businessproduct-management
Product Launch Brief
Write product launch briefs that align all teams — with positioning, target audience, key messages, launch timeline, channel plan, success metrics, and cross-functional responsibilities.
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product-launch-brief/
SKILL.md
Markdown| 1 | |
| 2 | # Product Launch Brief |
| 3 | |
| 4 | ## Before you start |
| 5 | |
| 6 | Gather the following from the user. Items 1-4 are required before proceeding: |
| 7 | |
| 8 | 1. **What is being launched?** Feature, product, major update, or pricing change. Be specific about scope — "launching AI features" is too broad. |
| 9 | 2. **Who is the target audience?** Primary and secondary segments. Include their current behavior and what needs to change. |
| 10 | 3. **Why should the audience care?** The core value proposition in one sentence. If you cannot say it in one sentence, the positioning is not ready. |
| 11 | 4. **When is the launch date?** Fixed or flexible? Are there external dependencies (conference, partner launch, regulatory deadline)? |
| 12 | 5. **What tier is this launch?** Tier 1 (major — press, event, full campaign), Tier 2 (medium — blog, email, in-app), or Tier 3 (minor — changelog, docs update). |
| 13 | 6. **What teams are involved?** Product, engineering, marketing, sales, support, legal — who has a deliverable? |
| 14 | |
| 15 | If the user says "we're launching next month, write the brief," push back: "What is the core value proposition, and who specifically is the target audience?" |
| 16 | |
| 17 | ## Launch brief template |
| 18 | |
| 19 | ### 1. Launch Summary |
| 20 | |
| 21 | - **Product/Feature**: [Name and one-line description] |
| 22 | - **Launch Date**: [Date, time, timezone] |
| 23 | - **Launch Tier**: [1 (major), 2 (medium), or 3 (minor)] |
| 24 | - **Launch Owner**: [Name and role] |
| 25 | - **One-Line Pitch**: [If a customer asks "what's new?" — this is the answer] |
| 26 | |
| 27 | ### 2. Positioning |
| 28 | |
| 29 | Answer these three questions: |
| 30 | |
| 31 | - **For** [target audience] **who** [current situation or pain point], |
| 32 | - **this** [product/feature] **provides** [key benefit], |
| 33 | - **unlike** [current alternative or competitor], **it** [key differentiator]. |
| 34 | |
| 35 | Write three versions: website, sales conversation, and internal alignment — same message at different detail levels. |
| 36 | |
| 37 | ### 3. Target Audience |
| 38 | |
| 39 | | Segment | Description | Current Behavior | Desired Behavior | Key Message | |
| 40 | |---------|-------------|-----------------|------------------|-------------| |
| 41 | | Primary | [Who they are] | [What they do today] | [What you want them to do] | [Why they should switch] | |
| 42 | | Secondary | [Who they are] | [What they do today] | [What you want them to do] | [Why they should switch] | |
| 43 | |
| 44 | ### 4. Key Messages |
| 45 | |
| 46 | Define 3-5 messages ranked by priority. Each needs: |
| 47 | |
| 48 | 1. **Message**: One sentence the audience should remember. |
| 49 | 2. **Proof point**: Evidence (data, customer quote, demo). |
| 50 | 3. **Objection**: Most likely pushback and response. |
| 51 | |
| 52 | If everything is a key message, nothing is. |
| 53 | |
| 54 | ### 5. Launch Timeline |
| 55 | |
| 56 | Work backward from the launch date: |
| 57 | |
| 58 | | Date | Milestone | Owner | |
| 59 | |------|----------|-------| |
| 60 | | L-30 | Positioning and messaging approved | Product Marketing | |
| 61 | | L-14 | Blog post and landing page in review | Content + Design | |
| 62 | | L-7 | Sales enablement + press briefings | Sales Enablement + Comms | |
| 63 | | L-3 | In-app announcements configured | Product + Engineering | |
| 64 | | L-Day | Launch: press release, blog, email, social, in-app | All | |
| 65 | | L+7 | Post-launch review meeting | Launch Owner | |
| 66 | |
| 67 | Adjust based on launch tier. Tier 3 launches may need only L-7 to L+1. |
| 68 | |
| 69 | ### 6. Channel Plan |
| 70 | |
| 71 | | Channel | Asset | Owner | Date | |
| 72 | |---------|-------|-------|------| |
| 73 | | Blog | Launch announcement post | Content | L-Day | |
| 74 | | Email | Product update email | Email Marketing | L-Day | |
| 75 | | In-app | Feature announcement modal | Product | L-Day | |
| 76 | | Social | Thread with demo GIF | Social | L-Day | |
| 77 | | Sales | One-pager + talk track | Sales Enablement | L-21 | |
| 78 | |
| 79 | For each channel, specify the CTA and target audience. |
| 80 | |
| 81 | ### 7. Success Metrics |
| 82 | |
| 83 | | Metric | Target | Method | Timeframe | |
| 84 | |--------|--------|--------|-----------| |
| 85 | | Feature adoption rate | 15% of eligible users | Product analytics | 30 days | |
| 86 | | Blog post views | 5,000 | Web analytics | 7 days | |
| 87 | | Support ticket volume | < 2% increase | Support tool | 14 days | |
| 88 | |
| 89 | Define what "success" and "underperformance" look like for each metric. |
| 90 | |
| 91 | ### 8. Cross-Functional Responsibilities |
| 92 | |
| 93 | | Team | Deliverable | Due Date | Contact | |
| 94 | |------|------------|----------|---------| |
| 95 | | Product | Feature complete, feature flags ready | L-7 | [Name] | |
| 96 | | Engineering | Performance and scalability sign-off | L-7 | [Name] | |
| 97 | | Marketing | Blog, email, social assets | L-3 | [Name] | |
| 98 | | Sales | Trained on talk track and demo | L-7 | [Name] | |
| 99 | | Support | FAQ and escalation path documented | L-3 | [Name] | |
| 100 | |
| 101 | Every row needs a named person, not a team alias. Accountability requires a single owner. |
| 102 | |
| 103 | ## Quality checklist |
| 104 | |
| 105 | Before delivering the launch brief, verify: |
| 106 | |
| 107 | - [ ] Positioning answers "for whom, what benefit, versus what alternative" in a single statement |
| 108 | - [ ] Target audience includes current behavior, desired behavior, and specific channel/CTA |
| 109 | - [ ] Key messages are limited to 3-5 with proof points and objection handling |
| 110 | - [ ] Timeline works backward from launch date with realistic lead times |
| 111 | - [ ] Every channel has an owner, publish date, and defined CTA |
| 112 | - [ ] Success metrics have numeric targets, measurement methods, and timeframes |
| 113 | - [ ] Every cross-functional deliverable has a single named owner and due date |
| 114 | - [ ] The brief fits on 2-3 pages — if it is longer, it will not be read |
| 115 | |
| 116 | ## Common mistakes to avoid |
| 117 | |
| 118 | - **No positioning statement.** Jumping to channels and timelines without aligning on positioning means every team tells a different story. Finalize positioning first. |
| 119 | - **Too many messages.** Five key messages is the maximum. Beyond that, sales cannot remember them and customers hear noise. |
| 120 | - **Features instead of messages.** "We added SSO support" is a feature. "Sign in with one click using company credentials" is a message. |
| 121 | - **No post-launch plan.** Launch day is not the finish line. Define who monitors metrics and handles support spikes. |
| 122 | - **Unnamed owners.** "Marketing will handle the blog" assigns work to nobody. Every deliverable needs a named owner. |
| 123 |