Lesson 5 of 6
Launch strategy and first sales
Learning objectives
- Choose between drop, evergreen and pre-order launches
- Build a 4-week launch runway
- Stack waitlist, email, organic and paid
- Set a realistic first-launch revenue target
Pick a launch shape
A drop is short, urgent and limited — great for brand energy, harsh on inventory if it misses. Evergreen is always-on — kinder on cash flow but needs constant traffic. Pre-order de-risks stock but tests customer patience. Pick the shape your product, audience and cash flow can actually support.
Four-week launch runway
Week 4: tease the problem and the product world. Week 3: open the waitlist with a real incentive. Week 2: behind-the-scenes, sampling, photography and proof. Week 1: countdown, FAQ, reviews from testers, founder story. Launch day: email + SMS + organic + small paid push to your warmest audience first.
Set a real first-launch target
First launches rarely sell out. A realistic target is to cover production cost, validate sizing/quality assumptions and build a reviewed customer base for launch two. If you sell more, great. If you only validate, that is still a win.
Founder insight — Derrick Twum
The brands that look like 'overnight launches' usually had a quiet waitlist of 800–3,000 people built over months. Launch day is the harvest, not the planting.
Key takeaway
Pick a launch shape, build a 4-week runway, warm your list first, and define what 'success' looks like beyond units sold.
Reflection questions
- 1Drop, evergreen or pre-order — and why?
- 2What does your 4-week runway look like?
- 3What is a realistic unit target for launch one?
Action task
Draft your 4-week launch calendar with content theme, channel and offer for each week, plus a clear launch-day plan.
Worksheet
Work through these prompts. Answers save to this device.
Answers are saved to this device only. Cloud sync coming soon.
Related MEM tools
- Post Scheduler
- AI Marketer
- Go Live