Launch

Launch new features, products, and services to market with confidence

Launch new features, products, and services to market with confidence.

Overview

The Launch phase focuses on successfully bringing your Business-as-Code innovations to users. Through feature flags, gradual rollouts, testing, and go-to-market strategies, you'll minimize risk while maximizing impact.

Launch capabilities on the .do platform:

Feature Flags: Control feature availability without deployment
Gradual Rollouts: Progressive release to subsets of users
A/B Testing: Test multiple variants simultaneously
Launch Analytics: Track adoption and success metrics
User Onboarding: Guide users through new features
Communication: Automated user notifications and announcements

Launch Strategies

Feature Flags

Control features dynamically:

// Define feature flag
const newCheckout = await $.feature('new-checkout', {
  enabled: false, // Default state
  rollout: {
    percentage: 0, // Start with 0%
    users: ['beta-tester-1', 'beta-tester-2'], // Specific users
    rules: [
      { segment: 'pro-plan', enabled: true }, // Enable for pro users
      { country: 'US', enabled: true } // Enable in US
    ]
  }
})

// Use in code
if (await newCheckout.isEnabled(user)) {
  return <NewCheckout />
} else {
  return <OldCheckout />
}

Learn more about feature flags →

Gradual Rollouts

Progressive release strategy:

# Start with 5% of users
do feature set new-checkout --rollout 5%

# Monitor metrics
do metrics watch --feature new-checkout

# Increase gradually
do feature set new-checkout --rollout 25%
do feature set new-checkout --rollout 50%
do feature set new-checkout --rollout 100%

# Or rollback if issues
do feature set new-checkout --rollout 0%

Learn more about rollouts →

A/B Testing

Test multiple variants:

// Create A/B test
const variant = await $.experiment('checkout-flow', {
  variants: ['control', 'variant-a', 'variant-b'],
  allocation: [0.34, 0.33, 0.33],
  metrics: ['conversion_rate', 'revenue_per_user']
})

// Render based on variant
if (variant === 'variant-a') {
  return <SinglePageCheckout />
} else if (variant === 'variant-b') {
  return <MultiStepCheckout />
} else {
  return <OriginalCheckout />
}

Learn more about testing →

Launch Process

1. Pre-Launch

Prepare for launch:

# Run final tests
do test --env staging --full

# Verify monitoring
do monitoring check

# Test rollback procedure
do rollback --dry-run

# Prepare communications
do comms prepare launch-announcement

2. Launch

Execute the launch:

# Enable feature flag for beta users
do feature enable new-feature --users beta-testers

# Monitor closely
do dashboard watch --feature new-feature

# Gradual rollout
do feature rollout new-feature --schedule progressive

3. Post-Launch

Monitor and optimize:

# Track adoption
do analytics feature new-feature --metric adoption

# Collect feedback
do feedback collect --feature new-feature

# Analyze results
do analytics experiment new-feature --report

Launch Types

Soft Launch

Limited release to test audience:

// Launch to beta users only
await $.feature.enable('new-dashboard', {
  users: await db.list($.User, { where: { betaTester: true } }),
})

Hard Launch

Full public release:

// Launch to everyone
await $.feature.enable('new-dashboard', {
  enabled: true,
  rollout: 100,
})

// Send announcement
await send($.Email.broadcast, {
  to: 'all-users',
  template: 'feature-announcement',
  feature: 'new-dashboard',
})

Staged Launch

Regional or segment-based rollout:

// Launch by region
await $.feature.enable('new-pricing', {
  regions: ['us-east'], // Start with one region
  schedule: {
    'us-west': '+2 hours',
    'eu-west': '+6 hours',
    'ap-south': '+12 hours',
  },
})

Launch Checklist

Pre-Launch (Week Before)

Launch Day

Post-Launch (First Week)

Go-to-Market Strategy

Product Launches

Complete product launch:

// Coordinate launch activities
const launch = await $.launch.create({
  name: 'AI Assistant Launch',
  date: new Date('2024-12-01'),
  activities: [
    {
      type: 'email',
      audience: 'all-users',
      template: 'product-announcement',
      timing: 'launch-day',
    },
    {
      type: 'blog',
      title: 'Introducing AI Assistant',
      publish: 'launch-day',
    },
    {
      type: 'social',
      platforms: ['twitter', 'linkedin'],
      timing: 'launch-day',
    },
    {
      type: 'feature-flag',
      feature: 'ai-assistant',
      rollout: 'progressive',
    },
  ],
})

// Execute launch
await launch.execute()

Communication Channels

In-app notifications: Announce to active users
Email campaigns: Reach all users
Blog posts: Detailed announcements
Social media: Public announcements
Press releases: Media outreach
Webinars: Demo and training

User Onboarding

Onboarding Flows

Guide users through new features:

// Create onboarding tour
const tour = await $.onboarding.create({
  feature: 'new-dashboard',
  steps: [
    {
      target: '#dashboard-header',
      content: 'Welcome to the new dashboard!',
      position: 'bottom',
    },
    {
      target: '#metrics-widget',
      content: 'View your key metrics here',
      position: 'right',
    },
    {
      target: '#customize-button',
      content: 'Customize your dashboard layout',
      position: 'left',
    },
  ],
})

// Show to first-time users
on($.User.visits('dashboard'), async (user) => {
  if (!user.completedTours.includes('new-dashboard')) {
    await tour.show(user)
  }
})

Success Tracking

Track onboarding completion:

// Track onboarding progress
await analytics.track('Onboarding Step Completed', {
  userId: user.id,
  feature: 'new-dashboard',
  step: 3,
  totalSteps: 5,
})

// Track completion
await analytics.track('Onboarding Completed', {
  userId: user.id,
  feature: 'new-dashboard',
  duration: completionTime,
})

Launch Analytics

Key Metrics

Track launch success:

Adoption Rate: % of users using new feature
Time to Adoption: How long until users try feature
Engagement: How frequently feature is used
Retention: Do users keep using it
Satisfaction: User feedback and ratings

Dashboard

Monitor launch metrics:

// Launch dashboard
const dashboard = await $.dashboard.create({
  name: 'New Feature Launch',
  widgets: [
    { type: 'metric', metric: 'adoption_rate', target: 70 },
    { type: 'chart', metric: 'daily_active_users', period: '30d' },
    { type: 'funnel', steps: ['discovered', 'tried', 'adopted'] },
    { type: 'feedback', feature: 'new-dashboard', sentiment: true },
  ],
})

Best Practices

Do's

Start small - Begin with limited rollout
Monitor closely - Watch metrics during launch
Collect feedback - Listen to early users
Iterate quickly - Fix issues immediately
Communicate clearly - Keep users informed
Test thoroughly - Prevent major issues
Have rollback ready - Be prepared to revert

Don'ts

Don't launch on Friday - Avoid weekend issues
Don't skip testing - Prevents embarrassing bugs
Don't ignore feedback - Users tell you what's wrong
Don't over-promise - Set realistic expectations
Don't launch silently - Users need to know
Don't forget training - Support team needs preparation

Next Steps

Feature Flags → - Master feature flags
Rollouts → - Progressive rollout strategies
Testing → - A/B testing guide
Go-to-Market → - Launch strategy and planning

Launch Tip: Great launches are gradual, monitored, and reversible. Start small, learn fast, scale confidently.

Manage

Manage and operate your Business-as-Code in production with monitoring, incident response, and operational excellence

Grow

Grow your business through marketing, sales, and customer acquisition strategies

Launch

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