What are the core ingredients of a successful launch? How do those ingredients shrink or expand based on priority (i.e. top tier vs bottom tier)?

Answered a question about how I think about tiering framworkers. I think the core ingredients of a successful launch really depend on your business — size, B2B vs. B2C, business model, stage, etc. — so it's hard to say. I'd say in general, I've found the most important quality is planning a launch as a PMM is having a point of view. A successful launch is opinionated, inspires people to use the feature in a specific way, and educates users not only about that feature, but about your whole product suite. If your launches feel functional not emotional, like a one-off and not connected, and don't last beyond launch day, you're probably not as successful as you could have been.

Channel development is really critical here too — launch to launch, you'll want to develop a robust playbook of marketing channels that can meet users in different parts of the lifecycle.

Core ingredients can be mapped by channel/tier. 

Tier 1: Big launch moment, essentially we are throwing the kitchen sink at this thing! Defined as: net new innovation that increases share of wallet, share of voice, domain authority and leadership position.

• Activities: webinar, press, analyst relations, emails, in-app, newsletter, case study, sales deck update, landing page, slack community message, social posts, demand gen campaign, full field training and enablement, explainer video + support article

Tier 2: Features where we want to improve PMF, NPS acquisition and retetion. 

• Activities: customer email, in-app notification, customer newsletter, website update, full field training and enablement, help article update, explainer video

Tier 3: GTM here is generally table stakes functionality and parity plays

• Activities: Support article, customer email, training and enablement 

Tier 4: These launches consist of tech debt, betas and pixel update. Tread as Soft/silent launches

• Activities: Help article update, internal awareness + enablement

See my answer to the previous question on process organization.

Going into the launch, you need to have a clear understanding of the target audience, their pain points, and how the product/feature solves those pain points and messaging to explain what you’ve built. These ingredients are constant regardless of launch size.

The variable pieces are your communication plan and the number of stakeholders involved. The GTM plan needs to have messaging, comms plans across sales, CS and marketing channels. And depending on the size of the launch, you will do more or less in these channels and have to align with more or fewer internal stakeholders.

Budget allocation is another variable to consider. Larger launches typically entail more significant financial commitments for premium marketing channels, events, and resources. In contrast, smaller launches may necessitate more cost-effective approaches due to budget constraints.

Nonetheless, regardless of launch size, establishing product-market fit and fostering internal alignment is essential. These foundational elements remain constant, ensuring that your product resonates with your audience and ultimately drives success.