Launch Readiness is More Than Just Product Readiness

A friend of mine, whom I respect and enjoy but is not in product management, led his company through an Agile transformation. We got into a discussion on the difference between the product owner role, as employed in Scrum, and the role of product management. That led to a discussion about the difference between product readiness, something for which product owners are responsible, and launch readiness, which is a responsibility of product managers and product marketing managers. Product readiness is a requirement for product launch readiness, but it’s not all that’s needed for a successful product launch.

A Rocket Analogy

Since we’re discussing launch readiness here, I’m going to use a rocket analogy for discussing the launch readiness of a digital product or major feature. Like software, when building a rocket, it needs to be designed, built and tested. The design needs to accommodate the intended mission, including payload capacity, engine performance, safety and other factors. The construction needs to be done by professionals who know how to build working rockets according to the design specs. The rocket needs to go through various types of testing to assure safety and efficacy. These general steps also apply to the development of digital products.

The rocket must be loaded with fuel. The fuel must provide the thrust needed for launch into orbit as well as any additional jobs to be done while in orbit and return to earth. The rocket will need software to be loaded and telemetry systems to be implemented. Outside of the rocket itself, a world of infrastructure and teamwork by experienced professionals is needed. The infrastructure includes a launch pad, ground support systems and communication networks.

Positioning a fully-loaded and programmed rocket on a launch pad doesn’t mean it’s launch-ready. Systems and personnel to support the rocket through its entire mission are needed. This includes tracking systems, monitoring systems, flight control systems and anomaly management systems. Only when every single system and safety check is in place is a rocket ready for launch.

Where Digital Product Teams Fall Short

Similarly, software is not launch-ready simply by deploying fully built and tested code to the production environment. Sure, the code could be pushed without incident, but without the additional necessary steps and systems in place, the product or feature will not achieve the success it was intended to deliver.

All too frequently, especially in organizations that have adopted Agile methodologies with a focus on the product development phase of the product lifecycle, new features “fall on the floor” as they come off the “assembly line” as there is no process to assure the feature transitions successfully from birth to life.

Product teams must provide adequate support to internal partners (marketing, sales and support) and external customers. They need to ensure that the messaging used in marketing and sales materials reflects the actual user experience and feature set and that they are consistently and accurately communicating the value of the product or feature. Training, documentation, and customer support resources need to be in place. Empowering teams to handle customer queries and supporting users as they onboard and use the product are key to ensuring adoption.

After the product or feature is live, product managers also need to shift from theoretical assumptions about how users will interact with the product to actual usage data by looking at real customer behavior and adjusting the product based on observed outcomes. Monitoring feature adoption, drop-off points, and overall user behavior gives insight into which features add value and where users are struggling.

All of these pre-launch and post-launch support systems need to be in place prior to the product or feature being delivered to customers for the product to be successful. For continued growth and success of the product and future initiatives, product management should revisit the original business case for the product. Did the launch deliver the expected results? Should the team double down on certain aspects of the product, or pivot based on new learnings? This reassessment ensures the product remains strategically aligned with business goals and the market going forward.

Just as a rocket requires more than solid construction to be considered launch-ready, digital products need more than just completed code pushed to production if they are going to successfully achieve their mission. They require a comprehensive support system, from internal alignment with marketing, sales, and customer support to post-launch monitoring and iteration. The failure to address these broader responsibilities, particularly in Agile environments, can result in underperformance and missed opportunities. By ensuring that all necessary systems -both technical and operational - are in place, product teams can better assure that their product is set up for sustained success.

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If you’re looking for more insights or support with your product management practice or strategic planning, feel free to reach out. I'm always happy to chat and exchange ideas.

And for those in Southern California, there’s a great opportunity to join us at OC Product on Thursday, September 26. We’ll be hosting a discussion led by John Mansour of Product Management University on 'How to Deliver Strategic Customer Value Guaranteed.' It's going to be a great chance to network with fellow product leaders and explore new ways to create value. Hope to see you there!

Register here: https://OCPMsep2024.eventbrite.com/?aff=LinkedInPost

#productmanagement #leadership #strategic #planning

Please see the other articles in this five-part series of my guiding principles in product management:

Protect Your “Yes”

Be Market-focused, not Customer-focused

What Problem Are We Trying to Solve?

Seek and Study Dead Bodies