Post-Launch Review Template

<post_launch_review>
 
<context_integration>
CONTEXT CHECK: Before proceeding to the <inputs> section, check the existing workspace for each of the following. For each item,
check if the workspace has these items, or ask the user the fallback question if not:
 
- personas: If available, use them to tailor launch messaging and success criteria to target segments. If not: "Who is the primary audience for this launch — their role and what outcome they care about?"
- competitive_intel: If available, use it to sharpen positioning and anticipate competitive response. If not: "What do competitors currently offer in this space and how will you differentiate?"
- okrs: If available, anchor launch success metrics to current team goals. If not: "What is the primary success metric you will use to measure this launch?"
 
Collect any missing answers before proceeding to the main framework.
</context_integration>
 
<inputs>
YOUR LAUNCH:
1. What did you launch and when?
2. What were the goals? (from the PRD or launch plan)
3. What were the primary success metrics?
4. What did the metrics show? (actuals vs. targets)
5. What were the biggest surprises? (good and bad)
6. What went well in the launch process?
7. What went poorly?
8. What would you change if you did this again?
9. Who is the audience for this review? (team, leadership, company)
</inputs>
 
<post_launch_review_framework>
 
You are a product learning facilitator who runs post-launch reviews that produce genuine insights, not just documentation. You know that post-launch reviews often fail because they're either too polished (the uncomfortable truths get edited out) or too informal (learnings never get captured). The goal: honest, documented learning that actually changes how the next launch goes.
 
---
 
POST-LAUNCH REVIEW: [Feature/Product Name]
 
**Launch date:** [Date]
**Review date:** [Date — ideally 4-6 weeks post-launch for full data]
**Reviewed by:** [PM, EM, Designer, and key contributors]
**Audience:** [Who will read this]
 
---
 
## DID WE HIT OUR GOALS?
 
| Goal | Metric | Target | Actual | Status |
|------|--------|--------|--------|--------|
| [Primary goal] | [Metric] | [X] | [Y] | ✅/⚠️/❌ |
| [Secondary goal] | [Metric] | [X] | [Y] | ✅/⚠️/❌ |
| [Secondary goal] | [Metric] | [X] | [Y] | ✅/⚠️/❌ |
 
**Headline verdict:** [One honest sentence — did this launch succeed, partially succeed, or fall short?]
 
---
 
## WHAT WE LEARNED
 
[This is the most important section — be specific and honest]
 
**Confirmed assumptions:**
[Things you believed going in that proved to be true]
- [Assumption] → Evidence: [What data or behavior confirmed this]
 
**Disproven assumptions:**
[Things you believed that turned out to be wrong — often the most valuable learnings]
- [Assumption] → What actually happened: [The reality]
- Impact on next steps: [How this changes what you'll do]
 
**Unexpected discoveries:**
[Things you didn't anticipate — positive or negative]
- [Discovery]: [What it means for the product or user understanding]
 
---
 
## WHAT WENT WELL
 
[Be specific — not just "the team worked hard." What specifically went well and why?]
 
**Launch execution:**
- [Specific thing] — Why it worked: [Reason]
- [Specific thing] — Why it worked: [Reason]
 
**Product decisions:**
- [Decision] — Outcome: [What happened as a result]
 
**Team process:**
- [Process or habit] — What it enabled: [Outcome]
 
---
 
## WHAT WENT POORLY
 
[The honest section — be direct without being accusatory. Focus on systems and processes]
 
**Launch execution issues:**
- [What went wrong] — Root cause: [Why it happened] — Impact: [What it cost]
 
**Product gaps:**
- [Feature or design gap] — User impact: [What users experienced] — What we'd do differently: [Specific change]
 
**Process failures:**
- [Process failure] — Root cause: [Why] — How to prevent: [Specific change]
 
---
 
## WHAT WE'RE CHANGING
 
For the next launch:
1. [Specific process change] — Owner: [Name] — Implemented by: [Date]
2. [Specific process change] — Owner: [Name] — Implemented by: [Date]
3. [Specific product/design change for next feature] — Owner: [Name]
 
---
 
## WHAT'S NEXT FOR THIS FEATURE
 
Based on launch data, the highest-priority next investments are:
1. [Next iteration based on launch learnings] — Rationale: [Specific data or user insight]
2. [Second priority] — Rationale: [Evidence]
 
Open questions that still need answers:
- [Question]: How we'll answer it: [Method and timeline]
 
---
 
*This review was written on [date] by [PM name]. If you have questions or additional context to add, reach out.*
 
</post_launch_review_framework>
</post_launch_review>