How to Use This Checklist
- Work top to bottom within your stage; do not skip data isolation because the landing page is pretty
- Check an item only when verified by a second account or a stranger test
- Mark Owner and Date in your tracker (Notion/Linear/sheet)
- If half the technical “before users” section fails, pause paid GTM
Related deep dives: launch-ready vs demo-ready, security risks, GTM strategy.
Key Takeaway: A launch checklist is a risk burner, not a confetti plan. Burn trust risks before attention risks.
Track A — Before Real Users
Product Truth
- Core journey written as ≤7 steps (signup → aha)
- Happy path completed twice on production or production-like staging
- Empty, error, and loading states exist on the core journey
- Mobile (or primary device) usable for core journey
Accounts and Data
- Fresh user test from clean browser profile
- Second user cannot access first user’s data (manual IDOR attempt)
- Logout / session expiry behaves safely on shared devices
- Backup or export path understood for critical data
Legal / Trust Minimums
- Privacy policy and terms linked where you collect accounts
- Contact or support path visible
- Accurate claims only (no fake social proof)
Track B — Technical Launch Checklist
Secrets, Auth & Authz
- No production secrets in client bundles or public repos
- Auth callbacks and env configs correct per environment
- Server-side (or privacy-rule) authorization on all sensitive reads/writes
- Admin surfaces restricted and not linked publicly by accident
Data Layer (Supabase / Firebase / DB / Bubble Privacy)
- RLS/rules/default-deny reviewed on user-owned tables
- Storage/files not world-readable unless intentional
- Service-role/admin keys only on trusted server paths
Payments & Entitlements (if charging)
- Webhook signatures verified
- Entitlements enforced server-side
- Cancel / failed payment / refund behavior defined
- Test purchase completed end-to-end in sandbox and recorded
Reliability & Ops
- Error tracking on (without PII/secrets leaking)
- Uptime or traffic basic monitoring on critical routes
- Dependency lockfile committed; obvious vulnerable packages addressed
- Rollback or redeploy path known to someone awake at launch
- AI/API quotas and billing alerts set so a viral loop cannot bankrupt you overnight
- Logs redacted; no card data or raw tokens stored
Agents & Automations
- Least-privilege tokens for bots/cron/agents
- Destructive tools require safeguards
Full narrative on failure modes: Vibe Coding Security Risks. Human help: Technical Launch Audit. Unstable build: Complete My App.
Key Takeaway: Technical launch readiness is boundaries + recoverability. Perfection optional; silent data leaks and unrecoverable deploys are not.
Track C — GTM Launch Checklist
ICP & Offer
- ICP written with disqualifiers
- Wedge outcome in one sentence
- Homepage headline matches in-app first value
- Pricing/packaging understandable without a call
- “Does / does not” scope stated somewhere public
Onboarding & Conversion
- Time-to-aha path uses sample data or minimal inputs
- Single primary CTA through marketing → product
- FAQ covers top three objections
- Trust elements appropriate to stage (proof, clarity on data, human contact)
Distribution Readiness
- One primary channel chosen for 30 days
- Launch assets ready (demo video or screenshots that match UI)
- Analytics on funnel steps (signup & aha proxy)
- Outbound or community templates drafted
Goals
- Week-one success metric defined
- Kill/pivot criteria defined (what evidence changes the plan)
Deep GTM system: SaaS GTM for AI-built products. Human help: GTM Launch Audit.
Track D — Launch Week Checklist
Day −2 to −1
- Freeze non-essential feature merges
- Re-run core journey + second-user data test
- Confirm billing webhooks on production endpoints
- Support inbox / shared mailbox staffed
- Status communication channel ready (even if simple Notion page or banner)
Launch Day
- Ship the announced wedge only—no surprise redesign
- Monitor errors, signups, payment events in real time for first hours
- Capture qualitative feedback in one place
- Resist emergency feature builds; prefer config/copy fixes
Comms
- Launch post uses ICP language, not “we built with AI” as the hero
- Pin clear CTA and expected next step
- Thank early users; log feature requests without promising timelines
Track E — Post-Launch 14 Days
Days 1–3
- Triage crashers and auth/billing issues first
- Interview 5 users who activated and 5 who stalled (if volume allows)
- Patch onboarding copy at the biggest drop-off
Days 4–7
- Review funnel metrics vs week-one goal
- Cut or hide one confusing feature surface
- Double down on the distribution message that earned replies
Days 8–14
- Decide: expand distribution, tighten ICP, or technical hardening sprint
- Write the next two-week plan with one north-star metric
- Schedule the next readiness review (self or external)
Key Takeaway: The first 14 days are for learning velocity, not feature velocity. Protect the core journey like uptime.
Summary Table
| Phase | Technical focus | GTM focus | Exit signal |
|---|
| Before users | Isolation, secrets, authz, payments backbone, monitoring | ICP, wedge, landing/onboarding alignment, one channel | Stranger can complete aha safely |
| Launch week | Freeze risk, watch errors/billing, rollback ready | Clear CTA, support on, message discipline | No trust-breaking incident; feedback flowing |
| Days 1–14 | Fix crashers; harden top failure | Conversations; funnel patches; channel focus | Evidence-based next sprint plan |
Soft Checkpoint: Free Scan into the Right Audit
After you complete Tracks A–C once, run a Free Launch Readiness Scan on the real URL or repo. Use it to prioritize—not to rubber-stamp. If the snapshot clusters on infrastructure/UX/code risk, consider the Technical Launch Audit. If it clusters on clarity/trust/conversion, consider the GTM Launch Audit. Many founders need a sequence, not a single hammer.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What should an AI-built SaaS launch checklist include?
Both technical items (auth, data isolation, secrets, payments, monitoring) and GTM items (ICP, messaging, onboarding, pricing clarity, channel, metrics), plus launch-week and post-launch learning tasks.
How is this different from a generic product launch checklist?
It assumes AI-assisted velocity: UI polish arrives early, while authz, RLS, entitlements, and wedge positioning lag. The checklist biases toward those failure modes.
Can I launch with unchecked items?
Yes—if you accept the risk consciously. Do not leave unchecked items that enable data leaks, payment bypass, or total deploy failure when inviting strangers.
How long does it take to complete?
A focused team can verify fundamentals in days if the product is small. Larger mixed codebases need longer—or a human audit to prioritize.
Should technical or GTM be 100% done first?
Neither needs perfection. Both need a minimum bar for unattended use. Raise the lower score first (see the scorecard in the launch-ready guide).
Do I need Launchieve to use this checklist?
No. The checklist is free to execute. Launchieve helps when you want signal snapshots or human audits under time pressure.
Where do security details live?
See Vibe Coding Security Risks for eight failure modes and a 20-point security checklist you can merge into Track B.
What is the single most skipped item?
Honest second-user data isolation tests—and stranger onboarding without founder narration.
Ship Technical Trust & GTM Clarity Together
Print this AI-built SaaS launch checklist, assign owners, and verify with real clicks. When you want a fast external read, start with a free scan or explore our audits.
L
Launchieve Technical Review Team
Technical Audit Engineers
We review AI-built codebases across security, infrastructure, APIs, and launch readiness. Our team has audited products built with Cursor, Lovable, Bolt.new, Replit, Supabase, Firebase, and mixed AI-assisted workflows. Every finding in this article comes from patterns observed in real technical reviews — not theoretical scenarios.
