Prepare for what actually happens after launch

Most of what you expect won't happen. Map the realistic scenarios and how you'll respond.

Instructions

Launch day gets all the attention. The 48 hours after it are usually more important. Founders who've only planned the launch — and not what comes next — find themselves reacting to everything at once: a support question they don't know how to answer, user behaviour they didn't anticipate, an early review they aren't sure how to respond to. Being caught off-guard is normal. Being unprepared is a choice.

The most useful thing you can do before you go live is think through each realistic scenario: strong uptake, weak uptake, technical problems, negative feedback, and the uncomfortable scenario where nothing happens at all. For each one, you want a rough plan — not a perfect playbook, just enough forethought that you know what to do in the first 24 hours.

This step also asks yo...