Launch checklist

One-liner: Prepare a simple checklist for launch day.
Time: 20 to 30 min
Deliverable: Launch Checklist

Learning goal

You will be able to: Create a practical launch checklist for a small AI product.

Success criteria (observable)

• Checklist includes technical, product, and support items.
• Each item has an owner or action.
• A go or no go decision is defined.

Output you will produce

• Deliverable: Launch Checklist
• Format: Checklist
• Where saved: Course folder under /generative-ai-2026-build-ai-apps-and-agents/

Who

Primary persona: Digital nomad preparing a launch Secondary persona(s): Early users and buyers Stakeholders (optional): Collaborators

What

What it is

A short list that confirms you are ready to go live. It covers technical checks and user readiness.

What it is not

It is not a long project plan or marketing calendar. It is a simple readiness gate.

2-minute theory

• Launch day checklists reduce last minute errors.
• Clear owners prevent missed steps.
• A go or no go step avoids rushed releases.

Key terms

• Go or no go: A final decision to launch or delay.
• Owner: The person responsible for a checklist item.

Where

Applies in

• Launch planning
• Team coordination

Does not apply in

• Long term roadmap planning

Touchpoints

• Checklist
• Release notes
• Support inbox

When

Use it when

• You are about to go live
• You want a clean launch

Frequency

Once per launch

Late signals

• Confusion on launch day
• Missing last minute checks

Why it matters

Practical benefits

• Fewer launch errors
• Clear team alignment
• Faster response to issues

Risks of ignoring

• Broken launch
• Support chaos

Expectations

• Improves: launch quality and coordination
• Does not guarantee: perfect launch

How

Step-by-step method

1. List technical checks and owners.
2. Add product and support checks.
3. Define a go or no go decision.
4. Review the checklist before launch.

Do and don't

Do

• Keep the list short and critical
• Assign owners for key items

Don't

• Add nice to have tasks
• Skip the final decision step

Common mistakes and fixes

• Mistake: Too many items. Fix: Keep only critical checks.
• Mistake: No owners. Fix: Assign a person or role.

Done when

• Checklist includes key items.
• Owners are assigned.
• Go or no go step is defined.

Guided exercise (10 to 15 min)

Inputs

• Your production readiness checklist
• Support plan

Steps

1. List critical technical checks.
2. Add product and support checks.
3. Assign owners and a go or no go step.

Output format

Field	Value
Technical checks
Product checks
Support checks
Go or no go

Pro tip: Keep your launch checklist under 20 items.

Independent exercise (5 to 10 min)

Task

Remove one non critical item and explain why.

Output

Revised checklist.

Self-check (yes/no)

• Are technical checks listed?
• Are owners assigned?
• Is support ready?
• Is the go or no go decision defined?

Baseline metric (recommended)

• Score: 3 of 4 checks met
• Date: 2026-02-06
• Tool used: Notes app

Bibliography (sources used)

1. Launch Checklist. Atlassian. 2024-01-01. Read: https://www.atlassian.com/incident-management/devops/release-checklist

2. Product Launch Guide. Intercom. 2024-01-01. Read: https://www.intercom.com/blog/product-launch/

Read more (optional)

1. Launch Day Checklist Why: Additional ideas for launch readiness. Read: https://www.atlassian.com/incident-management/devops/release-checklist