---
name: "Go-to-market strategy"
repo: https://github.com/manojbajaj95/claude-gtm-plugin
source: https://github.com/manojbajaj95/claude-gtm-plugin/blob/HEAD/skills/go-to-market-strategy/SKILL.md
license: "MIT"
install: "npx skills add manojbajaj95/claude-gtm-plugin --skill go-to-market-strategy"
page: https://100xlab.com/resources/agent-skills/manojbajaj95-claude-gtm-plugin--go-to-market-strategy--17q3rj9
---

# Go-to-Market Strategy

## Workspace Context

Read bootstrap context before asking questions: `strategy/brand.md` for brand, audience, offer, channels, tools, constraints, and metrics; `about/me.md` for personal voice; `content/ideas.md` and `content/calendar.md` for content planning. Use legacy product-marketing context files only as fallback. Save generated drafts to `content/<platform>/drafts/YYYY-MM-DD_short-topic-slug.md`, and route durable learnings back to `strategy/brand.md`, `about/me.md`, or `content/ideas.md`.

## Operating Contract

This skill is self-contained for its frontmatter scope: use its local instructions, references, scripts, and assets as the playbook; ask only for missing task-specific inputs; hand off to adjacent skills instead of expanding scope; and return an actionable artifact, decision, plan, draft, or diagnostic.



End-to-end GTM playbook: motion selection, positioning, channel strategy, phased launch execution, launch marketing, and technical product launches.

---

## Core Philosophy

**A launch is a campaign, not an event.** Build momentum before launch, peak at launch, sustain after. The best companies don't launch once — they launch again and again.

---

## GTM Motion Selection

| Motion | Best For | Key Lever |
|--------|----------|-----------|
| **PLG** | SMB, developers, low ACV (<$5K) | Free → paid conversion |
| **PLG + Sales-Assist** | Mid-market, $5K-$25K ACV | PQL → SQL routing |
| **Sales-Led** | Enterprise, complex product, >$25K ACV | Relationship, champion |
| **Community-Led** | Developer tools, OSS | Community adoption |
| **Partner-Led** | Geographic expansion, enterprise | Partner incentives |

**Quick decision:**
```
ACV < $5K and self-serve possible? → PLG
Buyer technical? → Developer/community-led
Everything else? → Sales-led
```

---

## 5-Phase GTM Strategy

### Phase 1: Market Positioning

Define ICP, positioning, and messaging using the `marketing-strategy` skill before executing launch phases.

Validate: target customer defined, differentiation identified, tested with 5+ customers.

### Phase 2: Messaging & Content

**Message hierarchy:**
1. **Headline** — Core benefit in 5-10 words
2. **Sub-headline** — How it works or who it's for
3. **3 Key Benefits** — Feature → benefit
4. **Social Proof** — Testimonials, logos, metrics
5. **CTA** — Clear next step

**Content to create:** Launch blog post · Product demo video (2-3 min) · Landing page · Email announcement · 5-10 social posts

### Phase 3: Channel Strategy (ORB)

**Owned** (highest ROI — build these first): Email list · Blog/SEO · Branded community

**Rented** (speed, not stability): Twitter/X · LinkedIn · YouTube · Reddit — use to drive to owned

**Borrowed** (shortcut to audiences): Guest posts · Podcast interviews · Influencer partnerships · Co-marketing

*Strategy: Use rented/borrowed to drive traffic, capture into owned.*

### Phase 4: Launch Timeline

**6-Week Launch Timeline:**
- **Week -6:** Finalize messaging, create content, set metrics
- **Week -4:** Build waitlist, draft emails, reach out to press/influencers
- **Week -2:** Tease on social, send "coming soon" emails, final QA
- **Week 0 (Launch Day):** Publish landing page + blog, post to Product Hunt 12:01 AM PT, send launch email, share on socials, monitor and respond
- **Week +1:** Share testimonials, post case studies, analyze metrics
- **Week +2:** Post-launch analysis, plan ongoing marketing

### Phase 5: Metrics & Success Criteria

Define BEFORE launch:
- **Awareness:** Website visitors, social impressions
- **Acquisition:** Signups, trial starts, purchases
- **Activation:** Users completing core action
- **Revenue:** MRR, conversion rate

---

## Multi-Phase Launch Approach

| Phase | Goal | Key Actions |
|-------|------|-------------|
| **Internal** | Validate functionality | Test with friendly users, fix major issues |
| **Alpha** | First external validation | Landing page, waitlist, invite individually |
| **Beta** | Scale early access + buzz | Work through waitlist, tease problems you solve |
| **Early Access** | Validate at scale | Leak details, usage data, PMF survey |
| **Full Launch** | Maximum visibility | Open signups, start charging, all channels live |

---

## Product Hunt Launch

**Before launch day:** Build relationships with supporters, optimize listing (tagline, visuals, demo video), engage in communities.

**On launch day:** Treat as all-day event. Respond to every comment. Drive traffic back to site to capture signups.

**After:** Follow up with all who engaged. Convert PH traffic into email signups.

*Case study — Reform: studied successful launches, polished visuals, community engagement pre-launch → #1 Product of the Day.*

---

## Launch Marketing Pack

For any major launch, produce these 7 deliverables:

1. **Context snapshot** — what's launching, who it's for, goal, date, constraints
2. **Launch Marketing Brief** — message, hook/sizzle, proof points, CTA, audience segments
3. **Launch Motion + Channel Plan** — sequencing, channel table, asset mapping
4. **PR Outreach Kit** — exclusive decision, target outlets, pitch + follow-up emails
5. **Asset + Internal Readiness Kit** — asset checklist, landing page outline, sales talk track, FAQ, objections
6. **Measurement + Experiment Plan** — metrics, instruments, experiments, what to double down on
7. **Risks / Open questions / Next steps**

For launch marketing templates: see `references/TEMPLATES.md`
For intake questions to gather launch inputs: see `references/INTAKE.md`
For full workflow guidance: see `references/WORKFLOW.md`

---

## Technical Product Launches

For developer tools, APIs, SDKs, and technical infrastructure:

### Launch Tiers

| Tier | Type | Timeline | Investment |
|------|------|----------|------------|
| **1 — Major** | New product/GA | 12-16 weeks | High |
| **2 — Standard** | New features/integrations | 6-8 weeks | Medium |
| **3 — Minor** | Updates/patches | 2-4 weeks | Low |

### Developer-First Principles

1. **Documentation is non-negotiable** — Don't launch without a getting started guide + API reference + 3+ code samples
2. **Show, don't tell** — Actual code > marketing copy
3. **Interactive > passive** — Playground > demo video > screenshots
4. **Community-first** — Answer Stack Overflow, engage GitHub, respond on Hacker News

### Primary Developer Channels

Dev docs · GitHub/GitLab · Developer blog · API changelog · Dev.to · Hacker News · Reddit · Discord/Slack · YouTube tutorials

For tier framework details: see `references/launch_tiers.md`
For developer metrics: see `references/metrics_frameworks.md`

---

## GTM Execution Checklist

### Pre-Launch
- [ ] Landing page with clear value proposition and waitlist capture
- [ ] Owned channels established (email list, blog)
- [ ] 1-2 rented channels with profiles optimized
- [ ] Borrowed channel opportunities identified
- [ ] Launch assets created (screenshots, demo video, social posts)
- [ ] Onboarding flow tested
- [ ] Analytics and tracking live

### Launch Day
- [ ] Announcement email sent
- [ ] Blog post published
- [ ] Social posts live
- [ ] Product Hunt listing active (if using)
- [ ] In-app announcement for existing users
- [ ] Team ready to engage and respond

### Post-Launch
- [ ] Onboarding email sequence active
- [ ] Comparison pages published
- [ ] Roundup email includes announcement
- [ ] Feedback collected and triaged
- [ ] Next launch moment planned

---

## Common GTM Mistakes

- **Launching without audience** — Build email list first
- **One-day launch, then silence** — Plan 30 days of post-launch activity
- **Everything everywhere** — Pick 2-3 channels, do them well
- **No success metrics** — Define goals before launch
- **Features not benefits** — "You can achieve X" beats "We have feature X"
- **Over-promising** — Ground claims in real evidence

---

## Related Skills

- `sales-and-revenue-operations` — Sales team, RevOps, ICP
- `pricing-strategy` — Pricing decisions
- `marketing-strategy` — Product marketing, positioning, and competitive intelligence

---

## Supporting file: references/CHECKLISTS.md

# Checklists

Use these before finalizing the Launch Marketing Pack and before launch day.

## A) Launch brief checklist
- [ ] Clear audience/ICP and use case
- [ ] One-sentence message a teammate can repeat
- [ ] Concrete hook/sizzle (showable/measurable), not vague hype
- [ ] Proof points are real, substantiated, and safe to share
- [ ] Single CTA (what the audience should do next)
- [ ] Constraints and approvals are documented (legal/compliance/brand)

## B) PR outreach checklist (if using PR)
- [ ] Exclusive vs broad decision is explicit
- [ ] Target outlet(s)/reporters are a clear fit for the story
- [ ] Pitch email is short, specific, and includes 1–3 proof points
- [ ] Follow-up cadence is defined
- [ ] Website readiness confirmed (speed, signup flow, analytics)
- [ ] No confidential information included

## C) Channel + asset plan checklist
- [ ] Channel plan table filled (channel → asset → date → metric)
- [ ] Every channel row maps to the core message + hook
- [ ] Assets have owners and due dates
- [ ] Landing page and signup flow are tested

## D) Internal readiness checklist
- [ ] 30-second talk track exists
- [ ] FAQ covers top 10 questions
- [ ] Top objections and responses prepared
- [ ] Known limitations and guardrails stated
- [ ] Escalation path for edge cases is clear

## E) Measurement + experiments checklist
- [ ] Primary/secondary/guardrail metrics defined
- [ ] Instrumentation assumptions listed (and gaps called out)
- [ ] Experiment backlog includes thresholds and owners
- [ ] “Double down” rule is explicit

## F) Day-of checklist
- [ ] Final QA: site, signup, links, analytics, email deliverability
- [ ] Monitoring: traffic, conversion, error rates, support inbox
- [ ] Comms plan: internal updates cadence, who decides changes
- [ ] Backup plan: what to do if site breaks or feedback is negative

## Required final section
- [ ] Risks
- [ ] Open questions
- [ ] Next steps

---

## Supporting file: references/GUIDE.md

# launch Guide

---

## Supporting file: references/TEMPLATES.md

# Templates (Copy/Paste)

Use these templates to produce the Launch Marketing Pack deliverables.

## 1) Context snapshot (table)

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| What’s launching |  |
| Launch type |  |
| Primary audience/ICP |  |
| Primary goal |  |
| Success metrics |  |
| Target date/window |  |
| Primary channels |  |
| Key constraints |  |
| Proof available |  |
| Assumptions / TBDs |  |

## 2) Launch Marketing Brief

### One-line description
{In one sentence, what is it and who is it for?}

### Why now
{What changed in the world/product that makes this timely?}

### Core message (“steak”)
- **Who:** …
- **Problem:** …
- **Solution:** …
- **Differentiator:** …
- **CTA:** …

### Hook / “sizzle” (pick one primary)
- **Primary hook:** …
- **Why it earns attention:** …
- **Proof asset(s):** …
- **Backup hooks (2–3):** …

### Proof points (only what you can support)
- …

### Audience segments (optional)
- Segment A: … (message angle)
- Segment B: … (message angle)

## 3) Launch Motion + Sequencing

### Motion choice
{Owned-first / Community-first / PR-led / Partner-led / Hybrid}

### Sequencing plan (timeline)
- T-14 days: …
- T-7 days: …
- T-2 days: …
- Launch day: …
- T+2 days: …
- T+7 days: …

### Go/No-go criteria
- Go if: …
- No-go if: …

## 4) Channel Plan (table)

| Channel | Audience | Message angle | Asset | Date/time | CTA | Success metric |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |

## 5) PR Outreach Kit

### Exclusive decision
- **Default:** {Exclusive / Broad}
- **Rationale:** …
- **Target outlet:** …
- **Backup outlets (ranked):** …

### Reporter/outlet list (placeholders)
| Outlet | Reporter | Beat | Why fit | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|  |  |  |  |  |  |

### Pitch email (exclusive)
Subject: {Clear news hook} (exclusive)

Hi {Name} —  
I’m reaching out with an **exclusive** about {news in 6–10 words}.  

**What it is:** {1 sentence}  
**Who it’s for:** {1 sentence}  
**Why now:** {1 sentence}  
**Proof:** {1–3 bullets; only verifiable items}  

Would you like to take this as an exclusive? If so, we can share {demo/press kit} and align on timing.  

Thanks,  
{Name}

### Follow-up (24–48h)
Subject: Re: {news hook} (exclusive)

Hi {Name} — quick follow-up in case this got buried.  
Happy to share {demo/asset} and answer questions. Are you interested in taking this as an exclusive?  

Thanks,  
{Name}

## 6) Asset checklist (minimum viable)

| Asset | Owner | Status | Link/Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Landing page |  |  |  |  |
| Demo video/GIF |  |  |  |  |
| Announcement email |  |  |  |  |
| Social post set |  |  |  |  |
| Press blurb + FAQ |  |  |  |  |
| Internal readiness doc |  |  |  |  |

## 7) Internal readiness kit

### 30-second talk track
{What it is, who it’s for, why it matters, what to do next.}

### FAQ (top 10)
1) …

### Objections + responses (top 5)
- Objection: …
  - Response: …

### Known limitations / guardrails
- …

### Escalation path
- If question is about X → contact Y

## 8) Measurement + Experiment plan

### Success metrics
- Primary: …
- Secondary: …
- Guardrails: … (e.g., support tickets, unsubscribe rate)

### Instrumentation assumptions
- Events/analytics available: …
- UTM plan: …

### Experiment backlog (high volume, structured)
| Experiment | Channel | Hypothesis | Minimal asset | Launch date | Success threshold | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |

### “Double down” rule
If {signal} crosses {threshold} within {window}, then {scale action}.

## 9) Day-of runbook (skeleton)

- **T-60m:** final checks (site, signup, analytics, comms)
- **T-0:** publish/send
- **T+30m:** monitor traffic + conversion + support inbox
- **T+2h:** quick recap + next actions
- **T+24h:** results snapshot + iterate

## 10) Post-launch retro prompts

- What channel surprised us (positive/negative)?
- What hook/message got repeated by others?
- Where did users drop off (traffic → signup → activation)?
- What should we do 5 more times? What should we stop?

---

## Supporting file: references/WORKFLOW.md

# Workflow (Expanded)

This file expands `../SKILL.md` with extra guidance and heuristics.

## Step 2 — Core message (“steak”)

Aim for a message a non-expert can repeat:
- **Who it’s for**
- **What it helps them do**
- **Why it’s better than the alternative**
- **What to do next** (CTA)

Heuristic: if you need 5 sentences, it’s too complex for a launch headline.

## Step 3 — The “sizzle” hook (attention-earning moment)

The hook is the “reason to look” that earns attention fast. Common patterns:
- **Visual demo:** a 10–30s clip that shows a before/after
- **Surprising insight:** a stat or observation (must be verifiable)
- **Sharp contrast:** “Before: X. After: Y.” (concrete outcomes)
- **Artifact reveal:** template, tool, or resource people can use immediately

Guardrails:
- Avoid vague hype (“revolutionary”, “10x”, “game-changing”) unless you can prove it.
- Prefer “show” over “tell” (screenshots, GIFs, short clips, examples).

## Step 4 — Launch motion + sequencing (including PR exclusive)

### Choosing a launch motion
Pick based on goal + constraints:
- **Owned-first:** email list / blog / in-product. Best when you have an audience already.
- **Community-first:** Product Hunt, Reddit, Slack/Discord, niche communities. Best for developer/creator products.
- **PR-led:** useful when you have real news and a crisp angle, but requires careful execution.
- **Partner-led:** co-marketing with an ecosystem partner; works well for B2B platforms.

### Exclusive PR heuristic (early-stage)
An exclusive is often the simplest path when:
- you’re early-stage and want one credible story,
- you have a clean “news hook” (launch, funding, milestone),
- you can offer a reporter a clear angle + proof,
- you can accept that *one* outlet gets the first story.

Practical sequence:
1) Pitch **one** target outlet/reporter.
2) If no response by the deadline, move to the next.
3) After the exclusive runs, publish on owned channels.

Website readiness check:
- landing page loads fast
- signup flow works
- analytics/UTM tracking is ready
- support inbox + monitoring are staffed

## Step 5 — Channel plan (make it executable)

Your channel plan should be a table with:
- **Channel**
- **Audience segment**
- **Message angle**
- **Asset**
- **Date/time**
- **Success metric**

Heuristic: if a channel row has no CTA or no metric, it’s not real yet.

## Step 6 — PR outreach (make it copy/paste-ready)

Good pitches are:
- short (under ~150 words),
- specific about the news,
- clear on why the reporter should care,
- backed by 1–3 proof points,
- easy to respond to (“Can you take this as an exclusive?”).

Avoid:
- long narratives,
- lots of adjectives,
- confidential details.

## Step 7 — Internal readiness (“knowing what to do with it”)

Minimum internal enablement:
- 30-second talk track (what it is, who it’s for, why now)
- FAQs (top 10 questions)
- Objections and responses (top 5)
- Support escalation notes and known limitations

Heuristic: if sales/support needs to invent language, the launch will be inconsistent.

## Step 8 — Experiments (“throw things at the wall” without thrash)

High-volume experimentation is good when it’s structured:
- Define what “sticks” means (threshold metric + time window).
- Run small experiments across channels.
- **Double down** on the 1–2 winners; stop the rest.

Simple “double down” rule example:
- If a post format gets >3x baseline CTR (or shares) twice in a week, produce 5 more variants and allocate more distribution.

## Safety notes

- Drafting is safe; **sending** is irreversible. Always request approval before external outreach or public posting.
- For regulated or sensitive domains, include a “requires legal review” flag on any claim that could be risky.

---

## Supporting file: references/launch_tiers.md

# Launch Tier Framework

Complete guide to determining and executing different launch tiers for technical products.

---

## Overview

Not all launches are created equal. The launch tier framework helps you allocate the right resources and effort based on the scope and impact of what you're launching.

**Key Principle:** Match investment to impact.

---

## The Three Tiers

| Tier | Type | Investment | Timeline | Example |
|------|------|------------|----------|---------|
| **Tier 1** | Major | Full GTM | 12-16 weeks | New product GA, v2.0 |
| **Tier 2** | Standard | Selective GTM | 6-8 weeks | New feature, integration |
| **Tier 3** | Minor | Minimal GTM | 2-4 weeks | Update, improvement |

---

## Tier 1: Major Launch

### When to Use

- **New product GA** (General Availability)
- **Major version release** (v2.0, v3.0)
- **Platform expansion** (new capabilities)
- **Game-changing feature** (industry first)
- **New market entry**

### Characteristics

**Scope:**
- Impacts all or most users
- New revenue stream potential
- Significant competitive differentiation
- Industry-level interest expected
- Major technical undertaking

**Timeline:** 12-16 weeks

**Budget:** $50K-$500K+ depending on company size

---

### Deliverables

#### Documentation (Complete Set)
- [ ] Getting started guide
- [ ] Complete API reference
- [ ] Integration guides (3+)
- [ ] Migration guide
- [ ] Best practices guide
- [ ] Troubleshooting guide
- [ ] Video tutorial series (5+ videos)
- [ ] Architecture documentation

#### Code Assets
- [ ] Multiple SDKs (3+ languages)
- [ ] Sample applications (3+ different use cases)
- [ ] Starter templates
- [ ] Code snippet library
- [ ] Interactive playground/sandbox
- [ ] CLI tools (if applicable)

#### Marketing Assets
- [ ] Launch blog post (long-form)
- [ ] Product page redesign
- [ ] Demo video (professional)
- [ ] Case studies (2-3)
- [ ] Infographic/visual assets
- [ ] Explainer video
- [ ] Social media campaign
- [ ] Email nurture series

#### PR & Communications
- [ ] Press release
- [ ] Media kit
- [ ] Analyst briefings (Gartner, Forrester)
- [ ] Press tour
- [ ] Spokesperson training
- [ ] Crisis communication plan

#### Sales Enablement
- [ ] Technical battlecard
- [ ] Competitive analysis
- [ ] Demo script (detailed)
- [ ] ROI calculator
- [ ] Customer presentation deck
- [ ] Pricing/packaging materials
- [ ] FAQ (20+ questions)

#### Events
- [ ] Launch event/webinar
- [ ] Customer workshops
- [ ] Conference talks
- [ ] Community meetups

---

### Launch Channels

**Primary:**
- Developer documentation (hero banner)
- Company blog (featured)
- Email (entire developer base)
- Social media (coordinated campaign)
- Product Hunt launch
- Hacker News announcement
- Press release distribution

**Secondary:**
- Tech press outreach (TechCrunch, VentureBeat, etc.)
- Developer communities (Reddit, Dev.to)
- YouTube (demo + tutorials)
- Podcasts (interviews)
- Webinars
- Virtual events

**Tertiary:**
- Conference presentations
- Industry publications
- Analyst reports
- Partner co-marketing
- Influencer outreach

---

### Team & Resources

**Core Launch Team:**
- Product Marketing Lead
- Product Manager
- Engineering Lead
- Developer Relations
- Sales Engineering
- PR/Communications
- Content Marketing
- Design
- Legal/Compliance

**External Resources:**
- PR agency
- Video production
- Event planning
- Analyst relations

**Time Commitment:**
- PMM: 100% for 8+ weeks
- PM: 50%
- Eng: 25% (docs, demos)
- DevRel: 75%

---

### Success Metrics (Tier 1)

**Week 1:**
- 10K+ API keys / sign-ups
- 50%+ activation rate
- 1M+ webpage views
- 100K+ social impressions
- 10+ press mentions

**Month 1:**
- 25K+ active developers
- 40%+ Day 7 retention
- 5%+ paid conversion (if applicable)
- NPS > 40

**Quarter 1:**
- 50K+ active developers
- $X ARR (if revenue product)
- 3+ case studies published
- Industry recognition (awards, mentions)

---

### Budget Breakdown (Example)

| Item | Cost Range |
|------|------------|
| PR Agency | $20K-$50K |
| Video Production | $10K-$30K |
| Event/Webinar | $15K-$40K |
| Paid Promotion | $25K-$100K |
| Analyst Relations | $10K-$30K |
| Design Assets | $5K-$15K |
| Tools/Software | $5K-$10K |
| **Total** | **$90K-$275K** |

---

## Tier 2: Standard Launch

### When to Use

- **New feature** (significant but not transformative)
- **Integration** with popular tool
- **SDK** for new language
- **Regional expansion**
- **Beta to GA** transition

### Characteristics

**Scope:**
- Impacts segment of users (25-75%)
- Moderate revenue impact
- Some competitive differentiation
- Developer community interest
- Moderate technical complexity

**Timeline:** 6-8 weeks

**Budget:** $10K-$50K

---

### Deliverables

#### Documentation
- [ ] Feature guide
- [ ] API reference updates
- [ ] Code samples (3-5)
- [ ] Integration tutorial
- [ ] Migration guide (if applicable)
- [ ] Video demo (1-2)

#### Code Assets
- [ ] SDK (if new language)
- [ ] Sample application (1-2)
- [ ] Code snippets
- [ ] Sandbox example

#### Marketing Assets
- [ ] Launch blog post
- [ ] Product page update
- [ ] Demo video
- [ ] Email template
- [ ] Social media posts
- [ ] Changelog entry (detailed)

#### Sales Enablement
- [ ] Feature overview (1-pager)
- [ ] Demo talking points
- [ ] FAQ (10+ questions)
- [ ] Competitive comparison

---

### Launch Channels

**Primary:**
- Developer blog
- Email (targeted segment)
- Changelog (featured)
- Social media
- In-product notification

**Secondary:**
- Developer newsletter
- Community forums
- YouTube demo
- Partner channels (if applicable)

**Optional:**
- Dev.to article
- Reddit post (relevant subreddits)
- Product Hunt (if major feature)

---

### Team & Resources

**Core Team:**
- Product Marketing Lead
- Product Manager
- Developer Relations
- Engineering (docs)
- Content Writer

**Time Commitment:**
- PMM: 75% for 4 weeks
- PM: 25%
- Eng: 10% (docs)
- DevRel: 40%

---

### Success Metrics (Tier 2)

**Week 1:**
- 2K+ feature adoptions
- 1K+ email opens
- 50K+ blog views

**Month 1:**
- 5K+ active users
- 25%+ engagement rate
- NPS > 30

---

### Budget (Example)

| Item | Cost |
|------|------|
| Video Production | $3K-$8K |
| Design Assets | $2K-$5K |
| Email Platform | $500 |
| Paid Promotion (optional) | $5K-$15K |
| **Total** | **$10.5K-$28.5K** |

---

## Tier 3: Minor Launch

### When to Use

- **Incremental improvements**
- **Bug fixes** (significant ones)
- **Performance enhancements**
- **Small feature** additions
- **UI/UX updates**
- **Deprecation** notices

### Characteristics

**Scope:**
- Impacts small segment (<25%)
- Minimal revenue impact
- No competitive angle
- Low external interest
- Simple technical change

**Timeline:** 2-4 weeks

**Budget:** $1K-$5K

---

### Deliverables

#### Documentation
- [ ] Release notes
- [ ] Documentation updates
- [ ] Changelog entry

#### Marketing Assets
- [ ] Short blog post or announcement
- [ ] Email (optional)
- [ ] Social media post (single)

---

### Launch Channels

**Primary:**
- Changelog
- Release notes
- Documentation

**Secondary (optional):**
- Short blog post
- Email mention
- Social media (single post)
- In-product notification

---

### Team & Resources

**Minimal Team:**
- Product Manager or PMM
- Engineering (docs)

**Time Commitment:**
- PM/PMM: 25% for 1 week
- Eng: 5% (docs)

---

### Success Metrics (Tier 3)

**Week 1:**
- Documentation viewed
- Feature adopted by target users
- No support spikes

**Month 1:**
- 10-20% of eligible users adopt
- Positive sentiment

---

### Budget

Typically < $5K, mostly internal time.

---

## Decision Framework

### Scoring System

Use the `assess_launch_tier.sh` script or manually score:

**Score Components:**

1. **Type of Launch** (0-10 points)
   - New product/GA: 10
   - Major version: 8
   - New feature: 5
   - Improvement: 2
   - Bug fix: 0

2. **User Impact** (0-10 points)
   - All users (100%): 10
   - Most users (50-99%): 7
   - Segment (25-50%): 5
   - Small segment (<25%): 2
   - Beta only: 1

3. **Revenue Impact** (0-10 points)
   - New revenue stream: 10
   - Major driver: 7
   - Moderate: 4
   - Minor: 2
   - None: 0

4. **Competitive Differentiation** (0-8 points)
   - Industry first: 8
   - Significant: 6
   - Some: 4
   - Parity: 1
   - None: 0

5. **Technical Complexity** (0-7 points)
   - New platform: 7
   - Significant: 5
   - Moderate: 3
   - Simple: 1
   - Minor: 0

6. **Documentation Needs** (0-6 points)
   - Complete new set: 6
   - Major updates: 5
   - New guides: 3
   - Updates: 1
   - Release notes only: 0

7. **External Interest** (0-7 points)
   - High (industry news): 7
   - Moderate (tech press): 5
   - Some (community): 3
   - Low (niche): 1
   - Minimal: 0

**Total Score: 0-58**

**Tier Assignment:**
- **40-58:** Tier 1 (Major)
- **20-39:** Tier 2 (Standard)
- **0-19:** Tier 3 (Minor)

---

## Common Scenarios

### Scenario 1: API GA Launch
**Type:** New product
**Users:** All (new audience)
**Revenue:** New stream
**Competitive:** Industry first capability
**Technical:** New platform
**Docs:** Complete set
**Interest:** High

**Score:** 52 → **Tier 1**

---

### Scenario 2: New Language SDK
**Type:** New integration
**Users:** Segment (e.g., Python devs)
**Revenue:** Moderate impact
**Competitive:** Parity
**Technical:** Moderate
**Docs:** New guide
**Interest:** Some

**Score:** 25 → **Tier 2**

---

### Scenario 3: Performance Update
**Type:** Improvement
**Users:** All
**Revenue:** None direct
**Competitive:** None
**Technical:** Simple
**Docs:** Updates
**Interest:** Low

**Score:** 12 → **Tier 3**

---

## Best Practices

### Right-Sizing

**Over-investing (Tier 3 as Tier 1):**
- Wastes resources
- Confuses users ("This isn't major")
- Diminishes future Tier 1 launches

**Under-investing (Tier 1 as Tier 3):**
- Misses opportunity
- Poor adoption
- Competitive disadvantage

### Flexibility

**Adjust tier based on:**
- Company stage (early vs. mature)
- Market position (leader vs. challenger)
- Resources available
- Strategic importance

### Communication

**Be explicit with stakeholders:**
- "This is a Tier 2 launch, so we'll do X but not Y"
- Set clear expectations upfront
- Document tier decision and reasoning

---

## Summary

Use launch tiers to:
1. **Match effort to impact**
2. **Set stakeholder expectations**
3. **Allocate resources efficiently**
4. **Maintain consistency**
5. **Maximize ROI**

**Remember:** A well-executed Tier 2 launch beats a poorly-executed Tier 1.

---

## Supporting file: references/metrics_frameworks.md

# Developer Product Metrics

Comprehensive guide to measuring success for technical products, developer tools, and APIs.

---

## Why Developer Metrics Are Different

Developer products have unique characteristics:
- **High technical barriers** to adoption
- **Longer evaluation** periods
- **Community-driven** growth
- **Usage-based** pricing models
- **Quality over quantity** (one great developer > 100 casual users)

Traditional B2B SaaS metrics don't always apply directly.

---

## The Developer Funnel

```
Awareness → Interest → Evaluation → Activation → Engagement → Retention → Monetization
```

Each stage has specific metrics.

---

## 1. Awareness Metrics

### Top-of-Funnel

**Website Traffic:**
- Documentation page views
- Landing page visits
- Blog traffic
- GitHub repository views

**Search & Discovery:**
- Organic search rankings (for key terms)
- GitHub stars
- Stack Overflow mentions
- Social media mentions

**Community Presence:**
- Discord/Slack members
- Reddit subscribers
- Newsletter subscribers
- Conference attendance

**Targets (vary by company):**
- 50K monthly docs views (early stage)
- 500K monthly docs views (growth stage)
- 1K+ GitHub stars (open source component)

---

## 2. Interest Metrics

### Consideration Stage

**Engagement:**
- Time on documentation
- Pages per session
- Video views (tutorials)
- GitHub README views

**Content Consumption:**
- Blog post reads
- Tutorial completion rate
- Demo video watch time
- Webinar registrations

**Social Proof:**
- Case study views
- Customer testimonials read
- Comparison page visits

**Targets:**
- 5+ minute average session duration
- 4+ pages per session
- 50%+ video completion rate

---

## 3. Evaluation Metrics

### Trial/Sandbox Stage

**Sign-Up:**
- Developer sign-ups
- API key requests
- Sandbox activations
- Free tier activations

**Time to Value:**
- **Time to first API call** (target: < 10 minutes)
- **Time to "Hello World"** (target: < 15 minutes)
- **Time to integration** (target: < 1 hour)

**Documentation Engagement:**
- Getting started guide views
- Code sample copies
- SDK downloads
- Postman collection imports

**Targets:**
- 1K+ sign-ups per month (early stage)
- 60% make first API call within 24 hours
- 10 minutes median time to first call

---

## 4. Activation Metrics

### First Value Realized

**Critical Activation Events:**
- **First successful API call**
- **First integration deployed**
- **First production request**
- **SDK installed and used**
- **Sandbox → production migration**

**Activation Rate:**
```
Activation Rate = (Users who complete activation event) / (Total sign-ups)
```

**Depth of Activation:**
- Features explored
- Endpoints called
- SDKs used
- Integrations enabled

**Targets:**
- 50-70% activation rate (first API call)
- 30-40% activation rate (production deployment)
- 80%+ complete getting started guide

---

## 5. Engagement Metrics

### Active Usage

**Daily/Weekly/Monthly Active Developers (DAD/WAD/MAD):**
```
DAD = Unique developers making API calls daily
WAD = Unique developers active weekly
MAD = Unique developers active monthly
```

**Stickiness:**
```
Stickiness = DAD / MAD
```
- Target: > 20% (good)
- Target: > 40% (excellent)

**API Usage:**
- **Total API calls** per day/week/month
- **API calls per developer**
- **Endpoints used** per developer
- **Error rate** (target: < 1%)

**Feature Adoption:**
- % of developers using key features
- Time to feature adoption
- Feature depth (how many features per user)

**Targets:**
- 40%+ stickiness (DAD/MAD)
- 1K+ API calls per active developer per month
- < 1% error rate
- 3+ features adopted per developer

---

## 6. Retention Metrics

### Developer Retention

**Cohort Retention:**
```
Day 1 Retention = Developers active on Day 1 / Total sign-ups
Day 7 Retention = Developers active on Day 7 / Total sign-ups
Day 30 Retention = Developers active on Day 30 / Total sign-ups
```

**Typical Developer Product Retention:**
- Day 1: 60-70%
- Day 7: 30-50%
- Day 30: 20-40%
- Day 90: 15-30%

**Why Developer Retention Is Lower:**
- Evaluation period (many are just testing)
- Project-based usage (finish project, stop using)
- This is normal and expected

**Churn Rate:**
```
Monthly Churn = Developers who stopped using / Active developers at month start
```

**Resurrection Rate:**
```
Resurrection = Churned developers who return / Total churned developers
```

**Targets:**
- < 5% monthly churn (paid users)
- 40%+ Day 7 retention
- 25%+ Day 30 retention

---

## 7. Monetization Metrics

### Revenue Metrics

**Conversion Metrics:**
```
Free → Paid Conversion Rate = Paid users / Total active users
```
- Target: 3-10% (varies widely by product)

**Revenue Metrics:**
- **MRR** (Monthly Recurring Revenue)
- **ARR** (Annual Recurring Revenue)
- **ARPU** (Average Revenue Per User)
- **Net Revenue Retention** (NRR)

**Usage-Based Pricing Metrics:**
- **Average API calls per paid user**
- **Tier distribution** (how many in each pricing tier)
- **Upgrade rate** (free → paid, basic → pro)
- **Expansion revenue** (existing customers spending more)

**Targets:**
- 5%+ free-to-paid conversion
- 110%+ Net Revenue Retention
- $50-$500 ARPU (varies by product)

---

## Developer-Specific Metrics

### Code Quality Metrics

**SDK Quality:**
- **Downloads** per month
- **GitHub stars**
- **Issues opened** vs. closed
- **PR acceptance** rate
- **Time to resolve** issues

**Documentation Quality:**
- **Search success** rate (did they find what they needed?)
- **Time on page** (too short = unclear, too long = can't find)
- **Bounce rate** on docs
- **Feedback** (thumbs up/down on docs pages)

**Targets:**
- 90%+ search success rate
- < 40% bounce rate on docs
- 80%+ positive feedback on docs

---

### Developer Experience Metrics

**Time-Based:**
- Time to first API call
- Time to production
- Time to integrate
- Time to debug

**Friction Points:**
- Authentication failures
- API errors
- SDK install issues
- Documentation gaps

**Support Metrics:**
- Support tickets per MAD
- Time to first response
- Time to resolution
- Community forum response time

**Targets:**
- < 5 minutes to first API call
- < 1 support ticket per 100 MAD
- < 4 hours first response time
- 90%+ questions answered by community

---

## Developer Satisfaction

### Net Promoter Score (NPS)

Survey question: "How likely are you to recommend [product] to other developers?"

**Scale:** 0-10

**Calculation:**
```
NPS = % Promoters (9-10) - % Detractors (0-6)
```

**Developer Product Benchmarks:**
- **Excellent:** NPS > 50
- **Good:** NPS 30-50
- **Needs Work:** NPS < 30

### Developer Sentiment

**Qualitative Indicators:**
- Social media sentiment
- Community forum tone
- GitHub issue sentiment
- Review site ratings (G2, Capterra)
- Stack Overflow sentiment

**Quantitative Tracking:**
- Positive vs. negative mentions
- Sentiment score (automated analysis)
- Review ratings (1-5 stars)

---

## Launch-Specific Metrics

### Launch Day Metrics

**Day 1:**
- Sign-ups / API keys
- First API calls
- Documentation views
- Blog post views
- Social media impressions
- Email open rate
- Email click rate

**Targets (Tier 1 launch):**
- 5K+ sign-ups
- 50%+ activation rate (first call)
- 100K+ docs views
- 50K+ blog views

---

### Week 1 Metrics

- Total sign-ups
- Day 7 retention rate
- Active developers
- API calls made
- Support tickets
- Community questions
- Social mentions

**Targets (Tier 1):**
- 10K+ total sign-ups
- 40%+ Day 7 retention
- 5K+ active developers
- 1M+ API calls
- < 50 support tickets

---

### Month 1 Metrics

- Monthly Active Developers (MAD)
- Free → paid conversion
- NPS score
- Documentation coverage (no major gaps)
- Community health
- Feature adoption

**Targets (Tier 1):**
- 25K+ MAD
- 3-5% paid conversion
- NPS > 40
- 80%+ positive doc feedback

---

## Metrics Dashboard Template

### Executive Dashboard

**Adoption:**
- Total Developers: [X]
- MAD: [X]
- Growth Rate: [X%]

**Engagement:**
- DAD/MAD: [X%]
- API Calls/Day: [X]
- Error Rate: [X%]

**Retention:**
- Day 7: [X%]
- Day 30: [X%]
- Churn: [X%]

**Revenue:**
- MRR: $[X]
- ARPU: $[X]
- NRR: [X%]

**Quality:**
- NPS: [X]
- Support Tickets/MAD: [X]

---

### Product Team Dashboard

**This Week:**
- New Developers: [X]
- Activation Rate: [X%]
- Features Adopted: [X]
- Top API Endpoints: [List]

**Trends:**
- MAD (7-day trend): [Graph]
- API Calls (7-day): [Graph]
- Error Rate (7-day): [Graph]

**Health:**
- Documentation Gaps: [Count]
- Open Issues: [Count]
- P0 Bugs: [Count]

---

## Metric Collection

### Where to Track

**Product Analytics:**
- Amplitude
- Mixpanel
- Heap
- PostHog

**API Analytics:**
- Moesif
- API metrics (custom)
- CloudWatch / Datadog

**Documentation Analytics:**
- Google Analytics
- Readme.io analytics
- GitBook analytics

**Developer Feedback:**
- Intercom
- Zendesk
- Community forum analytics
- Survey tools (Delighted, SurveyMonkey)

---

## Setting Targets

### Early Stage (0-1 year)

Focus on **activation** and **engagement**:
- Sign-ups: 1K-10K/month
- Activation: 50%+
- MAD: 500-5K
- Day 7 Retention: 30%+

### Growth Stage (1-3 years)

Focus on **scale** and **retention**:
- Sign-ups: 10K-50K/month
- MAD: 10K-100K
- Day 30 Retention: 25%+
- Free→Paid: 5%+

### Mature Stage (3+ years)

Focus on **efficiency** and **expansion**:
- MAD: 100K+
- NRR: 110%+
- ARPU: Increasing
- CAC Payback: < 12 months

---

## Common Pitfalls

### Vanity Metrics

**Avoid:**
- Total registered users (most are inactive)
- Total API calls (could be from one user)
- GitHub stars alone (may not use product)

**Focus on:**
- Active users (making API calls)
- Retained users (coming back)
- Engaged users (using multiple features)

### Wrong Benchmarks

Don't compare developer product metrics to:
- B2C social apps (much higher DAU/MAU)
- Enterprise SaaS (lower volume, higher ACV)
- E-commerce (transactional, not sustained use)

Use developer product benchmarks instead.

---

## Summary: Key Metrics to Track

**Must Track:**
1. Monthly Active Developers (MAD)
2. Activation Rate (first API call)
3. Day 7 & Day 30 Retention
4. Stickiness (DAD/MAD)
5. API Error Rate
6. NPS

**Should Track:**
7. Free → Paid Conversion
8. Time to First API Call
9. Documentation Effectiveness
10. Support Ticket Volume

**Nice to Have:**
11. GitHub Stars/Activity
12. Community Engagement
13. Social Sentiment
14. Feature Adoption Depth

Start with the must-track metrics, then expand.

---

## Developer Metric Formulas

Quick reference:

```
Activation Rate = Activated Users / Sign-ups
Stickiness = DAD / MAD
Churn Rate = Users Lost / Total Users
NRR = (MRR + Expansion - Churn) / Starting MRR
LTV = ARPU / Churn Rate
CAC Payback = CAC / (ARPU * Gross Margin)
```

**Remember:** Metrics should drive action, not just reporting. If a metric doesn't change behavior, don't track it.