name: deliver-launch-checklist description: Creates a comprehensive pre-launch checklist covering engineering, design, marketing, support, legal, and operations readiness. Use before releasing features, products, or major updates to ensure nothing is missed. phase: deliver version: "2.0.0" updated: 2026-01-26 license: Apache-2.0 metadata: category: coordination frameworks: [triple-diamond, lean-startup, design-thinking] author: product-on-purpose
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
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.
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.