MVP Launch Day Checklist: Everything You Need to Launch

Here's what most founders get wrong about launch day:

They think it's a one-time event.

They push deploy, tweet about it, then wait for users to magically appear.

Launch day isn't one day. It's the culmination of weeks (or months) of preparation. And what happens in the first 48 hours determines whether your MVP succeeds or fails quietly.

This is your complete launch day checklist—from technical readiness to marketing and support.

Pre-Launch: Week Before (Days 1-7)

Don't leave everything for launch day. Here's what to prepare the week before.

Technical Preparation

✅ Production Infrastructure Ready

Production servers provisioned and configured
Domain DNS configured and propagated
SSL/TLS certificates installed and tested
CDN configured (Cloudflare, AWS CloudFront)
Load balancers set up if needed
Backup and disaster recovery tested
Monitoring and alerting configured (Datadog, New Relic, Sentry)

✅ Application Testing

All features tested in production-like environment
Load testing completed (simulate expected traffic)
Security audit performed (basic vulnerabilities)
Mobile responsiveness tested (iOS, Android, tablets)
Browser compatibility tested (Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Edge)
Third-party integrations tested (payments, APIs, email)
Error handling and edge cases covered

✅ Analytics & Tracking

Google Analytics 4 installed and verified
Product analytics configured (Mixpanel, Amplitude, PostHog)
Error tracking set up (Sentry, Rollbar)
Performance monitoring active
Event tracking verified (signup, activation, purchase)

✅ Communication Channels

Transactional emails configured (welcome, notifications, password reset)
Email deliverability tested (check spam folders)
In-app notifications working
Social media accounts created and branded
Blog/announcement post written and scheduled
FAQ or help center published

Marketing Preparation

✅ Launch Assets Ready

Launch landing page created and optimized
Product screenshots and videos prepared
Demo video or GIF created (under 2 minutes)
One-pager or pitch document ready
Press kit prepared (logos, screenshots, founder bio)
Launch announcement email written
Social media posts drafted and scheduled

✅ Distribution Channels

Product Hunt listing prepared and scheduled
Hacker News Show & Tell post planned
Reddit community posts identified and planned
LinkedIn network announcement drafted
Twitter/X thread prepared
Guest blog posts or podcasts lined up
Newsletter swaps or partnerships arranged

✅ Lead Capture

Email signup form working and tested
Waitlist or early access system functional
Call-to-action buttons clearly visible
Special launch offer or discount prepared
Referral or viral mechanism ready

Launch Day: The Big Day (Day 0)

This is it. Here's what to do when you launch.

Launch Morning (6:00 AM - 9:00 AM)

Technical Checks:

Check production health (uptime, response times)
Verify analytics are tracking (test signup)
Test key user flows end-to-end
Check email deliverability (send test email)
Monitor error rates and logs
Verify third-party services (payments, APIs)
Test mobile apps (if applicable)

Final Content Review:

Proofread all copy one last time
Check all links work (no 404s)
Verify images and videos load correctly
Test signup and onboarding flow
Confirm pricing is correct and visible

Team Briefing:

Align team on roles and responsibilities
Set up communication channels (Slack, Discord)
Define escalation paths for issues
Confirm who's responding to what (support, press, bugs)
Set up shared document for real-time updates

Launch Execution (9:00 AM - 12:00 PM)

Rollout Strategy (Choose One):

Option A: Gradual Rollout (Recommended)

Launch to 10% of traffic (invite-only)
Monitor for 2 hours, fix critical issues
Expand to 50% of traffic
Monitor for 4 hours, fix issues
Open to 100% of traffic

Option B: Hard Launch

Send launch announcement email
Post to social media platforms
Submit to Product Hunt
Post to relevant communities
Open signup to everyone
Monitor everything in real-time

Product Hunt Launch (If Scheduled):

Submit 12:01 AM PST time zone
Engage with early commenters
Respond to questions and feedback
Monitor upvotes and engagement
Have co-founder or team member engage too

Launch Afternoon (12:00 PM - 6:00 PM)

Monitor and Respond:

Check analytics every 30-60 minutes
Monitor error rates and performance
Respond to social media comments
Reply to Product Hunt comments
Handle incoming support requests
Track conversion funnel performance
Identify any critical bugs or issues

Press and Outreach:

Follow up on pre-scheduled media
Respond to inbound press inquiries
Share launch updates with network
Thank early adopters personally
Engage with community posts and comments

Team Huddle:

Mid-day sync on launch performance
Celebrate small wins (first signup, first customer)
Adjust strategy based on early data
Triage and prioritize any issues found
Plan for evening and tomorrow

Launch Evening (6:00 PM - 12:00 AM)

Data Review:

Compile first-day metrics (signups, activations, revenue)
Identify top acquisition sources (Product Hunt, email, social)
Analyze funnel performance and drop-off points
Review feedback and bug reports
Note any critical issues requiring overnight fixes

Community Engagement:

Reply to remaining comments and messages
Thank supporters and early adopters
Share daily stats (if appropriate for your brand)
Plan follow-up posts for Day 2

Team Debrief:

End-of-day launch retrospective
Document what went well and what didn't
Assign overnight monitoring responsibilities
Plan Day 2 priorities and fixes
Celebrate the launch (you shipped!)

Post-Launch: Days 1-7

Launch isn't over after Day 0. Here's what to do the first week.

Day 1-3: Stabilize

Technical:

Fix critical bugs immediately
Optimize slow endpoints or pages
Address any performance issues
Fix broken user flows
Improve error messages for clarity

User Support:

Respond to all support tickets within 24 hours
Reach out to users who got stuck
Collect detailed feedback on what confused them
Document common issues and create FAQ items

Marketing Follow-up:

Share launch results publicly
Write and publish launch recap post
Thank Product Hunt community and commenters
Email early users for feedback
Plan follow-up marketing pushes

Day 4-7: Optimize

Analyze Metrics:

Calculate activation rate
Measure Day 1, 3, 7 retention
Identify feature usage patterns
Track support ticket volume and themes
Calculate conversion rates at each funnel stage

Prioritize Improvements:

List top 5 user pain points
Identify 3 highest-impact improvements
Estimate effort for each improvement
Plan and schedule next iteration cycle
Communicate roadmap to users

Gather Feedback:

Send NPS or satisfaction survey
Schedule calls with power users
Join relevant communities and listen
Monitor social media for mentions
Create feedback collection system

Launch Day Monitoring Dashboard

Track these metrics in real-time on launch day:

Health Metrics (Every 15-30 minutes):

Server uptime
Response times (p50, p95, p99)
Error rates
Database query performance
Third-party API response times

User Metrics (Every 30-60 minutes):

Unique visitors
Signups
Activations
Active users
Page views
Session duration

Funnel Metrics (Every 1-2 hours):

Landing page → signup conversion
Signup → activation conversion
Activation → purchase conversion
Drop-off points in user flow

Support Metrics (Every 1-2 hours):

Support tickets created
Response times
Resolution times
Ticket themes and categories

Social Metrics (Every 2-4 hours):

Social media mentions
Engagement rates
Product Hunt upvotes and comments
Reddit/Hacker News upvotes and comments
Traffic sources and referrals

Launch Day Emergency Runbook

What to do when things go wrong.

Critical Issues (Fix Immediately):

Site down: Check server health, restart services, check DNS
Signup broken: Verify payment processing, check API connections, test forms
Data loss: Restore from backups, investigate root cause
Security breach: Take site offline, investigate, communicate transparently
Payment processing failed: Check Stripe/PayPal integration, verify API keys

Moderate Issues (Fix Within Hours):

Slow performance: Optimize database queries, add caching, scale servers
Broken feature: Rollback to previous version, hotfix if safe
Email not sending: Check email service configuration, verify SPF/DKIM/DMARC
Mobile app crash: Release hotfix via app store expedited review

Minor Issues (Fix Within Days):

UX confusion: Add tooltips, improve copy, update documentation
Minor bugs: Add to backlog, prioritize based on impact
Feature request: Evaluate against roadmap, communicate timeline

Communication Protocol:

Internal: Alert team immediately, assign owner, set deadline
External: Communicate if issue affects users (transparency builds trust)
Fix: Implement fix, test thoroughly, deploy
Verify: Confirm issue resolved, monitor for recurrence
Learn: Document root cause, prevent future occurrences

Common Launch Day Mistakes

1. Launching Without Testing

Mistake: "It works in development, let's ship!"

Reality: Production always breaks differently than expected.

Fix: Test thoroughly in staging environment. Do dry runs of critical flows.

2. No Monitoring or Alerting

Mistake: "We'll know if something breaks."

Reality: Users know before you do. By then, damage is done.

Fix: Set up monitoring and alerting before launch. Respond before users complain.

3. Over-Promising Features

Mistake: "We have X, Y, Z features!" (half aren't done)

Reality: Disappointed users never return.

Fix: Under-promise, over-deliver. Ship what's working, communicate roadmap for rest.

4. No Support Ready

Mistake: "We'll handle support as it comes in."

Reality: Launch day support requests pile up fast. Unanswered tickets = lost users.

Fix: Prepare support templates, FAQs, and escalation paths before launch.

5. Ignoring Negative Feedback

Mistake: "They just don't get it."

Reality: Negative feedback is valuable. It tells you what's broken or unclear.

Fix: Listen to all feedback, especially negative. Respond professionally and act on insights.

Launch Success: What "Good" Looks Like

What metrics indicate a successful launch?

Immediate Success (Day 0-1):

Signups: 100+ signups on launch day
Activation: 40%+ activation rate
Uptime: 99%+ availability
Support: <5 critical bugs reported
Feedback: Mix of positive and constructive feedback

Early Success (Week 1):

Retention: 40%+ Day 7 retention
Engagement: 20%+ of signups use product weekly
Revenue: First paying customers (if applicable)
Feedback: Clear feature requests and improvements
Bugs: Support tickets trending down as fixes deployed

Success Indicators:

Users are completing core actions
Users are sharing and referring
Press or influencers pick up your launch
Competitors respond (copy features, mention you)
You have a list of clear improvements

Key Insight: Launch success isn't about hitting arbitrary numbers. It's about validating that users see value.

Launch Day Team Roles

Who does what on launch day?

Product Owner:

Final go/no-go decision
Monitor user metrics and feedback
Prioritize fixes and improvements
Make decisions on launch issues

Technical Lead:

Monitor system health and performance
Fix critical bugs immediately
Deploy hotfixes if needed
Manage technical emergencies

Marketing/Communications:

Manage social media and community engagement
Respond to press and inquiries
Coordinate Product Hunt launch
Share launch results publicly

Customer Support:

Respond to user inquiries and tickets
Collect and categorize feedback
Document common issues for FAQ
Reach out to struggling users

Analytics:

Monitor key metrics in real-time
Identify drop-off points and issues
Compile daily reports
Share insights with team

Need Help Launching Your MVP?

At Startupbricks, we've helped founders launch dozens of MVPs successfully. We know what goes wrong, how to prevent it, and what makes launches successful.

Whether you need:

Pre-launch technical preparation and testing
Launch day support and monitoring
Post-launch optimization and iteration
Marketing and growth strategy

Let's talk about launching your MVP with confidence.

Ready to launch? Download our free Launch Day Checklist and start preparing today.

Startupbricks

MVP Launch Day Checklist: Everything You Need to Launch