What’s the difference between a #release and a #launch?
Both are closely related, but not the same thing.
A release = pushing code to production. This can be as small as a big fix to as big as a new game-changing product.
A launch = a go-to-market event that delivers value to your customers and your business.
If you have an agile development process, there could be releases happening every week. Some are big news, but most are not.
Which is totally fine.
The word “launch” should be associated with something meaningful that brings noteable value to your customers and your business.
After all, if you treated every release like a launch, you would end up:
- Creating too much noise - you would drown out the important stuff. Diminishing returns.
- Confusing the market - people wouldn’t be able to keep up.
- Burning out - your go-to-market teams would just be running from one launch to the next.
That’s why a launch tiering system is important. It gives you a framework for prioritizing your releases and determining what level of go-to-market effort is required. Stay tuned for more on that tomorrow 👀
And remember — just because you release something today that goes undetected, doesn’t mean it can’t be launched later on. You can bundle multiple small, released features into a larger launch around a specific theme.
Take Canva for example. I’ve been noticing new AI-powered image editing features over the last couple of months. Then last week, they launch “Magic Studio” where all of these small enhancements became part of a much bigger launch and story.
Looking to up-level your product launches? Check out Ready for Launch - the PMM’s guide to product launches.
Bit(dot)ly/ready-for-launch
#productmarketing #productlaunch #launch