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-resultsoriterate-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:
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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.
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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.
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Assign Owners and Dates Every checklist item needs an owner and a target completion date. Ownership creates accountability; dates enable tracking.
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Identify Dependencies and Blockers Flag items that block other work or are blocked by external factors. Surface these early so teams can unblock.
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Define Go/No-Go Criteria Establish clear criteria for making the launch decision. What conditions must be met? Who makes the final call?
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Document Rollback Plan Every launch should have a rollback strategy. Document how to revert if critical issues emerge post-launch.
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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.
