.

Post-launch

34.Follow up on outreach that had no response: Give it a few days, then follow up with anyone who didn't join in. Whether you asked for their support or their custom, it isn't too late.

35. Postmortem: How did it go? Did you hit your goals? What will you do better next time? Analyze the launch, then set new goals.

36. Relaunch: One launch isn't generally enough these days. Consider relaunching across multiple platforms and sites.

Check out the original post for more info and links to helpful resources 👇

indiehackers.com/post/how-to-br…