/deliver-launch-checklist

name: deliver-launch-checklist
description: Creates a cross-functional pre-launch checklist covering engineering, design, marketing, support, legal, and operations readiness, with owners, dates, and go/no-go criteria so nothing is missed before release. Use for significant or cross-team launches, not a small single-team change. For the customer-facing announcement of what shipped, use deliver-release-notes instead.
license: Apache-2.0
metadata:
  phase: deliver
  version: "2.2.0"
  updated: 2026-07-04
  category: coordination
  frameworks: [triple-diamond, lean-startup, design-thinking]
  author: product-on-purpose

<!-- PM-Skills | https://github.com/product-on-purpose/pm-skills | Apache 2.0 -->

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.

2. **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.

3. **Assign Owners and Dates** Every checklist item needs an owner and a target completion date. Ownership creates accountability; dates enable tracking.

4. **Identify Dependencies and Blockers** Flag items that block other work or are blocked by external factors. Surface these early so teams can unblock.

5. **Define Go/No-Go Criteria** Establish clear criteria for making the launch decision. What conditions must be met? Who makes the final call?

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

7. **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.