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Launch Checklist

A launch checklist is a comprehensive verification document that ensures all functions are ready before releasing a feature or product. It coordinates across engineering, QA, design, marketing, support, legal, and operations to prevent launch-day surprises. Good launch checklists surface blockers early and create shared accountability for launch readiness.

When to Use

• 1-2 weeks before any significant launch
• During launch planning kickoff meetings
• When coordinating cross-functional releases
• Before major version releases or feature rollouts
• After incidents to improve launch processes

When NOT to Use

• You are validating whether to ship at all via an experiment -> use measure-experiment-design
• You need the customer-facing announcement of what shipped -> use deliver-release-notes
• The launch already happened and you want results or reflection -> use measure-experiment-results or iterate-retrospective
• The change is small and single-team with no cross-functional surface: a launch checklist adds ceremony without value; track it in the sprint instead

Instructions

When asked to create a launch checklist, follow these steps:

1. Define Launch Context

Document what is launching, when, and who the key stakeholders are. Establish the launch tier (major release, minor feature, experiment) as this affects checklist scope.

1. Gather Functional Requirements

For each function (engineering, QA, marketing, etc.), identify what must be complete, verified, or in place before launch. Distinguish between blockers (must-have) and nice-to-haves.

1. Assign Owners and Dates

Every checklist item needs an owner and a target completion date. Ownership creates accountability; dates enable tracking.

1. Identify Dependencies and Blockers

Flag items that block other work or are blocked by external factors. Surface these early so teams can unblock.

1. Define Go/No-Go Criteria

Establish clear criteria for making the launch decision. What conditions must be met? Who makes the final call?

1. Document Rollback Plan

Every launch should have a rollback strategy. Document how to revert if critical issues emerge post-launch.

1. Schedule Check-in Cadence

Establish when the team will review checklist progress (daily standups, T-2 days review, launch day sync).

Output Format

Use the template in references/TEMPLATE.md to structure the output. A complete checklist fills every template section: Launch Overview; Engineering Readiness; QA & Testing; Design & UX; Marketing & Communications; Customer Support; Legal & Compliance; Operations & Infrastructure; Analytics & Monitoring; Go/No-Go Criteria; Rollback Plan; Check-in Schedule; and Open Issues.

Quality Checklist

Before finalizing, verify:

• All functional areas are represented
• Every item has an owner and target date
• Blockers are clearly distinguished from nice-to-haves
• Go/No-Go criteria are specific and measurable
• Rollback plan is documented and tested
• Check-in cadence is scheduled

Examples

See references/EXAMPLE.md for a completed example.