Startup launch checklist for SaaS and apps

8 to 6 weeks before · Prove someone wants this, and say why you in one sentence.

• Write the problem in one sentenceEssentialSay who has it and what it costs them today. If you can't put it plainly, your landing page won't either.
• Talk to at least ten potential usersEssentialAsk how they deal with the problem now and what they've tried. People already paying for a workaround are your strongest signal.
• List the alternatives, including doing nothingEssentialNote what each costs and where it falls short. A spreadsheet is often the real competitor, and your positioning is the gap.
• Write a one-line value propositionEssentialWhat it does, for whom, and the result they get. It becomes your headline, your launch tagline and the first line of every post.
• Set one measurable launch goalEssentialSign-ups from your target audience, first paying customers or active users in the first 30 days. One number tells you afterwards whether the launch worked.The 30-day product launch plan
• Choose a starting priceEven if you launch free, decide what paid will cost. Asking for money early is the quickest test of how much the problem matters.
• Check the name, domain and handlesMake sure the name isn't taken in your category, the domain is yours, and the handles you need on X, LinkedIn or GitHub are free.

6 to 2 weeks before · A product that does one job well, and the plumbing to sell it and measure it.

• Make the core path work end to endEssentialFrom sign-up to the first useful result with no dead ends. Cut features that aren't on that path rather than shipping them half done.
• Ship a landing page that explains it in secondsEssentialA headline from your value proposition, a screenshot or demo, who it's for, and one call to action above the fold.
• Set up analytics and sign-up trackingEssentialTrack visits, sign-ups and the core action, and tag every launch link with UTM parameters so you can see which channel worked.
• Add error monitoring and uptime alertsEssentialHear about a broken page from an alert, not from a comment on launch day.
• Publish a privacy policy and termsEssentialPayment providers and app stores require them, and anyone handing over an email expects them. Add a cookie notice if you set non-essential cookies.
• Make sure sign-up emails reach the inboxEssentialSet up SPF, DKIM and DMARC on your sending domain, then test sign-up and password emails in Gmail and Outlook. Mail that lands in spam loses sign-ups silently.
• Take a real payment in live modeEssentialIf you charge at launch, switch billing to live, buy your own product with a real card, then refund it. Check webhooks, receipts, upgrades and a failed payment.
• Publish a pricing page and trial rulesEssentialPlans, what each includes, what happens when a trial ends and how to cancel. Visitors who can't find a price often leave.
• Design the first runAn empty state that says what to do first, sample data if it helps, and a next-day email for accounts that didn't finish setup.
• Get the SEO basics rightA unique title and description on every page, a sitemap, Open Graph images for link previews, and pages that load fast on a phone.Preview your titles in Google
• Back up the database and test a restoreA backup you've never restored is a hope. Do one restore before launch so you know how long it takes.
• Protect sign-up and APIs from abuseRate limits, bot protection on forms and spending caps on paid services, before a traffic spike finds the gaps.

6 to 1 weeks before, alongside the build · The people you gather before launch are the traffic you get on the day.

• Pick your launch date and platformsEssentialChoose two or three platforms where your users already are, read each one's rules, and avoid dates that clash with holidays or big tech events.Compare launch platforms
• Open a waitlistEssentialPut an email sign-up on the landing page now. Everyone on it is someone you can tell on launch day, with no algorithm in between.
• Join the communities your users useEssentialSubreddits, forums, Slack and Discord groups. Take part for weeks before you mention your product; most of them ban drive-by promotion.
• Put the product in front of 10 to 20 beta usersEssentialWatch them use it, fix what confuses them, and ask whether they'd be disappointed if it went away.
• Share progress in publicShort posts on what you're building and learning, with screenshots. People who followed the build are the ones who show up on the day.
• Ask beta users for quotes you can useGet permission to use their words and name. Real quotes are the strongest proof you'll have; invented ones break trust the moment someone checks.
• Tell friends and peers the dateSay what would help: trying it, honest feedback, sharing the post. Don't ask for upvotes; Product Hunt and Hacker News both penalise it.Launching without an audience
• List newsletters, podcasts and writers in your nichePitch each one with a specific angle and a link to try the product, not a generic press release.

The final week · A launch is a coordinated push. The work happens in the days before.

• Prepare a logo, screenshots and a short demoEssentialA square logo, three to five screenshots and a demo video or GIF under a minute. Every platform asks for them.
• Write the listing and your first commentEssentialName, tagline, short and long description, and a first comment on why you built it. Write them once, then adapt per platform.
• Draft every launch post and emailEssentialX, LinkedIn, communities and the waitlist email, ready to paste or scheduled, each with its own tagged link.
• Run the whole path as a new userEssentialSign up from the landing page on a phone and a laptop, reach the first result, and pay if you charge. Fix anything that slows you down.
• Clear your calendar for launch dayEssentialAnswering quickly matters more on the day than anything you can schedule, so book nothing else.
• Set up a support inbox and saved repliesOne address or chat widget, with answers ready for the questions you expect, so launch-day replies take seconds.
• Decide on a launch offerA time-limited discount or longer trial gives launch-day visitors a reason to act today. Say when it ends, and end it then.
• Put together a press kitLogos, screenshots, a short and long description, a founder bio and a contact, on one page you can link to.
• Check it holds up under a traffic spikeCache the landing page, and check database connection limits and third-party quotas. A slow first impression costs sign-ups.

Launch day · Everything is drafted. The job today is to show up and respond.

• Publish on your launch platformsEssentialPost when each platform's day starts or your audience is awake, then click every link in the listing yourself.
• Email your waitlistEssentialSay it's live, what they get, and the one thing you'd like them to do.
• Reply to every comment and questionEssentialFast, specific answers turn readers into users and show there's a person behind the product.
• Share it on your own channelsEssentialPost your drafted announcements and ask supporters to share it if they find it useful.
• Watch errors, sign-ups and paymentsEssentialKeep dashboards open. Fix what breaks, and say so in public; people forgive a bug they see fixed.
• Log every piece of feedbackBugs, requests and objections in one place, with who said each, so you can follow up.

The first 30 days · Launch day is a spike. These are the habits that compound.

• Follow up with every new sign-upEssentialA personal email within a few days asking what they hoped to do. Replies are the best roadmap you'll get.What to do after launch day
• Ship fixes for the top launch-day issuesEssentialThen tell the people who reported them. Closing the loop in public earns a second look.
• Compare results with your launch goalEssentialLook at which channels sent users who stayed, not just visits, and put more into those next time.
• Thank supporters and share what you learnedA short post on what happened and what's next keeps the story going after the spike.
• Submit to startup directoriesDirectories that fit your category send steady referrals and links long after launch day.Which directories are worth it
• Publish pages that answer your users' searchesComparisons, how-to guides and use cases bring people who are looking for what you do, month after month.
• Track activation and churnHow many sign-ups reach the core action, and how many paying accounts cancel, so you know which to fix first.
• Plan your next launchA major feature is a reason to launch again, and each launch reaches people who missed the last one.