Product Launch Manager
Run a structured product launch from tiering and RACI through beta, comms, launch day, and post-launch retros.
Overview
Product Launch Manager is an agent skill most often used in Launch—distribution (also Validate prototype beta, Ship launch prep) that orchestrates planning, coordination, beta, communications, execution, and post-launch
Install
npx skills add https://github.com/ncklrs/startup-os-skills --skill product-launch-managerWhat is this skill?
- 6-section launch framework: planning, coordination, beta, communications, execution, post-launch
- CRITICAL-impact areas: launch planning, cross-functional coordination, and launch execution
- Beta and early-access patterns to de-risk before public announcement
- Launch day war rooms, runbooks, and real-time decision support
- Post-launch monitoring, retrospectives, and iterative improvement
- 6 launch organization sections (planning through post-launch)
- 3 sections marked CRITICAL impact: planning, coordination, execution
Adoption & trust: 1 installs on skills.sh; 27 GitHub stars; 3/3 security scanners passed (skills.sh audits); trending (+100% hot-view momentum).
What problem does it solve?
You have a release date but no shared launch tier, RACI, comms calendar, or runbook—so teams slip and launch day becomes reactive firefighting.
Who is it for?
Indie SaaS or app founders coordinating a first major release or tiered launch with limited PM bandwidth.
Skip if: Ongoing production incident response only, or launches where marketing strategy is already done and you only need ad creative variants.
When should I use this skill?
When planning or executing a product launch, beta program, launch communications, launch day operations, or post-launch review (aligned with Startup OS product launch manager scope).
What do I get? / Deliverables
You get aligned launch plans, coordination artifacts, beta and comms structure, execution runbooks, and post-launch follow-up—ready to execute alongside marketing-strategist for messaging depth.
- Launch plan with tiering and success criteria
- RACI or coordination matrix
- Beta program outline
Recommended Skills
Journey fit
Spans multiple journey phases - primary shelf plus alternate fits below.
Launch distribution is the primary shelf because the skill’s center of gravity is shipping and announcing a product to the market, even though it touches earlier beta and later post-launch ops. Distribution captures external go-live orchestration, enablement, and channel timing rather than pre-ship security review or pure ASO storefront mechanics.
Where it fits
Stand up a beta or early-access cohort and feedback loop before the public announcement.
Finalize launch prep checklists and internal enablement so ship and announce stay synchronized.
Execute multi-channel external comms and partnership timing against a single launch calendar.
Run post-launch monitoring and retrospective metrics to decide what to fix or promote next.
How it compares
Operational launch OS skill—not a substitute for deep GTM strategy skills or automated CI/CD deploy pipelines alone.
Common Questions / FAQ
Who is product-launch-manager for?
Solo builders and small teams shipping a product who need launch planning, stakeholder alignment, beta programs, and launch-day operations without a dedicated launch PM.
When should I use product-launch-manager?
Use it in Launch for distribution orchestration; in Validate for beta and early access; in Ship for launch prep alignment; and in Grow when post-launch metrics and retros drive the next iteration.
Is product-launch-manager safe to install?
It is planning and process guidance; review the Security Audits panel on this Prism page before installing from the registry.
Workflow Chain
Then invoke: marketing strategist
SKILL.md
READMESKILL.md - Product Launch Manager
## 1. Launch Planning (planning) **Impact:** CRITICAL **Description:** Foundational launch decisions — tiering, timelines, success criteria, and strategic alignment. The blueprint for everything that follows. ## 2. Cross-Functional Coordination (coordination) **Impact:** CRITICAL **Description:** Stakeholder alignment, RACI matrices, and orchestrating multiple teams toward a unified launch. Where most launches fail. ## 3. Beta & Early Access (beta) **Impact:** HIGH **Description:** Pre-launch validation programs, beta cohort management, and feedback integration. De-risk before you launch. ## 4. Launch Communications (communication) **Impact:** HIGH **Description:** Internal enablement, external messaging, and multi-channel communication plans. What you say and when you say it. ## 5. Launch Execution (execution) **Impact:** CRITICAL **Description:** Launch day operations, war rooms, runbooks, and real-time decision making. The moment of truth. ## 6. Post-Launch Operations (postlaunch) **Impact:** HIGH **Description:** Monitoring, retrospectives, metrics analysis, and iterative improvement. The launch isn't over when it ships. --- title: Beta and Early Access Programs impact: HIGH tags: beta, early-access, validation, feedback --- ## Beta and Early Access Programs **Impact: HIGH** Beta programs de-risk launches by validating with real users before you announce to the world. ### Beta Program Types | Type | Duration | Size | Purpose | Best For | |------|----------|------|---------|----------| | **Alpha** | 2-4 weeks | 5-15 users | Technical validation | Complex features | | **Closed Beta** | 4-8 weeks | 50-200 users | Product-market fit | Major features | | **Open Beta** | 2-4 weeks | 500+ users | Scale testing | Platform changes | | **Early Access** | Ongoing | Selected customers | Premium positioning | Enterprise | ### Beta Cohort Selection **Ideal Beta Participants:** | Criteria | Weight | Rationale | |----------|--------|-----------| | Power users | High | Will stress-test thoroughly | | Target segment | High | Validates PMF | | Responsive to surveys | Medium | Will provide feedback | | Diverse use cases | Medium | Uncovers edge cases | | Vocal in community | Low | Organic promotion | | Enterprise customer | Varies | Validates enterprise readiness | ### Good Example: Structured Beta Program ```markdown ## Beta Program: Workflow Automation ### Program Structure | Phase | Duration | Cohort Size | Goals | |-------|----------|-------------|-------| | Alpha | 2 weeks | 10 users | Core flow validation | | Closed Beta | 4 weeks | 100 users | Use case coverage | | Open Beta | 2 weeks | 500 users | Scale + edge cases | ### Cohort Selection Criteria **Alpha (10 users):** - Internal power users (5) - Design partners (3) - Customer advisory board (2) **Closed Beta (100 users):** - Power users from target segment (40) - Customers who requested feature (30) - Mix of company sizes (20) - International users (10) ### Feedback Collection | Method | Timing | Goal | |--------|--------|------| | Kickoff survey | Day 1 | Baseline expectations | | In-app feedback widget | Continuous | Friction points | | Weekly survey | End of week | Satisfaction trend | | User interviews | Week 2, 4 | Deep qualitative | | Exit survey | Beta end | Overall assessment | ### Success Criteria for GA - 70% of beta users would be "disappointed" without feature - < 5% error rate in workflows - < 3 critical bugs reported - NPS > 40 from beta cohort - 3+ validated use cases documented ``` ### Bad Example: Unstructured Beta ```markdown ## Beta Program: New Editor (What Not To Do) **The Approach:** - "Let's just ship it to 10% of users" - No cohort selection criteria - No feedback mechanism planned - No success criteria defined - No timeline or phases **What Happened:** - Random users got feature (including churned accounts) - No feedback received for 2 weeks - Critical bug discovered by angry customer tweet - No