StartUp Launch Checklist Narrative

7 Phases to Launch

A comprehensive framework for launching your startup from foundation to execution

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Startup Foundation Strategy & Infrastructure

Startup Foundation Strategy and Infrastructure

Launch Preparation and Execution

Detailed Phase Checklist

Step 01

Research Phase

Before planning your launch, figure out your overall product and marketing strategy.

Come up with a name for your business
Create a competitor list including: Name & link, Pricing options, Key features
Define your product & business model
What's your pricing model & tiers? Free trial or freemium?
Which key features to focus on at launch?
What's your differentiator?
Spy on competitors - identify which marketing channels work for them
Content marketing (blog regularity, social shares)
SEO rankings - run their site through SEMrush or Ahrefs
Google Search Ads - check via SEMrush
Facebook Ads - check via Facebook Ad Library
Affiliate program - check footer or search site:[competitor] affiliate program
If raising money, use research to build a pitch deck

Step 02

Build a Website

Create a website and lay the foundation for all marketing efforts.

Pick a domain name - consider .io, .xyz if .com is taken
Buy hosting
Pick an email marketing provider (e.g. MailChimp - free up to 2,000 subscribers)
Create a logo
Create relevant social profiles - B2B typically: LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook
Create a product landing page - WordPress recommended for lean iteration
Create supporting pages - About, Contact, Pricing
Set up a payment processor - Stripe recommended
Set up analytics - Google Analytics or Mixpanel
Set up a business email - Google Workspace recommended
Launch a blog - required if using content marketing or SEO

Step 03

Pre-Launch Marketing

Start building an audience before you've even launched.

Add an email capture to your landing page
Incentivize early adopters - offer more than just 'we'll email you at launch'
Drive traffic via content marketing, SEO, and PR

Step 04

Get Initial Traction

With an MVP, validate that your product works and can drive conversions.

Email pre-launch list if you ran pre-launch marketing
Cold call your first 50 customers - if you can't sell it 1:1, you can't sell it online
Find leads on social media - Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter; pitch via DM
Run search ads on direct-intent keywords if budget allows

Step 05

Prep for Launch

Every startup gets one launch. Make sure you get it right.

Create a Press Kit and publish it on your website
List journalists who covered your competitors - use Hunter.io or Clearbit Connect to find emails
List acquaintances on ProductHunt - you'll ping them for support on launch day
List friends & acquaintances connected to your target audience

Step 06

Launch

Hit the button.

Pitch journalists from your list - frame it as 'you covered [competitor], here's how ours is different'
Launch on ProductHunt
Reach out to friends & acquaintances for a share - give them the exact text to use

Step 07

Ongoing Marketing

You've launched - now grow. Pick your channels and execute consistently.

SEO - List competitors, keyword research, optimize pages, publish content regularly
Content Marketing - Address user pain points, promote content, 1-2 pieces/week
Google Ads - Target keywords, create landing pages, write ad variations, set targeting
PPC - Set budget and goals, define targeting, create multiple ad creatives
Affiliate Marketing - Commission structure, landing page, reach out to influencers
Referral Marketing - Structure incentives, set up software, email existing users

Phase 7: Ongoing Marketing Deep Dive

Search Engine Optimization

List competitors with strong Google rankings
Do keyword research - UberSuggest, SEMrush, Google Keyword Planner
Optimize all web pages for on-page SEO (RankMath or Yoast)
Publish SEO-optimized content on a regular cadence
Create use-case landing pages for each major keyword cluster
Do link-building regularly - link roundups are a good starting tactic

Content Marketing

Create content that addresses target user pain points, then promote it
Generate content ideas - BuzzSumo, Hacker News, subreddit top posts
List promotion channels - Facebook groups, Reddit, Indie Hackers, Growth Hackers
Publish 1-2 high-quality pieces per week
For each piece, find authors on similar topics and ask for a share

Google Search Ads

Find target keywords using Google Keyword Planner
Decide on budget - estimate based on avg CPC x desired clicks
Create keyword-specific landing pages
Write 3+ ad copy variations per keyword
Set location, device type, & demographics targeting
Use granular ad groups - 1 keyword per ad group
Use cascading bids - lower for broad match, higher for exact
Add negative keywords to avoid irrelevant impressions
Set up conversion tracking and monitor ongoing

Affiliate Marketing

Decide commission structure - flat % or tiered by volume? One-time or recurring?
Pick technical solution - TapAffiliate or Post Affiliate Pro
Create an affiliate landing page and link in site header/footer
Reach out to potential affiliates - influencers, bloggers, niche review sites

Referral Marketing

Decide referral structure - discount, product credit, or cash for both parties
Set up referral software - Referral Candy or Prelaunchr
Create a referral landing page and link in header/footer
Email existing users to announce the referral program

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