8 Product Phases
Define the overall product strategy if you are launching a new product or feature.
- Steps
- 11
- Last edited
- Oct 12, 2026
- Created by
- Nova
About this process
The tool is a checklist for product managers to use when launching a new product or feature. It covers various aspects of the process, including discovery, definition, validation, design, development, launching strategy, training, and attracting new users. The checklist prompts product managers to consider important questions, such as what they know about the market, their competitors, and users' pain points, and how they will measure success. By following this checklist, product managers can ensure they are prepared for every phase of the product launch and have a good communication plan, a way to train users, and a solid launching strategy.
The process in detail
11 steps- 1
Intro:
- 2
Discovery.
- 3
Definition.
- 4
Validation.
- 5
Design.
- 6
Implementation & Development.
- 7
Launching strategy.
- 8
Training.
- 9
Marketing.
- 10
Create a document
- 11
Validation.
Read the full text
1. Intro:
Launching a new product feature or creating a new product requires that a product manager not only prepares user stories and writes a good epic for developers, but also defines a good action plan and strategy for that initiative. This includes having a good communication plan, a way to train users to use the new feature or product, and a launching strategy. Product managers can use this tool as a checklist to think about each phase of the product, from discovery to validation.
Product phases:
2. Discovery.
Answer the following questions and define an action plan to answer them: What do you know about the market? What are your competitors doing? ðŸ˜ðŸ˜«What do you know about your users and their pain points? 👀What job are they trying to do (Job-to-be-done)? How would they describe their pain? How often do they experience it? How likely are they to change the way they currently respond to that pain? Why should they choose your product?🙂
3. Definition.
Define the problem you are trying to solve. What should success look like? What is causing the problem? Can you solve the problem or are you creating a painkiller or a distraction? What would be nice-to-have? What are your current assumptions, and how risky are those assumptions?
4. Validation.
By the end of this initiative or product launch, what do you want to learn? How are you going to measure success? How should designers measure success?
5. Design.
Explore what should be simplified and focus on solving the problem first. How would the design look? Would it be good enough to validate this experiment? Provide a success criteria.
6. Implementation & Development.
🔥🔥What do developers need to implement this design? What is non-negotiable? What is the timeline?
7. Launching strategy.
Define how this product or feature should be launched. Do you need to send an email to communicate these changes to current users? Should you write a post or a press release? How will you generate excitement about this product or feature? Create a list of key activities to support your launch.
8. Training.
How will you ensure users don't have to contact your support team to use the new product or feature? Do you need to update your Q&A page? Do you need to create how-to videos? How can you ensure people can find the information they need to achieve their goals?
9. Marketing.
How will you attract new and current users to use this new product or feature? How will you increase your revenue? Think about a promotion or a lead generation campaign.
10. Create a document
Create a 1–2 page executive summary outlining the key highlights for each phase and subsection visible in the 8 Product Phases diagram (The Market, The Problem & solution or painkiller, Success Criteria & Nice-to-Have, Risks, Operational readiness across all touchpoints prior to and during release, marketing strategy, ...)
11. Validation.
Finally, go back to the validation phase and validate your learning. What have you learned? Have you validated some of your hypotheses?
What's next? Would you change something to improve the results?
👉👉Add your conclusions inside the conclusion section.
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