When the user wants to plan a product launch, feature announcement, or release strategy. Also use when the user mentions 'launch,' 'Product Hunt,' 'feature release,' 'announcement,' 'go-to-market,' 'beta launch,' 'early access,' 'waitlist,' 'product update,' 'how do I launch this,' 'launch checklist,' 'GTM plan,' or 'we're about to ship.' Use this whenever someone is preparing to release something publicly. For ongoing marketing after launch, see marketing-ideas. For the offer being launched (bonuses, guarantees, scarcity, naming), see offers.
Instructions your experts follow when using this skill.
Packaging adaptation by AutoGPT, 2026-09-25. Original authorship and licence are retained. Changes are limited to the recorded name, metadata and local references; see ATTRIBUTION.md in this package.
You are an expert in SaaS product launches and feature announcements. Your goal is to help users plan launches that build momentum, capture attention, and convert interest into users.
Check for product marketing context first:
If .agents/product-marketing.md exists (or .claude/product-marketing.md, or the legacy product-marketing-context.md filename, in older setups), read it before asking questions. Use that context and only ask for information not already covered or specific to this task.
The best companies don't just launch once—they launch again and again. Every new feature, improvement, and update is an opportunity to capture attention and engage your audience.
A strong launch isn't about a single moment. It's about:
Structure your launch marketing across three channel types. Everything should ultimately lead back to owned channels.
You own the channel (though not the audience). Direct access without algorithms or platform rules.
Examples:
Why they matter:
Start with 1-2 based on audience:
Example - Superhuman: Built demand through an invite-only waitlist and one-on-one onboarding sessions. Every new user got a 30-minute live demo. This created exclusivity, FOMO, and word-of-mouth—all through owned relationships. Years later, their original onboarding materials still drive engagement.
Platforms that provide visibility but you don't control. Algorithms shift, rules change, pay-to-play increases.
Examples:
How to use correctly:
Example - Notion: Hacked virality through Twitter, YouTube, and Reddit where productivity enthusiasts were active. Encouraged community to share templates and workflows. But they funneled all visibility into owned assets—every viral post led to signups, then targeted email onboarding.
Platform-specific tactics:
Rented channels give speed, not stability. Capture momentum by bringing users into your owned ecosystem.
Tap into someone else's audience to shortcut the hardest part—getting noticed.
Examples:
Be proactive, not passive:
Example - TRMNL: Sent a free e-ink display to YouTuber Snazzy Labs—not a paid sponsorship, just hoping he'd like it. He created an in-depth review that racked up 500K+ views and drove $500K+ in sales. They also set up an affiliate program for ongoing promotion.
Borrowed channels give instant credibility, but only work if you convert borrowed attention into owned relationships.
Run this before the phased mechanics. Products don't market themselves—but a product that isn't ready won't market either. The launch mechanics only pay off if what you're launching is worth launching.
Two failure modes kill launches from opposite ends:
The middle path is SLC — Simple, Lovable, Complete (Jason Cohen), the antidote to shipping a bare MVP that's minimal but unlovable. Don't launch a stub nobody wants; don't wait for a bloated everything-app. A launchable v1 is:
The gate: If it's not yet Simple, Lovable, and Complete, you're in "Just One More Feature" territory only when adding scope is what's missing—otherwise you're in Stealth Mode and should ship. Cut scope until one thing is lovable and complete, then launch that. SLC gives you a real launch now instead of a perfect launch never.
Quick check before running the phases:
Pass the gate, then run the phases below.
Launching isn't a one-day event. It's a phased process that builds momentum.
Gather initial feedback and iron out major issues before going public.
Actions:
Goal: Validate core functionality with friendly users.
Put the product in front of external users in a controlled way.
Actions:
Goal: First external validation and initial waitlist building.
Scale up early access while generating external buzz.
Actions:
Consider adding:
Goal: Build buzz and refine product with broader feedback.
Shift from small-scale testing to controlled expansion.
Actions:
Expansion options:
Goal: Validate at scale and prepare for full launch.
Open the floodgates.
Actions:
Launch touchpoints:
Goal: Maximum visibility and conversion to paying users.
Product Hunt can be powerful for reaching early adopters, but it's not magic—it requires preparation.
Before launch day:
On launch day:
After launch day:
SavvyCal (Scheduling tool):
Reform (Form builder):
Your launch isn't over when the announcement goes live. Now comes adoption and retention work.
Educate new users: Set up automated onboarding email sequence introducing key features and use cases.
Reinforce the launch: Include announcement in your weekly/biweekly/monthly roundup email to catch people who missed it.
Differentiate against competitors: Publish comparison pages highlighting why you're the obvious choice.
Update web pages: Add dedicated sections about the new feature/product across your site.
Offer hands-on preview: Create no-code interactive demo (using tools like Navattic) so visitors can explore before signing up.
It's easier to build on existing momentum than start from scratch. Every touchpoint reinforces the launch.
Don't rely on a single launch event. Regular updates and feature rollouts sustain engagement.
Use this matrix to decide how much marketing each update deserves:
Major updates (new features, product overhauls):
Medium updates (new integrations, UI enhancements):
Minor updates (bug fixes, small tweaks):
Space out releases: Instead of shipping everything at once, stagger announcements to maintain momentum.
Reuse high-performing tactics: If a previous announcement resonated, apply those insights to future updates.
Keep engaging: Continue using email, social, and in-app messaging to highlight improvements.
Signal active development: Even small changelog updates remind customers your product is evolving. This builds retention and word-of-mouth—customers feel confident you'll be around.
Files installed alongside these instructions.
When the user wants to create or update their product marketing context document. Also use when the user mentions 'product context,' 'marketing context,' 'set up context,' 'positioning,' 'who is my target audience,' 'describe my product,' 'ICP,' 'ideal customer profile,' or wants to avoid repeating foundational information across marketing tasks. Use this at the start of any new project before using other marketing skills — it creates `.agents/product-marketing.md` that all other skills reference for product, audience, and positioning context.
When the user wants to research, profile, or analyze competitors from their URLs. Also use when the user mentions 'competitor profile,' 'competitor research,' 'competitor analysis,' 'profile this competitor,' 'analyze competitor,' 'competitive intelligence,' 'competitor deep dive,' 'who are my competitors,' 'competitor landscape,' 'competitor dossier,' 'competitive audit,' or 'research these competitors.' Input is a list of competitor URLs. Output is structured competitor profile markdown files. For creating comparison/alternative pages from profiles, see competitors. For sales-specific battle cards, see sales-enablement.
When the user wants to conduct, analyze, or synthesize customer research. Use when the user mentions "customer research," "ICP research," "talk to customers," "analyze transcripts," "customer interviews," "survey analysis," "support ticket analysis," "voice of customer," "VOC," "build personas," "customer personas," "jobs to be done," "JTBD," "what do customers say," "what are customers struggling with," "Reddit mining," "G2 reviews," "review mining," "digital watering holes," "community research," "forum research," "competitor reviews," "customer sentiment," "PMF survey," "product/market fit survey," "customer interview questions," "interview outreach," "Sales Safari," or "find out why customers churn/convert/buy." Use for analyzing existing research assets, mining online sources, AND running primary research (interviews and surveys). For writing copy informed by research, see copywriting. For acting on research to improve pages, see cro.