Launch planning

When this is useful

You are about to run this process and need one reusable working document.

What the workbook covers

1. Launch brief

2. Map the customer path

3. Readiness gates

4. Assets and distribution

5. Volume and delivery model

6. Relative milestones

Use with real evidence

Download the full Markdown resource, replace placeholders with your situation and retain sources beside claims. Keep unanswered questions visible rather than filling them with plausible guesses.

Put it to work

1. Read the full worksheet and define the decision it supports.
2. Fill the relevant tables using dated observations and explicit assumptions.
3. Review the output with its owner and record the next decision.

Limits and tradeoffs

The worksheet structures work; it does not supply missing customer evidence or guarantee a business result. Adapt examples and assign a responsible owner.

Worksheet preview

# SaaS launch planning workbook

Plan one launch for one primary objective. Replace relative milestones with your own dates. All numeric example assumptions below are fictional, not benchmarks.

## 1. Launch brief

- Launch owner:
- Intended release date or readiness milestone:
- Audience and eligibility:
- Problem and useful result:
- Primary objective:
- Next action for the audience:
- Primary outcome measure and observation window:
- Secondary measures:
- Product limits and offer terms:
- Capacity and budget constraints:

## 2. Map the customer path

| Step | Customer action | Information or help needed | Likely obstacle | Owner | Evidence of completion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Discover | Fill in | Fill in | Fill in | Fill in | Fill in |
| Assess fit | Fill in | Fill in | Fill in | Fill in | Fill in |
| Start | Fill in | Fill in | Fill in | Fill in | Fill in |
| Reach result | Fill in | Fill in | Fill in | Fill in | Fill in |
| Decide to continue | Fill in | Fill in | Fill in | Fill in | Fill in |

## 3. Readiness gates

| Condition | Evidence required | Owner | Review date | Status or limit | Decision if unmet |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Promised workflow works | Fill in | Fill in | Fill in | Fill in | Fill in |
| Offer and compatibility clear | Fill in | Fill in | Fill in | Fill in | Fill in |
| Next-action path tested | Fill in | Fill in | Fill in | Fill in | Fill in |
| Measurement checked | Fill in | Fill in | Fill in | Fill in | Fill in |
| Support capacity available | Fill in | Fill in | Fill in | Fill in | Fill in |

- Final readiness decision owner:
- Decision: ready, ready within stated limits, or delayed:
- Reason and contingency:

## 4. Assets and distribution

| Asset or distribution route | Purpose and audience | Required or optional | Owner | Dependency or confirmation | Review milestone | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Launch page | Fill in | Fill in | Fill in | Fill in | Fill in | Fill in |
| Demo and onboarding | Fill in | Fill in | Fill in | Fill in | Fill in | Fill in |
| Selected distribution route | Fill in | Fill in | Fill in | Fill in | Fill in | Fill in |

Verify channel rules and permission before scheduling. Treat unconfirmed partner participation as a dependency.

## 5. Volume and delivery model

Use decimal rates: 4% is 0.04. Define what makes a visitor or signup qualified.

- Completed-evaluation goal:
- Assumed qualified-signup-to-completion rate:
- Required qualified signups = goal / completion rate:
- Assumed relevant-visitor-to-qualified-signup rate:
- Required relevant visitors = required signups / signup rate:
- Evidence and uncertainty behind each assumption:
- Support hours per evaluation:
- Required delivery capacity = evaluation goal × support hours:
- Weaker scenario:
- Stronger scenario:

Fictional worked example: 20 completed evaluations / 0.25 completion rate = 80 qualified signups. 80 / 0.04 signup rate = 2,000 relevant visitors. At two support hours per evaluation, the goal requires 40 support hours. These assumptions need validation; they are not an expected result.

## 6. Relative milestones

1. Agree on audience, objective, promise, and next action.
2. Complete required product and asset dependencies.
3. Test the customer path and measurement.
4. Confirm distribution and support coverage.
5. Make the readiness decision.
6. Release within the agreed limits.
7. Review after the outcome window closes.

Assign dates and owners to these milestones. Do not treat an announcement date as proof of readiness.

## 7. Post-launch review

- Audience actually reached:
- Counts and rates with eligible denominators:
- Customer results and remaining obstacles:
- Support effort:
- Known measurement gaps:
- Assumptions confirmed, weakened, or still unknown:
- Next decision and evidence behind it:
- Owner and review condition:


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Original resource by Jon Bishop. CC BY 4.0. Illustrative examples are not customer results.