Playbook: Launch a Product¶
A 6-week route from "almost ready" to your first 100 users, built from skills in this repo. It works for apps, SaaS, AI tools, browser extensions, games, plugins and templates. Skip the ASO steps if you're not on an app store.
| Week | Goal | Skill | You end the week with |
|---|---|---|---|
| Before T-6 (optional) | Make sure people want it | research-where-users-ask → research-review-mining | Top 3 unmet needs, user phrases |
| Before T-6 | A target to launch toward | strategy-revenue-target | "$X by |
| T-6 onwards | An audience waiting on launch day | social-build-in-public | Weekly updates, email sign-ups from followers |
| T-6 → T-4 | Nothing blocks the launch | launch-pre-launch-checklist | Dated checklist; store testing / review started |
| T-4 | Decide how you'll make money | monetization-free-trial-vs-freemium → monetization-pricing-strategy | Model + prices |
| T-4 | Payment provider applied for (reviews take 1–14 days) | monetization-payment-setup | Provider approved, one real test purchase |
| T-3 (mobile / Mac App Store) | In-app purchases work and pass review | monetization-in-app-purchase-setup | Sandbox purchase, restore, App Review checklist |
| T-3 (apps) | Analytics, crash reports, ads and payments verified | launch-growth-stack-setup | Event plan in DebugView, test ads, app-ads.txt, consent, verified checklist |
| T-3 | Paywall ready and compliant | monetization-paywall-design | Paywall copy + checklist passed |
| T-3 → T-2 | Store listing submitted (apps) | listing-app-store / listing-google-play (Level 1), with copy from aso-keyword-research → aso-title-subtitle-optimization → aso-screenshot-strategy | Listing submitted |
| T-3 → T-2 | Listing submitted (not a mobile app) | Level 1 of your niche: browser extension · Mac app · indie game · plugin & dev tool · AI product · Notion/Gumroad template | Listing submitted or ready |
| T-1 | Posts ready, supporters warmed up | launch-post-writing, launch-product-hunt-launch (optional) | Posts per channel (Reddit: launch-reddit-posting), supporter list |
| T-1 → T+1 (open source) | Repo worth starring, seeded by your circle | launch-github-repo-seeding (Levels 1–2) | README ready, 7-day seeding plan running |
| T-0 | Launch day | same + listing-free-directories (Level 1) | Posts live, every comment answered |
| T+1 → T+4 | First 100 users | launch-quick-download-wins (week 1) → launch-get-first-100-users | 100 users, learning log |
| T+2 onwards (open source) | Repo users become product users | launch-open-source-funnel | Hand-off points live, UTM-tagged |
| T+2 onwards | Ratings that help, not hurt (apps) | aso-review-and-rating-strategy | Review prompt live, replies sent |
After week T+4: review every Monday with strategy-spend-and-timing and push the channel that works. App on a store? Continue with Playbook: ASO Optimization. Got real results? Share them with case-study-write-your-own.
Rules of the road¶
- One owner per line. If two people own it, nobody does.
- Measure from day 0. Decide the 3 launch metrics before launch (see the checklist skill).
- Don't wait for perfect. If it solves the core problem, launch and improve with real users.
- Review weekly. Which channel brought activated users? Put next week's time there.
With an AI agent¶
Installed the skills? Tell your agent: "Follow the launch-a-product playbook for my product, starting at week T-6." Using a chat AI? Open each skill in order and paste its prompt.
Keep the launch in your repo¶
Save each week's output as a Markdown file in a growth/ folder next to your code (growth/LAUNCH.md,
growth/pricing.md, growth/keywords.md…). Your AI agent can read them next session, and nothing gets lost in chat history.
Tools I made for this (disclosure: I'm the maintainer, OneClickTool):
- ShotMatic (Mac): all your product repos on one screen, with next steps, blockers,
uncommitted changes, and the Claude session to resume.
- Markdown Everywhere (free, Mac & Windows): read the whole growth/ folder as a table or a link map.