The MVP Launch Checklist: 21 Things to Do Before You Ship
The gap between an MVP that is built and an MVP that is launched is a long list of small, unglamorous items. Here is the checklist we run before we let any product meet real users.
Published · 16.04.18
Product and onboarding
Most MVPs lose users in the first two minutes, not in the deep features. Fix the entrance first.
- A first-run experience that gets the user to value without a manual.
- Empty states that explain what to do, not blank screens.
- Every error message written for a human, with a way forward.
- One clear primary action per screen.
Measurement, or you are launching blind
You cannot iterate on feelings. Before launch, instrument activation, the core action, and drop-off between them, and make sure someone actually reads the numbers weekly.
- Product analytics with named events for signup, activation and the core action.
- Error and crash reporting with alerts to a channel someone watches.
- Uptime monitoring on the API and the marketing site.
- A feedback path inside the product — email, form or chat.
Legal, trust and the boring essentials
These block conversions and app-store approvals more often than founders expect, and they take an afternoon to do properly.
- Privacy policy, terms, refund policy and a data-deletion route (required by both stores).
- Cookie/consent handling if you serve the EU.
- Transactional email that reliably lands: verified sending domain, SPF, DKIM, DMARC.
- Payments tested end to end, including a real refund and a failed card.
- Metadata, sitemap, robots.txt and social preview images for the marketing pages.
Frequently asked questions
How polished should an MVP be at launch?
Narrow but finished. A small product that feels complete builds trust; a broad product that feels unfinished loses users you cannot win back.
Should I launch publicly or to a private list?
Start with a private group so you can fix the first embarrassing issues, then go public once activation looks healthy.