Go-to-Market Launch Playbook

Write a product positioning statement using the competitive wedge method

Craft a sharp product positioning statement for {{product_name}} using the competitive wedge method.

## Context
- Product: {{product_name}}
- Target customer: {{target_customer}}
- Primary use case: {{primary_use_case}}
- Top 3 competitors: {{competitors}}
- What customers currently use instead: {{current_alternative}}
- Your unfair advantage: {{unfair_advantage}}

## Step 1: Map the Category
1. What category does your product belong to? (Be specific — "project management for design teams" not just "project management")
2. What are the default assumptions buyers have about this category?
3. What do all competitors in this category promise? (This is the "table stakes" zone)

## Step 2: Find the Wedge
1. What do competitors deliberately ignore or deprioritize?
2. What do your happiest customers say that competitors' customers don't?
3. What trade-off did you make that competitors refuse to make?
4. Complete this sentence: "Unlike [competitors], we believe that [contrarian belief], which is why we [specific design choice]."

## Step 3: Draft the Positioning Statement
Use this template:
"For [target customer] who [situation/trigger], {{product_name}} is the [category] that [key differentiator]. Unlike [alternative], we [wedge — what you do differently and why it matters]."

Generate 3 variations:
- Version A: Lead with the problem
- Version B: Lead with the contrarian belief
- Version C: Lead with the outcome

## Step 4: Stress-Test
For each version:
1. Does it pass the "only we can say this" test? (Would it sound weird on a competitor's website?)
2. Does it speak to a specific trigger moment, or is it generic?
3. Can a salesperson use it in the first 30 seconds of a call?
4. Would a customer nod and say "yes, that's exactly why I use this"?

## Step 5: Messaging Cascade
From the winning positioning statement, derive:
- One-line elevator pitch (

Run a pre-launch readiness review checklist

You are a launch reviewer running a pre-launch check for {{feature_name}}. Launch date: {{launch_date}}. GA vs. gradual: {{rollout_type}}.

## Six-gate checklist

### 1. Product readiness
- Feature complete vs. spec
- Known bugs triaged (P0 fixed, P1 documented)
- Metrics instrumented (activation, engagement, retention)
- Feature flag present for kill-switch

### 2. Engineering readiness
- Load test passed at expected traffic × 2
- Runbook exists for top 3 failure modes
- On-call briefed and documented
- Rollback plan tested

### 3. Support readiness
- Help docs written and reviewed
- Support team trained + FAQ
- Ticket routing updated
- Expected ticket volume estimate

### 4. Sales readiness
- Sales enablement deck shipped
- Pricing approved
- Contract language updated (if applicable)
- Deal-desk escalation path

### 5. Marketing readiness
- Launch content live
- Email cadence queued
- Social and PR coordinated
- Customer reference quote(s) secured

### 6. Legal / privacy
- Privacy review signed off
- ToS updates published
- Data handling documented
- Regulatory compliance checked (GDPR, CCPA, industry-specific)

## Output
1. Gate status — Green/Yellow/Red per gate
2. The one gate most likely to delay launch and the 48h plan to unblock it
3. The one risk we're accepting knowingly and the monitoring plan
4. Launch go/no-go recommendation

Run a Product Hunt launch playbook

You are planning a Product Hunt launch for {{product_name}}. Launch target date: {{target_date}}. Audience I currently have access to: {{audience_details}}.

## T-minus 4 weeks — Foundations

### Hunter selection
- Do you need an external hunter? (Optional but historically useful.)
- If yes: who's a credible Product Hunt hunter in your space and how would you approach them?
- If no: build your personal Product Hunt account credibility (comment on 3-5 launches weekly).

### Asset preparation
- Tagline (8-10 words, clear benefit)
- Gallery: 4-6 images including GIF/video of core interaction
- Description paragraph
- First comment (the long form pitch)

## T-minus 3 weeks — Audience warming

### Email list segmentation
- Core advocates who will vote on launch day
- Prospects who'd benefit
- Broader list (they get a soft announcement)

### Social runway
- 2-3 teaser posts with screenshots
- Behind-the-scenes content
- Build momentum without revealing the PH launch date

## T-minus 1 week — Final prep

### Launch-day checklist
- Launch at 12:01am PT (Pacific time — PH day starts then)
- First comment posted within 5 minutes of launch
- Team assigned to monitor and respond to every comment within 1 hour

### Shift schedule
| Time | Owner | Action |
|------|-------|--------|
| 12:01am-2am PT | founder | post + first 10 comments |
| 2am-6am PT | co-founder/early hire | continuing engagement |
| 6am-noon PT | everyone | sharing, responding, voting activation |
| noon-5pm PT | marketing lead | press + social |

## Launch day — Execution rules
- Don't ask for upvotes directly (violates PH policy)
- Share with existing audiences with a personal note
- Respond to every comment personally, especially critical ones
- Keep posting new content throughout the day (updates, funny asides)

## Output
1. Asset checklist with owner per item
2. 4-week calendar with key milestones
3. Launch-day shift schedule
4. The single biggest risk that could tank the launch and the mitigation
5. Post-launch followup plan for the top 10 commenters

Write a launch announcement email for customers

You are writing a launch email for {{feature_name}} to {{recipient_segment}}. Launch goal: {{launch_goal}}.

## Structure

### Subject line (3 options)
- Curiosity: raise question, leave hanging
- Benefit: state outcome they get
- Specificity: name the customer problem

### Opening sentence
Never "We are excited to announce." Start with the customer problem or their current pain.

### Middle paragraph (60-90 words)
The specific outcome this feature delivers — not a feature list.

### How it works (3 bullets)
Concrete steps they'll experience, not marketing copy.

### Single CTA
One button, one action, one destination. No "learn more" + "sign up" + "talk to sales."

### Close
One sentence. Either a timeline urgency or a specific customer success story.

### PS (optional)
The follow-up detail that readers who scroll to the PS want.

## Style rules
- No "innovation," "revolutionary," "seamless"
- Mention a specific customer scenario
- Readable on mobile in 30 seconds

## Output
1. Three subject line options
2. Full email body
3. The one sentence we'd cut if forced to reduce 20%
4. The segment most likely to reply with friction — and the pre-written response

Design a 90-day launch metric review

You are running the 90-day review for {{feature_name}}. Launch date: {{launch_date}}. Success bar pre-committed: {{success_bar}}.

## Step 1 — Quantitative scorecard
| Metric | Target | Actual | Verdict (win/neutral/loss) |
|--------|--------|--------|----------------------------|
| Activation rate | | | |
| Sustained engagement (weekly active) | | | |
| Retention impact (vs. non-users) | | | |
| Revenue impact (new ARR, expansion, reduced churn) | | | |
| NPS contribution | | | |
| Support load | | | |
| Maintenance cost (eng hours/quarter) | | | |

## Step 2 — Qualitative read
- Top 3 positive themes from customer feedback
- Top 3 friction themes
- The one customer quote that best captures the value
- The one customer quote that best captures the risk

## Step 3 — Decision
Pick one:
- **Double down**: feature hit bar, invest in v2 scope
- **Sustain**: feature hit bar, keep as-is, no new investment
- **Reduce**: feature half-hit, reduce maintenance to minimum
- **Sunset**: feature missed bar, sunset with migration plan

## Step 4 — Output
1. Filled scorecard
2. Qualitative read summary
3. Decision with rationale
4. A 1-page memo for leadership
5. The one input that, if different, would have flipped the decision