Software Launch Checklist: From Six Weeks Out to 30 Days After

A launch is not a day. It is a six week build-up, a tightly run launch week and a month of follow-through that decides whether anyone remembers you. This software launch checklist walks through all three phases with concrete tasks you can tick off. It is built for small teams and solo founders launching a B2B or prosumer product, and it works for a first launch or a major version.

What should be settled six weeks before launch?

The early weeks are about decisions, not assets. Get these right and the rest of the software launch checklist becomes execution.

Positioning

Write one sentence that names the buyer, the job and what makes you a better fit. Test it on five people in your target market. If they cannot repeat it back, rewrite it. Every asset below inherits this sentence, so settle it first.

Pricing

Decide your tiers, your free trial or free plan, and whether you will offer a launch deal. Publish the pricing page early so you can watch how visitors react before launch day. Hidden pricing hurts conversion, and changing prices during launch week confuses everyone.

Goals and measurement

Pick two or three numbers that define success: signups, paid conversions, demo requests, or newsletter subscribers. Set up analytics, UTM links and a source field in your signup form now, so every launch channel can be measured later.

Which assets does a software launch checklist require?

Weeks four and three are for building. This is the longest section because assets are where most launches slip.

Landing page

• Headline that uses your positioning sentence, with a subheadline that names the main benefit.
• Three to five screenshots or a short product video above the fold.
• Clear primary action: start trial, book demo or join waitlist. One action, not three.
• Pricing visible or linked from the header.
• A short "why we built this" section and any early customer quotes you are allowed to use.
• Page speed checked on mobile. A slow page wastes launch traffic.

Onboarding

Walk through the first ten minutes as a new user with no help. Remove every step that is not required to reach the first moment of value. Add a welcome email, an in-app checklist and a way to reach a human. Launch traffic is forgiving on features and unforgiving on confusion.

Demo video

Record a two to three minute screen walk-through that shows the main workflow start to finish. Use a real example, speak plainly and skip the intro slides. You will reuse this video on the landing page, in launch posts, in your review site listings and in email.

Press kit

Create a single page with your logo files, product screenshots, founder photos and bios, a 50 word and a 200 word description, key facts and a contact email. Journalists, newsletter writers and partners will ask for all of this; having it ready turns a maybe into a mention. A simple press page is also what review sites and directories expect to find when they verify you.

How do you prepare launch platforms and directories?

Two weeks out, set up every place you plan to appear so launch week is about pressing publish, not filling in forms. This is the part of the software launch checklist that founders skip most often, and it is the part that keeps sending buyers after the launch spike fades.

• Review sites. Create or claim your listing with the full asset kit: logo, screenshots, tagline, categories, pricing, integrations. On Revaw you can list a product free or claim an existing listing. The guide on how to list your software on review sites has the full kit.
• Launch communities. Prepare your post, images and first comment in advance. Read their rules so you do not get removed on the day.
• Launch programs. Some review sites run a structured launch with a featured slot and a newsletter feature. Revaw's launch program is one example. Apply early; these have lead times.
• Integration marketplaces. If you integrate with a larger product, submit to their marketplace now. Approvals take weeks.
• Deal sites and newsletters. Pitch niche newsletters that your buyers read. A short, specific pitch with your press kit link works better than a template.

Ask three to five early users whether they would leave an honest review on your listing during launch week. Do not offer anything for it. A listing with a handful of real reviews on launch day converts far better than an empty one, and most sites publish clear review guidelines on what is allowed.

How do you build the email list and community before launch?

Launch traffic is rented. An email list is owned. Starting four to six weeks out, capture emails everywhere you can: a waitlist on the landing page, a short email course about the problem you solve, and a sign-up link in your community posts.

Pre-launch email sequence

1. Two weeks out: the story of why you built it, plus a preview screenshot.
2. One week out: the launch date, what early subscribers get, and a request to reply with questions.
3. Two days out: a short reminder and a direct ask to share the launch post when it goes live.
4. Launch morning: the announcement with one link and one action.

Community warm-up

Be visibly useful in the two or three communities where your buyers gather for at least a month before launch. Answer questions, share what you have learned, and mention the product only when it is relevant. On launch day, people recognize your name and are far more likely to engage.

What does the launch day timeline look like?

Launch day is a schedule, not an improvisation. Write it out the night before, and keep this section of the software launch checklist open all day.

1. Early morning: publish launch posts in communities and on social platforms, in the order their time zones favor. Post your prepared first comment with the story and a question for readers.
2. Mid-morning: send the launch email to your list. Send personal messages to the 20 to 30 people who said they would share.
3. All day: reply to every comment, question and signup within 30 minutes. Keep a document of questions you did not expect; they become FAQ entries and onboarding fixes.
4. Afternoon: check that review site listings, marketplace listings and the press page are live and the links work. Update them if the launch surfaced a better screenshot or line of copy.
5. Evening: post a short update on how the day went, thank people by name, and record the day's numbers.

Offers

A launch offer should be simple and time-boxed: an extended trial, a discount on the first year, or a bonus onboarding call for the first 50 customers. Avoid lifetime deals unless you understand the long-term support cost. State the end date and honor it.

What happens in the 30 days after launch?

Most launches lose their gains in the following month because the team goes back to building and stops talking to people. The follow-up is where the software launch checklist earns its keep.

Week one after launch

• Email everyone who signed up but did not activate, with one question: what stopped you?
• Call or message the first paying customers and ask what nearly made them not buy.
• Fix the top three onboarding problems the launch exposed.
• Ask satisfied new users for honest reviews on your listings, personally and without incentives.

Weeks two to four

• Publish a "what we learned from launch" post with real numbers. It often outperforms the launch post.
• Follow up with every journalist, newsletter writer and partner who showed interest.
• Turn the questions from launch day into landing page copy, help docs and comparison pages that answer the questions buyers asked.
• Decide whether a clearly labeled sponsored placement on a review site makes sense now that the listing has reviews. Revaw's labeled placements are one option; the ranking itself stays independent.

What to measure

Track signups by source, activation rate, trial to paid conversion, reviews earned, press and newsletter mentions, and the size of your email list before and after. Compare launch week against the following three weeks. A healthy launch shows a spike and then a new baseline that is higher than the old one. A spike that returns to the old baseline means the message landed but the product or onboarding did not.

The complete software launch checklist by week

Print this table, tape it above your desk and cross things off. If you want the longer view of what comes after the launch spike, the guide on how to get traction for B2B SaaS picks up where this software launch checklist ends.

Frequently asked questions

How far in advance should I start a software launch checklist?

Six weeks is enough for a small team if positioning and pricing are already clear. If they are not, start eight weeks out and spend the first two on those decisions. Starting later usually means skipping listings, press and email, which are the parts that keep working after launch day.

Should I launch on several platforms on the same day?

Spread them over a week or two unless you have a team to answer comments everywhere at once. One strong launch with fast replies beats three launches you cannot keep up with. Use the first launch to refine your message before the next.

Do I need a press kit for a small software launch?

Yes, and it takes an afternoon. Newsletter writers, podcasters, partners and review sites all ask for the same logo, screenshots, description and contact details. Having a single page to link saves you from answering the same email twenty times during launch week.

What is a realistic launch goal for a bootstrapped product?

For a first launch, a few hundred signups, a handful of paying customers and five to ten honest reviews is a solid result. The more important number is the new weekly baseline of signups a month later, because that is what shows the launch moved you forward.

What should I do if launch day flops?

Treat it as data. Read every comment and question, email the people who signed up but did not activate, and fix what they tell you. Then relaunch in four to eight weeks on a different platform with a sharper message. Many products that stuck had a quiet first launch.