Product Launch Solutions for Startup Companies
This section presents scenarios that include typical challenges faced by startup companies during product development and launch.
Scenario 1: Commercializing Licensed Technology
Company profile: Millions of dollars and multiple years have already been spent on basic research and refinement of the technology at a leading university. A few of the team's original scientists and engineers form a company and license the technology. Bright individuals that recently obtained MBA degrees join the team. Intellectual property and other legal issues have been addressed. Venture funding was obtained to operate the company for two years. It is the start of the second year and in the next 12 months, the management team plans to grow the company to 50 people and ship the first product.
How can this company transition from a team that wrote a compelling business plan to a product producer? How should the development effort proceed? What details should be in the marketing plan and the launch plan? What plans and deliverables will produce the highest return on investment? What should be underway to ensure that year three is successful?
To complement the talent and experience of the original team, a product launch solution developed and delivered by OpLaunch might include the following tasks:
- Improve the efficiency of development organization. Develop and deliver the appropriate internal development and launch training.
- Ensure that the executive team provides the appropriate support to the development team
- Develop a product roadmap. Define versions 1, 2, and 3 of the product with feature sets that comply with the desired introduction date of the first product
- Develop a system to identify the daily/weekly critical path issues and communicate development and launch priorities to the entire organization
- Engage the appropriate resources to ensure that worldwide product compliance issues are addressed
- Design and develop the required sales, service, and customer support systems
- Assist the R&D and marketing managers as they develop processes and documents related to product development and launch. Evaluate and implement appropriate project tools.
- Orchestrate efforts with partners such as public relations, advertising, and documentation representatives to achieve maximum synergy for the product
- Design and implement the plans for the first few tradeshows when the product will be introduced
- Transition the company culture from an academic culture to an agile, business culture
- Design and implement a launch management system
Scenario 2: Discontinuous Innovation
Company profile: Several experienced individuals at a mature technology company identify a new business opportunity. They form a new company and attract several other seasoned engineers, a neophyte marketing representative, an MBA, and two sales specialists. The strength of their management team enables them to attract angel investors. They expect that this funding will be sufficient for the first year of operation if the team operates very efficiently. The need to organize their development team for speed and minimize expenses related to facilities.
How does the team operate without the infrastructure they were accustomed to at their previous company? How can this company quickly develop a working prototype with the appropriate feature set within one year? What details should be in the marketing plan and the launch plan? What plans and deliverables will produce the highest return on investment?
To complement the talent and experience of the seasoned founders, a product launch solution developed and delivered by OpLaunch might include the following tasks:
- Enlist the appropriate development and launch partners to ensure that the virtual development and launch team provides the necessary resources to supplement the resources available at the startup company
- Ensure that the executive team has communication tools that maximize the efficiency of the multi-vendor development organization
- Collaborate with the executive team and partners to define versions 1, 2, and 3 of the product with feature sets that comply with the desired introduction date of the first product
- Develop a system to identify the daily/weekly critical path issues and communicate development and launch priorities to the entire development organization
- Design and develop the required sales, service, and customer support systems
- Assist the staff of the startup company as they develop processes and documents related to product development and launch
- Orchestrate efforts with other partners such as public relations, advertising, and documentation representatives to achieve maximum synergy for the product when early adopters evaluate the product
- Design and implement the plans for the first few tradeshows when the product will be introduced
- Design and implement a launch management system
- Prepare the startup company for the second year of operations
