By MicroConf
Congrats! You've built the thing, launched the thing, and hopefully pre-sold the thing.
Now you need people to use it. Here's what to do in the first week of getting your product live. This checklist is designed for bootstrappers who are doing it all, from building the product to marketing it.
NOTE: This checklist assumes you haven’t yet set up email onboarding. The initial launch period is a great opportunity to stay connected with your first users, and lean on them for insights into how they’re using your product. The easiest way to stay connected in these early stages? Manually onboard each customer through outreach emails and live demos.
- Update your website with "Now Live" messaging and CTA (try using a tool like HelloBar if your website or site builder doesn’t have this functionality)
- Post an announcement on:
- [ ] Twitter/X
- [ ] LinkedIn
- [ ] Any other social media channels you use - Post in 2-3 relevant communities where you're already active, e.g. MicroConf Connect or SaaS subreddits
- Email your waitlist to let them know the product is live!
- [ ] Keep it short and sweet
- [ ] Remind them how it helps them
- [ ] Invite them to try it - Publicly thank/tag any early supporters and ask them to share the launch announcement
- Reach out personally to your first few users. Welcome them to the product and let them know you’re the human behind the SaaS!
- Fix any bugs that might come up
- Offer personal office hours/demo sessions to help new users get started
- Post a quick "Day 1 recap" update on social
- Share one user's early win or feedback
- Post in one new community you haven't tapped yet
- Email 1 onboarding tip or feature reveal to Day 1 signups
- [ ] For example: “Did you know you can do [X] with [product name]? This keeps you from having to deal with [pain that your product solves].” - Check in with anyone who signed up initially, but hasn't logged back in or reached the “aha” moment of activation
- [ ] Try the classic 9-word email: “Hey [Name], still interested in [Product Name/{benefit your product offers}]?”
- Respond to every piece of feedback you've gotten, positive or negative
- [ ] Consider sharing your responses on social media alongside the feedback - Share your personal favorite product feature, tip, or trick that casual observers on your social feeds might not know about
- Set up and send an onboarding feedback survey to users. Try these questions:
- [ ] How's [Product Name] working for you so far?
- [ ] Have you been able to [complete key action/reach aha moment]?
- [ ] What's been unclear or confusing?
- [ ] Is there anything blocking you from getting value? - Invite up to 5 users to a quick call
- Look at analytics, if you have them: where are people dropping off?
- Post a "5 days in" reflection (don’t be afraid to get personal and talk about what launching this product means to you):
- [ ] LinkedIn
- [ ] Twitter/X
- [ ] Any other channels you use - Review survey feedback and social media responses from new users
- Start planning week 2 based on what you’ve learned
- Ask your social media audience, professional network, and current users to share your product
- [ ] Consider posting on social media AND sending individual requests via email - Email your list again with a summary of everything you’ve learned this week
- Thank/tag your early supporters again
- Review the week's numbers (signups, activation, usage)
- Make a list of the top 3 things to fix/improve
- [ ] You may want to turn your manual onboarding emails into a simple automation (that you can continue to tweak and improve over time). Here’s conversion copywriter Alli Blum’s advice on writing better SaaS onboarding emails. - Send personal thank-yous to folks who helped you
- Send a feedback request email to active users
- Celebrate! It took a lot of work to get here, and launching is a big win!