Go-to-Market Launch Playbook

A practical roadmap to pre-launch momentum: positioning, channels, and timing.

1. Overview

Launching a new product isn't just about pressing "go."

At 99 Studio, we know that great ventures rarely fail because of bad ideas—they fail because of poor go-to-market (GTM) execution.

This playbook is designed to help you build real-world traction from day one, before you launch.

We've worked with early-stage teams, venture builders, and product owners to launch products that drive real traction, not vanity metrics. This document distills our proven GTM framework into a clear, actionable process designed to:

• Define your launch positioning
• Identify the most responsive early channels
• Build momentum before release
• Avoid the silence that follows a "soft launch"

This isn't a generic marketing guide. It's a strategic execution framework.

If you're here to launch something meaningful, fast, and scalable, you're in the right place.

1.1 Who This Playbook Is For

• Founders preparing to launch a new product or venture
• Teams building an MVP and wanting GTM to run in parallel
• Operators responsible for launch planning, demand generation, and early traction

1.2 How to Use This Document

Use this playbook as a step-by-step roadmap:

1. Start with positioning (who, why now, why you).
2. Plan your GTM timeline and phases.
3. Run channel experiments to find what works early.
4. Use the pre-launch checklist to ensure you're launch-ready.
5. Focus the first 30 days on learning and iteration, not vanity metrics.

You can adapt sections into internal docs, Notion pages, or task lists for your team.

2. Why GTM Planning Matters

Too many founders build first and market later. That delay costs:

• Time: slow learnings, slow iteration
• Trust: cold launches with no social proof
• Budget: spending on channels that aren’t validated

Your GTM strategy should run in parallel with your MVP development—not trail behind it.

This guide helps you:

• Define your launch positioning
• Identify the most responsive early channels
• Build momentum before release
• Avoid the silence that follows a “soft launch”

3. The GTM Timeline (Before & After Day 1)

Here’s how we break it down at 99 Studio: a sequence of focused phases leading into launch and the first 30 days.

3.1 High-Level Timeline

3.2 Phase 1 – Positioning Sprint (−90 to −60 Days)

Goal: Achieve crisp, testable positioning before you push traffic anywhere.

Key outcomes:

• Clear definition of who you serve
• A compelling “why now” narrative
• A differentiated value proposition and credibility proof

Deliverables:

• Tagline options
• Problem and value statements
• Early narrative for website, decks, and outreach

3.3 Phase 2 – Channel Discovery (−60 to −30 Days)

Goal: Learn which channels show early signs of efficient traction.

Activities:

• Run small-budget paid tests (e.g., Google Ads, Meta, LinkedIn)
• Launch simple landing page + lead magnet
• Start lightweight content on core social channels
• Explore early partners (newsletters, communities, influencers)

Metrics to watch:

• Cost per qualified lead (CQL)
• Click-through rates (CTR) on key messages
• Early lead quality (based on conversations, calls, or replies)

3.4 Phase 3 – Community Warmup (−30 to −10 Days)

Goal: Turn initial interest into a warm audience ready for launch.

Activities:

• Drive traffic to a waitlist or early access form
• Share product previews or teaser content
• Offer lightweight access (e.g., demos, office hours, private beta)
• Engage in 1–2 “water coolers” where your users hang out (Discords, LinkedIn groups, newsletters, etc.)

Outcomes:

• A segmentable email list (early adopters, partners, press, etc.)
• Qualitative feedback on messaging and product concept

3.5 Phase 4 – Launch Operations (−10 to 0 Days)

Goal: Ensure launch day is operationally smooth, not chaotic.

Activities:

• Finalize brand and product assets (website, deck, visuals, FAQs)
• Lock in launch-day communications (emails, posts, announcements)
• Prepare support workflows (inbox, help docs, escalation paths)
• Confirm tracking and reporting (analytics, conversions, attribution)

Output:

• A final, signed-off launch kit with all required assets and links
• Clear run-of-show for launch day and week

3.6 Launch & First 30 Days (Day 1 to Day 30)

Goal: Learn fast and double down on what works.

Activities:

• Turn on the channels that tested well in earlier phases
• Monitor user behavior, activation, and retention closely
• Run weekly positioning and pricing tune-ups
• Collect structured feedback from early users

Remember: the first 30 days are not about scale; they’re about signals.

4. Crafting Your Positioning

Before you launch, you must answer:

• Who is this for?
• Why now?
• Why you?

4.1 The Core Questions

Ask yourself and your team:

• What specific segment are we targeting first?
• What has changed in the world that makes this product urgent or timely?
• What unique insight, experience, or asset do we have that others don’t?

4.2 Build Your Positioning Stack

Create a simple but powerful positioning stack:

• Tagline – Clear, memorable, and benefit-oriented
• Problem Statement – The pain or friction you’re solving in plain language
• Value Proposition – The specific outcome or transformation you deliver
• Credibility Builder – Why they should trust you (track record, pilots, advisors, case studies, etc.)

At 99 Studio, we stress-test all positioning using founder interviews and live feedback loops with real prospects—not just internal opinions.

5. Early Channel Discovery

Don’t waste budget trying to “scale” what hasn’t been proven.

Instead, run controlled experiments across three buckets:

5.1 Paid Acquisition (Test Budget Only)

Channel examples:

• Google Ads
• Meta (Facebook/Instagram)
• LinkedIn

Approach:

• Start with small A/B tests around audience + message combinations
• Evaluate cost per qualified lead, not just clicks
• Kill underperformers early and reinvest in what works

5.2 Organic & Owned

Foundation elements:

• Landing page with a clear primary CTA (waitlist, demo request, or early access)
• Lead magnet that provides immediate value (e.g., checklist, playbook, mini-audit)
• Social content that educates or entertains your target audience
• Email waitlist with simple nurture sequences

Principle: Make every touchpoint useful, not just promotional.

5.3 Community & Partnerships

Find 1–2 “water coolers” where your users already hang out:

• Relevant newsletters
• Online communities (Discord, Slack, forums, LinkedIn groups)
• Industry partners or complementary tools

Approach:

• Contribute value before you pitch
• Offer exclusive early access or learning sessions
• Track referrals and engagement from each partner/community

Track every signal. Cut what doesn’t convert. Double down on what does.

6. Pre-Launch Checklist

Here’s what we run through with our ventures before launch. Use this as a ready-to-copy checklist:

• Landing page with a clear, singular CTA
• Product waitlist or early access funnel configured
• Onboarding preview or teaser content (screens, demo, video)
• Launch day email sequence (announcement, reminder, follow-up)
• Social proof (pilot customers, testimonials, logos, or metrics)
• Press release draft and/or targeted outreach list
• Reporting dashboard for:
  • Ads performance
  • Site traffic and key funnels
  • Leads and conversions

If you’re missing several items above, you’re not truly launch-ready—regardless of how finished your product feels.

7. What to Expect Post-Launch

Your first 30 days are not about scale; they're about learning and signal quality.

7.1 Expected Reality

You should expect:

• Low volume, high-value users who are more engaged than typical traffic
• An emphasis on qualitative feedback over raw numbers
• Rapid iteration based on what you learn
• Channel performance variance — some will work, others won't

This is normal. The goal is to identify what works, not to hit arbitrary volume targets.

7.2 Key Metrics to Track

Focus on these behavioral indicators:

• Activation rate – Percentage of users who complete the core action
• Retention – Users who return within the first week
• Referral rate – Users who share or invite others
• Cost per qualified lead (CQL) – Efficiency of each channel
• Time to value – How quickly users experience the core benefit

These metrics tell you more about product-market fit than vanity numbers ever will.

7.3 Weekly Review Process

Set up a weekly review cadence:

1. Review channel performance – Which channels are driving quality leads?
2. Analyze user behavior – What are users actually doing?
3. Collect feedback – What are users saying in support, surveys, or calls?
4. Make decisions – Double down on what works, cut what doesn't

Document your learnings and decisions. This creates a clear record of what's working and why.

8. Common Pitfalls to Avoid

Learn from the mistakes we've seen teams make:

8.1 Launching Too Early

Problem: Launching before positioning is clear or channels are tested.

Solution: Complete the positioning sprint and channel discovery phases before launch day.

8.2 Chasing Vanity Metrics

Problem: Focusing on sign-ups, page views, or social media likes instead of behavioral signals.

Solution: Track metrics that directly relate to your core value hypothesis.

8.3 Spreading Budget Too Thin

Problem: Testing too many channels with too little budget to get meaningful signals.

Solution: Focus on 2–3 channels initially. Get clear signals before expanding.

8.4 Ignoring Early Feedback

Problem: Dismissing negative feedback or user confusion as "edge cases."

Solution: Treat every piece of feedback as a signal. If multiple users are confused, you have a problem to solve.

8.5 Over-Engineering the Launch

Problem: Spending weeks perfecting assets, messaging, and workflows instead of launching and learning.

Solution: Launch with "good enough" and iterate based on real user behavior.

9. Scaling What Works

Once you have clear signals, it's time to scale intelligently.

9.1 When to Scale

Scale when you can answer "yes" to all of these:

• Do you have at least one channel with consistent, efficient lead generation?
• Are users completing the core action at a rate that indicates product-market fit?
• Is your cost per qualified lead sustainable for your business model?
• Do you have clear next steps for the next 90 days?

If any answer is "no," focus on fixing that before scaling.

9.2 How to Scale

When you're ready to scale:

1. Increase budget on proven channels (don't just add new ones)
2. Systematize what's working (document processes, create templates)
3. Expand to similar channels or audiences
4. Automate repetitive tasks (email sequences, reporting, etc.)

Remember: scaling amplifies what works. If you scale something that doesn't work, you'll just fail faster and more expensively.

10. Summary Checklist

Use this section as a quick reference to ensure you're not skipping critical steps.

Pre-Launch Checklist

Before launch day, ensure you have:

• Landing page with a clear, singular CTA
• Product waitlist or early access funnel configured
• Onboarding preview or teaser content (screens, demo, video)
• Launch day email sequence (announcement, reminder, follow-up)
• Social proof (pilot customers, testimonials, logos, or metrics)
• Press release draft and/or targeted outreach list
• Reporting dashboard for:
  • Ads performance
  • Site traffic and key funnels
  • Leads and conversions

If you're missing several items above, you're not truly launch-ready—regardless of how finished your product feels.

11. Closing Note from 99 Studio

We've launched products across industries — from SaaS to marketplaces to B2B tools. What works is always the same:

• Crisp positioning that answers who, why now, and why you
• Channel discipline — test, measure, cut, and double down
• An obsessive focus on real user behavior, not vanity metrics
• Speed and iteration over perfection

If you're tired of launching to silence and want to move from "we built this" to "users actually want this," then this playbook is your starting point.

Let's launch things that work.

Source framework by 99 Studio.