The MVP Launch Checklist: 20 Things to Do Before You Go Live

Ninety percent of startups fail. That's not a scare tactic—that's reality. Here's what hurts: most of those failures are preventable. They're caused by skipping the unsexy stuff—the checklist items that don't feel urgent until it's too late.

Technical Foundation (Items 1-8)

1. Load Test Your Critical Paths

Simulate 2x your expected launch traffic. If anything breaks, fix it now.

2. Audit Your Cloud Security

99% of cloud security failures are customer misconfiguration. Check your S3 buckets, enable MFA, run a CSPM scan.

3. Set Up Error Tracking

Implement Sentry or Rollbar. Set up uptime monitoring. Configure alerts to Slack.

4. Test Payment Flow End-to-End

Process real test transactions. Test failed payments, refunds, and webhooks.

5. Implement Rate Limiting

Add rate limiting to API endpoints. Enable Cloudflare or similar CDN with DDoS protection.

6. Verify SSL/TLS Certificates

Use Let's Encrypt. Test with SSL Labs. Set up auto-renewal.

7. Check Database Backup and Recovery

Enable automated daily backups. Actually test restoring from one.

8. Review Third-Party Dependencies

Run npm audit or pip-audit. Update critical packages. Set up Dependabot.

Marketing & UX (Items 9-13)

9. Write Clear Onboarding Docs

Create a "Getting Started" guide. Add tooltips. Record a 2-minute demo video.

10. Set Up Support System

Create support email. Set up simple FAQ. Define response time goals.

11. Prepare Your Launch Message

Write a one-sentence value proposition. Prepare social media posts and email copy.

12. Create Feedback Collection Mechanism

Add a feedback widget (Canny, UserVoice, or Google Form). Make it visible.

13. Test on Real Devices

iOS, Android, Chrome, Safari, Firefox. Use BrowserStack if needed.

Legal & Compliance (Items 14-16)

14. Publish Privacy Policy and Terms

Use TermsFeed or get lawyer review for sensitive data. Ensure GDPR compliance for EU users.

15. Implement Cookie Consent

Add consent banner. Allow opt-out of non-essential cookies.

16. Review Data Handling

Hash passwords (bcrypt). Encrypt data at rest and in transit. Document where user data lives.

Analytics & Metrics (Items 17-20)

17. Set Up Core Analytics

Implement GA4 or Mixpanel. Track signups, core feature usage, conversions.

18. Define Your North Star Metric

Pick one metric that represents real value delivery. Make sure everyone knows it.

19. Configure Conversion Tracking

Set up conversion pixels. Use UTM parameters consistently.

20. Create Your Dashboard

Build a simple dashboard in Google Data Studio. Share it weekly.

Launch Smart, Not Perfect

This checklist isn't about achieving perfection—it's about avoiding preventable disasters.

You don't need a perfectly polished product. You need a product that's secure, measurable, legal, and actually usable. Everything else can iterate based on real user feedback.

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