How I approach product launches after 10 years in the game
What a decade of launching has taught me about timing, storytelling, and earning attention.
I like to think I work in the game of attention. Over the past 10+ years in tech, I’ve launched my fair share of products, features, drafted hundreds of stories, repositioned entire products, and shaped the narrative of many companies.
I’ve spent an unthinkable amount of time constructing stories, and agonising over what will get attention and cut-through. That isn’t a complaint, I love what I do.
In 2025, it’s getting harder to get attention. Every founder has the challenge of helping people notice, understand, and care, not once, but over and over again.
That’s the part many founders underestimate.
Because the truth is, no one cares that you launched a product. Not anymore.
The landscape has changed. AI, no-code tools, and solo builders have made it easier than ever to ship. Building isn’t the barrier, being seen is. And just shipping something doesn’t earn attention. It barely earns a shrug.
Which is why I don’t treat launches as one-off announcements. I treat them as narrative moments.
Some launches should be loud. Others should be quiet. Some are meant to shift perception. Others are about reinforcing momentum. And a lot of the time, what you’re actually launching isn’t a product, it’s a point of view.
In this piece, I’m sharing how I think about launches, not from a campaign checklist or tactical perspective, but from a narrative and timing lens that helps founders make smarter decisions about how they show up in market.
You’ll learn:
The difference between product launches, feature drops, and how I structure long-drawn out launches
Why early access is one of the most underrated launch strategies (and how to use it well)
How to structure a multi-milestone “rolling thunder” launch that builds momentum
And why the best launches aren’t always the biggest and best features, they’re the ones that move your story forward
Let’s get into it.
First let’s start with what a product launch is.
🚀 Product Launches = major moments
These are your “pay attention to me” moments:
Your first public release
A major repositioning (e.g., plugin → platform, tool → workflow suite)
A funding milestone that reframes your story and raises the stakes
Product launches work best when there’s a clear reason the world should care now.
It’s less “look what we built” and more “here’s where we’re going.”
They land hardest when tied to a bigger narrative shift: a new market direction, a new ICP, or a new way to solve an old problem.
For early-stage startups in stealth, I usually recommend tying your first product launch to a funding announcement. It guarantees eyes on the story and gives you something bigger to stand behind than just a new product.
This is where you define your category, or at least, your edge in it.
🧠 Product launch examples I like
→ Clay’s Repositioning to outbound
Clay evolved from a general data enrichment tool into a focused outbound sales engine. It wasn’t a new product, it was a new story. They clarified their ICP, tightened the messaging, and executed a sharp, well-timed launch. The campaign resonated with the sales community and served as a masterclass in using a funding milestone to reposition, taking full advantage of a moment when all eyes were already on them.
→ Descript’s found-led launch
When Descript launched its AI video editing agent, founder Andrew Mason skipped the press release and posted a direct-to-camera video on LinkedIn. He called it “Cursor for video.” It was punchy, personal, and culturally aware. The phrase “vibecode your video” is still bouncing around. That’s how you drop into a trend with confidence.
→ OpenAI + Jony Ive = Vision as launch
OpenAI’s partnership with legendary designer Jony Ive wasn’t a product release, it was a flag in the ground. It reframed what the future of AI could feel like. Sometimes your vision is the launch.
🔐 Private early access = the opportunity for a second swing
Not every launch needs to be loud.
Some of the smartest launches I’ve seen start quietly as a private early access or invite-only rollout. These work especially well for early-stage products, beta features, or when you’re still figuring out your narrative in real-time.
Why I love this approach:
You build with, not for, your earliest users
Early access creates a safe space to co-design. You’re getting real feedback, refining your message, and building social proof, all before the spotlight’s on.
You can deliver a high-touch onboarding experience
No mass flows. Just hands-on, contextual guidance that helps you learn what resonates and what doesn’t.
You manually kickstart the flywheel
Virality and scale don’t just happen. Early on, everything is manual, and that’s the point. Private launches give you space to build real relationships, treat your early users like gold, and turn them into advocates, while providing proof that people love your product.
You get the opportunity to re-launch
That’s the real kicker. Coming out of early access or off a waitlist gives you a second swing, a clean chance to reframe the message, sharpen the demo, and go broader with a more confident story, backed by user proof.
The question I often get asked is how do we nurture early access users. We don’t just want them to sit on a list and never get spoken to right?
Ways to nurture early access users:
Run a weekly demo drop to your waitlist to show product progress and build a following.
Offer early access to a specific persona or use case and tailor onboarding to them.
Onboard waitlists or private users in batches.
Gamify the waitlist by encouraging sharing.
If you’re still shaping the story or want more signal before going loud, private early access is one of the most powerful GTM strategies in the playbook.
🛠 Feature launches = momentum builders
Most of your launch calendar won’t be fireworks, it’ll be fuel.
Feature drops:
Show momentum
Give sales and CS a reason to reach out (if you’re a more mature product)
Reinforce the themes you care about (speed, AI, collaboration, etc.)
I often group features like this:
New: A whole new capability
Improved: Clear UX or performance upgrades
Repackaged: Old but underused stuff that just needs better framing
In my opinion, any feature is up for grabs when it comes to repackaging. And you don’t have to have new functionality to talk about it again.
⛈ Rolling Thunder = strategic story in milestones
Some launches don’t land in one moment, they unfold over time.
I call this approach Rolling Thunder: a structured sequence of 3–4 key product milestones, each with its own message and moment, all building toward a bigger final release or GA (generally available).
To pull this off, each milestone needs punctuation. A clear message, a visible unlock, and a link back to the overarching theme.
How I usually structure it:
🔹 Milestone 1: Narrative kickoff
Message: What’s changing? Why now?
Introduce the theme, name the shift, tease what’s ahead.
This moment reframes expectations and opens the story loop.
🔹 Milestone 2: Key capability 1
Message: “This is where it begins.”
Drop a meaningful feature or workflow shift, something that proves you're not just talking, you're building.
🔹 Milestone 3: Strategic unlock
Message: “This takes us further.”
Ship a deeper capability, integration, or enabler that builds on earlier momentum. The message evolves the vision without losing the thread.
🔹 Milestone 4: Big Bang!
Message: “Here’s the full story.”
Full GA, partner integrations, big campaign push.
Everything lands harder because of the groundwork you laid.
Rolling thunder launches work best when you're building something big, and need to break it down.
Instead of going quiet for 9 months and suddenly launching everything at once, this approach lets you break a large initiative into smaller, intentional milestones. Each drop creates a marketing moment, and more importantly, brings your users along for the journey.
You can tailor each release to your audience:
Use VIP drops to engage existing customers
Or turn key moments into top-of-funnel plays if you're looking to grow awareness
It’s not just about shipping more often, it’s about shaping the narrative as you go.
📅 Product Narratives = structured attention
Once a company starts shipping regularly, I help build a 6–12 month calendar, not just of features, but story arcs.
I group features into 3–4 themes per year. That becomes your GTM rhythm:
Each drop reinforces a theme
Each theme builds your positioning
Marketing, sales, and content stay aligned
Too many themes? You lose clarity. Too few? You lose momentum.
I usually aim for a healthy mix of launch tiers across the year:
One Tier 1 launch: your major market-facing moment: a big narrative swing, new direction, or flagship feature
One or two Tier 2 launches: designed to deepen engagement with current customers: think major improvements, new workflows, or strategic integrations
A handful of Tier 3 launches: smaller enhancements or feature drops that show consistent momentum and give teams a reason to re-engage
The goal: every launch, big or small, plays its part in the bigger narrative with enough variety to stay visible, and enough structure to stay coherent.
🎯 Wrap-up: every launch move shapes a story
Every launch is a bid for attention, but not all attention is created equal.
Some launches are designed to make a splash. Others are about reinforcing momentum, quietly but consistently. The key is knowing the difference, and being intentional about what kind of story you’re telling, and why.
That’s how I think about launches. Not as isolated events, but as moves in a longer narrative: each one building on the last, shaping how your product is perceived, and earning you the right to keep showing up.
So if you’ve got a launch coming up , whether it’s a big market moment, a feature drop, or something in between, I’d love to hear how you’re approaching it.
Because in a world that’s shipping fast, how you tell the story is what makes people pay attention.
👀 On a personal note:
💭I’m thinking about…visual expression and visual journalling.
🫶 What I’m doing: I just wrapped up a 5-week still-life drawing class. It’s part of my push to be more observant and find an #adulthobby that’s not work, parenting, or ticking off life admin.
💻 What I’m working on in May..
Competitive enablement for a leading AI image generator
GTM groundwork and weekly activation sprints for a brand-new product
Brand narrative and positioning for an AI-native tool (can’t wait to share more soon 👀)
Helping founders create founder-led content through structured narratives and POV shaping
ARR forecasting and GTM planning for an established SaaS: mapping the funnel and identifying growth levers
This is just a slice of the work I do with early-stage and scaling teams. Want help with yours? Let’s talk.
⚙️ How I’m using AI this month: I built a customisable ARR forecasting tool to help a client understand lead volume vs. uplift scenarios using Claude so I could input different numbers live.
💬 Got a launch coming up? Hit reply, I’d love to hear how you’re thinking about it.
CAN I LOVE THIS EVEN MORE! *****narrative moments******* - offt!!!!!!
Love this, Tania! I'm currently approaching some of our launches in the same way (particularly around the major repositioning, early VIP access and rolling thunder. Will report back!