Update: Added the Launch Canvas tutorial video
The BrainKraft #Launch Canvas is a single-page launch planning tool. It's designed as a thinking tool to help you work through the why and how of a product launch. It's also a great tool to present to your leadership team so they can see your thought process and not get hung up on the details of the deliverables.
Launch planning can focus too much initially on the tactics and bypass the strategic thinking needed for a successful product launch. The BrainKraft Launch Canvas helps you do just that.
First is to document what you are launching, who's driving the bus, when, and its priority relative to other product launches.
At the top of the Launch Canvas are the launch director, the product to be launched, the launch date, and the launch tier.
The main body of the Launch Canvas is divided into three columns.
The leftmost column contains an area to capture the target market segments on the top of the column. The bottom of the column captures the competition you are likely to encounter in the listed market segments.
The middle column focuses on launch success metrics and a measurable definition of a successful product launch. Starting in the center of the column are the Launch Objectives. These are Win, Keep, and Grow. Winning new customers, keeping the customers you've won, and growing the customers you keep.
Each launch objective must have three elements:
The metric of how the objective is measured.
The quantity of the metric you want to achieve of that metric.
A timeframe you wish to complete the launch objective within.
On the top of the launch objectives column is Advantages. List your advantages with buyers in your target market segments, along with how you plan to leverage those advantages.
At the bottom of the launch objectives column is Obstacles. These are the barriers that could prevent you from achieving your stated objectives. Obstacles can be internal resistance and external friction in the market (like regulatory approval or licensing). Provide a short description of the countermeasures you plan to use to remove or reduce the impact of each obstacle.
The right-most column contains Key Milestones at the top. List the big rocks that must be completed in this area, like sales enablement or regulatory approval. Resist the urge to use this space as a project plan. Think of this space as a way to communicate the big things that must happen for a successful product launch. The specific deliverables and activities can be listed in your project plan.
The primary function of listing Key Milestones is to provide status and context for your stakeholders. A sales executive cares about sales enablement, and an operations executive cares about something else. Avoid getting into the weeds of the project management aspect of your product launch.
At the bottom, list the Resources and Budget you need. Don't be cheap but do be realistic. The people who control the resources and the budget need to know what you need to be successful. It may require adjusting the launch objectives if you need more resources or budget.
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