What were the biggest mistakes you made in managing post-launch momentum, and what key lessons did you learn from them?

The biggest mistakes in managing post-launch momentum would be:

• Not collecting and measuring success signals (product adoption, media pickups, sign-ups, traffic, etc.) could tell you what messaging is resonating and what isn't.

  • Learnings: Establish key, quantifiable launch goals when planning the product launch and monitor your progress to determine if you need to pivot.

• Not staying focused on activities past the initial launch date and jumping too quickly into the next release.

  • Learning: Use a project management tool, like Asana, and schedule a "post-launch kick-off" with a smaller team

• Not having a post-launch (maybe a month after the initial launch date) retrospective to learn what worked well, what activities to start/stop/continue, and how cross-functional communication can be improved.

• Not doing enablement sessions with smaller groups. An extensive "all-field" enablement session is a great way to get the general message out. But I've learned from other PMMs that you must also do small break-out sessions with smaller groups to make people comfortable enough to ask questions in a safe space. You can also address department-specific questions more efficiently.

  • Learnings: Conduct the large, company-wide enablement session and keep talking points at a high altitude. Then, schedule office hours or department-specific enablement sessions.