What is a launch checklist and when should I use it?

It is a cross-functional verification document used before releasing a feature, product, or major update to surface blockers early and ensure readiness across engineering, design, marketing, support, legal, and operations.

Who should own items and how are dates set?

Each item must have an assigned owner responsible for its completion and a target date to enable tracking and accountability.

How are Go/No-Go criteria used?

Go/No-Go criteria provide specific, measurable conditions to decide whether to proceed with launch or pause for fixes; the final decision is made by the designated owner or launch lead based on these criteria.

Deliver Launch Checklist

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npx machina-cli add skill product-on-purpose/pm-skills/deliver-launch-checklist --openclaw

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SKILL.md

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name: deliver-launch-checklist description: Creates a comprehensive pre-launch checklist covering engineering, design, marketing, support, legal, and operations readiness. Use before releasing features, products, or major updates to ensure nothing is missed. phase: deliver version: "2.0.0" updated: 2026-01-26 license: Apache-2.0 metadata: category: coordination frameworks: [triple-diamond, lean-startup, design-thinking] author: product-on-purpose

Launch Checklist

A launch checklist is a comprehensive verification document that ensures all functions are ready before releasing a feature or product. It coordinates across engineering, QA, design, marketing, support, legal, and operations to prevent launch-day surprises. Good launch checklists surface blockers early and create shared accountability for launch readiness.

When to Use

1-2 weeks before any significant launch
During launch planning kickoff meetings
When coordinating cross-functional releases
Before major version releases or feature rollouts
After incidents to improve launch processes

Instructions

When asked to create a launch checklist, follow these steps:

Define Launch Context Document what is launching, when, and who the key stakeholders are. Establish the launch tier (major release, minor feature, experiment) as this affects checklist scope.
Gather Functional Requirements For each function (engineering, QA, marketing, etc.), identify what must be complete, verified, or in place before launch. Distinguish between blockers (must-have) and nice-to-haves.
Assign Owners and Dates Every checklist item needs an owner and a target completion date. Ownership creates accountability; dates enable tracking.
Identify Dependencies and Blockers Flag items that block other work or are blocked by external factors. Surface these early so teams can unblock.
Define Go/No-Go Criteria Establish clear criteria for making the launch decision. What conditions must be met? Who makes the final call?
Document Rollback Plan Every launch should have a rollback strategy. Document how to revert if critical issues emerge post-launch.
Schedule Check-in Cadence Establish when the team will review checklist progress (daily standups, T-2 days review, launch day sync).

Output Format

Use the template in references/TEMPLATE.md to structure the output.

Quality Checklist

Before finalizing, verify:

All functional areas are represented
Every item has an owner and target date
Blockers are clearly distinguished from nice-to-haves
Go/No-Go criteria are specific and measurable
Rollback plan is documented and tested
Check-in cadence is scheduled

Examples

See references/EXAMPLE.md for a completed example.

Source

git clone https://github.com/product-on-purpose/pm-skills/blob/main/skills/deliver-launch-checklist/SKILL.mdView on GitHub

Overview

Deliver Launch Checklist provides a structured verification document that coordinates engineering, design, marketing, support, legal, and operations before releasing a feature, product, or major update. It helps surface blockers early, align owners, and ensure nothing is missed at launch.

How This Skill Works

Use a seven-step process: define the launch context, gather functional requirements across all domains, assign owners and target dates, identify blockers and dependencies, establish clear Go/No-Go criteria, document a rollback plan, and schedule regular check-ins to maintain launch momentum.

When to Use It

1-2 weeks before any significant launch
During launch planning kickoff meetings
When coordinating cross-functional releases
Before major version releases or feature rollouts
After incidents to improve launch processes

Quick Start

Step 1: Define Launch Context — what is launching, when, and who are the key stakeholders
Step 2: Gather Requirements — for each function, list blockers, must-haves, and nice-to-haves with owners
Step 3: Set Dates & Cadence — assign owners, set target dates, identify blockers, and schedule Go/No-Go and rollback checks

Best Practices

Represent all functional areas (engineering, QA, design, marketing, support, legal, operations) in the checklist
Ensure every item has an owner and a targeted completion date
Clearly distinguish blockers from nice-to-haves
Make Go/No-Go criteria specific and measurable
Document a rollback plan and schedule regular check-ins to validate progress

Example Use Cases

Launching a major feature flag rollout with cross-functional teams
Coordinating a product version release involving engineering, QA, design, and marketing
Synchronizing a marketing site refresh with the product launch
Implementing regulatory/legal updates requiring multi-department sign-off
Post-incident review to enhance future launch readiness and prevent recurrences

Frequently Asked Questions

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