TL;DR

Successful launches start 90 days before launch day -positioning, audience building, and pre-launch waitlist.
Target: 200-500 waitlist signups before launch (top quartile hit 800-2,000).
Launch week goals: 100-300 signups (Day 1), 300-800 total (Week 1), 500-1,500 (Month 1).
Post-launch matters more than launch day -sustained momentum beats one-day spike.

Product Launch Checklist: The 90-Day Pre-Launch Plan

Most founders treat launches as a one-day event: publish Product Hunt post, tweet about it, hope for the best.

Then they wonder why they get 12 signups and crickets by Day 2.

Successful launches aren't events -they're campaigns. They start 90 days before launch and continue 90 days after.

I tracked 50 B2B SaaS launches from pre-seed to Series A startups. The top quartile (800+ Day 1 signups) followed a systematic 90-day pre-launch plan.

Here's that exact checklist.

Key insight Launch day success is determined by the work you do 90 days before. Waitlist size, positioning clarity, and content pipeline predict 80% of launch outcomes.

The 90-Day Pre-Launch Timeline

Days -90 to -60: Foundation

Week 1-2: Positioning and Messaging

Define your one-sentence value prop
- Format: "We help [target] achieve [outcome] without [pain]"
- Example: "We help B2B SaaS founders close enterprise deals without hiring sales teams"
Identify your category
- Are you creating new category or competing in existing?
- Example: "AI-powered project management" (existing) vs "Agent operating system" (new)
Write positioning doc (1-2 pages)
- Target customer
- Problem you solve
- Why now (market timing)
- Why you (unique advantage)
- Proof points (beta metrics, testimonials)
Test messaging with 20 target customers
- "Does this resonate?"
- "How would you explain this to a colleague?"
- Iterate based on feedback

Week 3-4: Build Launch Assets

Website launch page
- Hero: value prop + visual
- Features (3-5 key capabilities)
- Social proof (beta customers, metrics)
- Waitlist signup form
- FAQ section
Demo video (60-90 seconds)
- Show product in action
- Focus on outcomes, not features
- Upload to YouTube (SEO benefit)
Case study (if you have beta customers)
- Customer name + logo
- Problem → Solution → Results
- Specific metrics (2-3x improvement)
Email templates
- Waitlist confirmation
- Launch announcement
- Post-launch nurture

Days -60 to -30: Audience Building

Week 5-6: Build Waitlist

Launch waitlist page (simple: value prop + email signup)
Promote across channels:
- Personal LinkedIn/X (daily posts)
- Founder networks (Slack communities, WhatsApp groups)
- Industry forums (Reddit, Hacker News, Indie Hackers)
- Email signature (add waitlist link)
Create lead magnet (optional but effective)
- Free guide/playbook related to product
- Requires email to download
- Drives waitlist signups

Target by Day -60: 100-200 waitlist signups

Week 7-8: Content Pipeline

Write 5-10 blog posts (publish pre-launch)
- SEO value (takes 30-60 days to rank)
- Demonstrates expertise
- Drives waitlist signups
Create launch content (schedule for launch week)
- 10-15 social posts
- 3-5 LinkedIn articles
- Email announcement
- Press release (if relevant)
Build launch partners list
- Complementary tools (integration partners)
- Industry influencers (who'll share)
- Existing customers (who'll provide testimonials)

Target by Day -30: 200-400 waitlist signups, 10 blog posts live, 5 partner commitments

Days -30 to -7: Pre-Launch Ramp

Week 9-10: Beta Launch (Soft Launch)

Give waitlist early access (top 50-100 users)
Collect feedback intensely
- Product bugs
- UX friction
- Feature gaps
- Pricing feedback
Fix critical issues before public launch
Generate testimonials
- Ask beta users for quotes
- Request LinkedIn recommendations
- Video testimonials (even better)
Finalize pricing (based on beta feedback)

Week 11-12: Launch Prep

Schedule Product Hunt launch
- Submit 7 days before launch date
- Prepare: title, tagline, first comment, gallery images
Prep launch team
- Who posts what, when
- Response templates for common questions
- Support coverage (24-hour shifts for launch day)
Create launch day assets
- Social graphics (Twitter, LinkedIn)
- Email to waitlist (schedule for 6 AM launch day)
- Press outreach (tech journalists)
Test everything
- Signup flow
- Payment processing
- Email sequences
- Load testing (can servers handle traffic spike?)

Target by Day -7: 400-800 waitlist signups, 20+ beta testimonials, all launch assets ready

Days -7 to 0: Final Countdown

Day -7:

Announce launch date to waitlist
Tease on social (daily countdown)

Day -3:

Final QA (all features working?)
Prepare support team (common questions, docs)

Day -1:

Final checks (everything ready?)
Get sleep (launch day is exhausting)

Launch Day Execution

Timeline

6:00 AM (GMT):

Go live (launch page + product live)
Send email to waitlist
Post on Product Hunt

8:00 AM:

Post on X/Twitter (announcement thread)
Post on LinkedIn (announcement + why you built it)
Share in relevant communities (Reddit, Hacker News, Slack groups)

Throughout Day:

Respond to every comment/question (Product Hunt, social, email)
Monitor analytics (signups, activation, errors)
Share social proof ("50 signups in first hour!")
Fix urgent bugs immediately

6:00 PM:

Post launch stats ("Day 1: 340 signups, 87 activated!")
Thank everyone who supported

End of Day:

Team retro (what worked, what didn't)
Plan next day (momentum matters)

Launch Week (Days 1-7)

Post daily updates (signup counts, customer stories, lessons)
Publish launch content (blog posts, case studies)
Reach out to press (journalists covering your space)
Engage with every customer (welcome emails, onboarding calls)
Monitor Product Hunt (stay in top 5 requires constant engagement)

Target Week 1: 300-800 total signups

Post-Launch (Days 8-90)

Most important period. Launch spike fades quickly -build sustainable growth.

Week 2-4: Sustain Momentum

Publish weekly updates (traction, metrics, stories)
Customer success calls (ensure activation)
Gather testimonials and case studies
Iterate on product (based on launch feedback)

Month 2-3: Scale

Launch paid acquisition (now that product is proven)
Build content pipeline (SEO, thought leadership)
Activate referral programme
Expand distribution (partnerships, integrations)

Launch Channel Strategy

Primary Channels (Must-Do)

Product Hunt:

Best for: Tech-savvy audience, startup founders
Prep: 7 days before
Engagement required: Reply to every comment for 24 hours
Expected traffic: 500-2,000 visitors (if top 5)

X/Twitter:

Best for: Real-time engagement, founder community
Prep: Build audience for 60+ days before launch
Format: Launch thread (10-15 tweets)
Expected reach: 5K-50K impressions (depending on following)

LinkedIn:

Best for: B2B buyers, professional audience
Prep: Build personal brand for 90+ days
Format: Long-form announcement post
Expected reach: 3K-20K impressions

Email (Waitlist):

Best for: Highest conversion (these people already want it)
Prep: Build list for 90 days
Subject: "We're live! Here's your early access"
Conversion: 30-60% of waitlist → signups

Secondary Channels (Nice-to-Have)

Hacker News:

Best for: Developer tools, technical products
Risk: Can be critical/hostile (thick skin required)
Format: "Show HN: [Product]" post
Expected traffic: 200-5,000 visitors (if frontpage)

Reddit:

Best for: Niche communities (r/SaaS, r/entrepreneur, r/startups)
Risk: Anti-self-promotion (contribute first)
Format: "I built [thing] to solve [problem]"
Expected traffic: 100-1,000 visitors

Indie Hackers:

Best for: Bootstrapped/indie founders
Format: Product page + launch post
Expected traffic: 100-500 visitors

Tech Press:

Best for: Larger launches, funded startups
Prep: Reach out 14 days before
Targets: TechCrunch, VentureBeat, The Verge (hard to get), niche blogs (easier)

Real-World Launch Breakdown

Company: B2B analytics SaaS Stage: Seed-funded Goal: 500 signups Week 1 Actual: 1,240 signups Week 1

What they did:

Days -90 to -60:

Built waitlist via founder's LinkedIn (posted daily)
Waitlist: 420 signups by Day -60

Days -60 to -30:

Beta launch to first 50 waitlist members
Gathered 18 testimonials
Wrote 8 blog posts (live before launch)
Waitlist: 780 signups by Day -30

Days -30 to 0:

Announced launch date to waitlist
Daily countdown on social
Scheduled Product Hunt submission
Waitlist: 1,140 signups by Day 0

Launch Day:

6 AM: Email to waitlist (342 clicked, 30% conversion)
8 AM: Product Hunt post (hit #2 product of day)
9 AM: LinkedIn + X announcements
Throughout: 47 comments replied to on Product Hunt
End of day: 680 signups (60% from waitlist, 25% Product Hunt, 15% social)

Launch Week:

Daily social updates
Published 3 customer stories
Hit 1,240 total signups by Day 7

Month 1: 2,100 signups (momentum sustained post-launch)

Successful product launches aren't lucky -they're planned. Start 90 days early, build waitlist, create launch assets, and execute systematically.

Want AI to manage your launch campaign? Athenic can build waitlists, schedule launch content, coordinate multi-channel distribution, and track launch metrics automatically. See how →

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