/launch
Generate a go-to-market launch strategy that ties together all promotion skills into a unified plan. Reads PRD and research data, defines the beachhead, maps channels, validates pricing against manifesto principles, and produces an actionable launch checklist.
Philosophy: Launch is not a single event — it's a sequence of small bets. Each channel is an experiment. Measure before scaling. Reference: manifesto principle "Money without overheating — revenue before automation, scale what works."
MCP Tools (use if available)
kb_search(query)— find launch methodology, past launchesweb_search(query)— research channels, communities, pricing benchmarksproject_info(name)— get project stack and status
If MCP tools are not available, fall back to Glob + Grep + WebSearch.
Steps
- Parse project from
$ARGUMENTS.
- Read docs/prd.md — features, ICP, pricing, acceptance criteria - Read docs/research.md — competitors, personas, market size, pain points - Read CLAUDE.md — stack, deploy target - If none found: ask via AskUserQuestion
- Validate beachhead segment: Check if PRD has a beachhead section (added by
/validate). If not, define it now:
- Segment: narrow, specific group (not "everyone who needs X") - Size estimate: how many people in this segment? - Reachability: where do they gather online? (specific subreddit, community, newsletter) - Willingness to pay: evidence from research.md or competitor pricing - Why first: why this segment before others?
- Pricing validation against manifesto: Read pricing from PRD. Check against principles in
templates/principles/manifest.md: Check Pass/Fail Notes Does it cost to run? (server, API, storage) — If no → should be free or one-time Subscription justified? — Only if ongoing costs exist Is pricing transparent? — No hidden fees, clear what you get Lock-in risk? — Can user export data? Own their content? Subscription fatigue check — Is there a one-time alternative? If pricing conflicts with principles, flag it and suggest alternatives. - Channel mapping (3-5 channels, ordered by effort): For each channel, define: Channel Effort Cost Timeline Expected Result Skill ProductHunt Medium Free Day 1 200-500 visits, feedback
/community-outreachReddit (specific subs) Low Free Week 1 50-100 visits, pain validation/community-outreachSEO / Content Medium Free Month 1-3 Organic traffic baseline/seo-audit+/landing-genTwitter/LinkedIn Low Free Ongoing Network effect, credibility/content-genPaid (if justified) High $50-200 After organic validates Scale what works — Rules:
- Start with free channels — paid only after organic validates demand - One channel at a time — don't spread thin (manifesto: "wip = 1") - Measure each channel before adding the next - Offline-first products: app store optimization (ASO) over web marketing
- Launch timeline (4-week plan):
Week 0 (pre-launch): - [] /landing-gen — landing page with email capture - [] /seo-audit — baseline SEO score - [] /metrics-track — PostHog events wired Week 1 (soft launch): - [] /community-outreach — 3-5 value-first posts in target communities - [] /content-gen — LinkedIn post + Twitter thread - [] Collect feedback, fix critical issues Week 2 (public launch): - [] ProductHunt launch (if web/SaaS) - [] App Store submission (if iOS) - [] /video-promo — demo video for landing page - [] Monitor metrics daily Week 3-4 (iterate): - [] Review metrics — kill/iterate/scale decision - [] Double down on best-performing channel - [] /content-gen — release notes for updates - [] Second community push based on feedbackAdapt timeline to product type (iOS has App Store review delays, web can launch same day). - Growth loops (sustainable, not hacks): Design 1-2 growth loops appropriate to the product: Content loop: User creates → content is public/shareable → new users discover → they create Referral loop: User gets value → shares with peer → peer signs up → both benefit SEO loop: Solve problem → write about it → rank → new users find solution → they use product Tool loop: Free tool solves adjacent problem → captures intent → funnels to main product Rules:
- Loop must be natural, not forced (no "share to unlock" dark patterns — manifesto: against exploitation) - Loop must benefit the user, not just the product - Offline-first products: growth through quality and word-of-mouth, not viral mechanics
- Launch risks (from research.md + pre-mortem thinking):
- Timing risk: is a competitor about to launch? Big industry event? - Pricing risk: will users pay at this price point? Evidence? - Channel risk: if primary channel fails, what's the backup? - Technical risk: can the product handle 10x traffic? (serverless = yes, VPS = plan)
- Write launch strategy to
docs/launch-strategy.md: `--- type: launch-strategy status: draft title: "Launch Strategy — {Project Name}" created: {YYYY-MM-DD} tags: [{project}, launch, gtm] --- # Launch Strategy: {Project Name} ## Beachhead Segment {from step 2} ## Pricing {from step 3, with manifest alignment} ## Channels {table from step 4} ## Timeline {4-week plan from step 5} ## Growth Loops {from step 6} ## Risks {from step 7} ## Launch Checklist - [] Landing page live (/landing-gen) - [] SEO baseline checked (/seo-audit) - [] Metrics wired (/metrics-track) - [] Content pack ready (/content-gen) - [] Community posts drafted (/community-outreach) - [] Demo video planned (/video-promo) - [] Privacy policy published (/legal) - [] Kill/iterate/scale thresholds defined --- *Generated by /launch. Review and adapt before executing.*` - Output summary:
- Beachhead segment (one line) - Recommended pricing model - Top 3 channels with timeline - Growth loop type - Path to generated launch-strategy.md - Suggested next step: run the skills from the checklist
Notes
- This skill is a strategic planner — it doesn't execute. Run the referenced skills to produce actual content
- Launch strategy should be revisited after Week 2 metrics review
- For products with no cloud component (offline-first), skip paid channels and focus on ASO + community
Common Issues
No PRD found
Cause: Haven't run /validate yet. Fix: Run /validate <idea> first to generate PRD with ICP, pricing, and features.
Pricing conflicts with manifesto
Cause: Product uses subscription model but has no running costs. Fix: This is intentional — the skill flags it. Consider one-time purchase or freemium instead.
Beachhead too broad
Cause: "Everyone who uses X" is not a beachhead. Fix: Narrow to a specific community, profession, or behavior pattern. You should be able to find them in one place.