We have liftoff: Turning your launch process from chaos to competitive advantage

This article is based on Derek’s brilliant talk at #GTM23 in San Francisco. GTM Blueprint subscribers can watch the full recording here.

Welcome to space camp! Today, we’ll be talking about launching products and how to turn that process from a chaotic cost center into a revenue-driving, repeatable competitive advantage. 

The cost of chaotic launches 

Let’s play a quick game of word association. What words or phrases come to mind when you think about the launch process? 

Sleepless nights? 

Stress? 

I talk to product marketers about this all the time, and the most common word I hear is ‘chaos’.

All this chaos not only has a negative impact on our well-being but also that of the company. Let me give you an example. Have you ever heard of Netflix Games? If not, you’re not alone – three months after its launch, less than 1% of Netflix subscribers had even heard that it existed. Unsurprisingly, it was a huge flop. Still, Netflix is in good company – more than 80% of launches fail.