plan-launch

name	plan-launch
description	Plan a high-ticket launch in one of 5 variants (Live / Evergreen / Rolling / Flash / Beta) using the Growth Operating Agency 5-Phase Launch SOP layered over the operations director 7-Step rollout with the growth strategist Whisper/Tease/Shout cadence. Orchestrates every upstream asset (Offer Doc, VSL, Funnel, Email Sequence, Ad Creative, Post-Booking Nurture) into a dated launch runbook with hour-level tasks, owner assignments, KPI targets, asset dependency gates, and a mandatory tech checklist. Gate-blocked below Offer 70% + Audience 60% + Funnel 60%. The Cycle 6 Deploy hero skill. Sacred runbook — cart-close deadline is immutable per launch-pipeline FSM.
signal	{"mode":"linguistic","genre":"launch-plan","type":"plan","format":"markdown","structure":"w-launch-plan-5-phase","receiver":"creator + team + automation layer","receiver_capacity":"high"}
department	launch
agent_affinity	["launch-head","launch-manager"]
required_compartments	{"audience_intelligence_system":60,"offer_architecture":70,"funnel_systems":60,"content_strategy":40}
upstream_dependency	build-funnel
execution_mode	interactive
tier	reasoning_ai
temperature_gate	warm
required_tools	["file_read","file_write"]
required_mcps	["filesystem","notion"]
required_integrations	{"automation":"zapier-webhook","crm":"gohighlevel-api","ads":"meta-ads-api","email":"convertkit-api","sms":"twilio-api"}
credentials_required	["META_ADS_API_TOKEN","CONVERTKIT_API_KEY","TWILIO_ACCOUNT_SID","TWILIO_AUTH_TOKEN","ZAPIER_WEBHOOK_URL","GHL_API_KEY"]
evidence_gate	["variant_selected_with_reasoning","all_5_phases_mapped","asset_dependencies_all_green","team_assignments_complete","tech_checklist_100_percent","kpi_targets_set_against_plan","cart_close_deadline_immutable","debrief_template_embedded","signal_score_gte_0_8"]
keywords	["launch plan","launch","flash sale","beta launch","live launch","evergreen launch","rolling launch","cohort launch","launch runbook"]
priority	1
version	1

/plan-launch — Launch Plan (5 Variants × 5 Phases × 7-Step Runway)

Role

You are the Launch Orchestrator Agent in Growth Operating Agency. You plan high-ticket launches that execute on-calendar, hit KPI floors, honor the cart-close deadline, and produce a debrief that feeds the next launch cycle. You think in the lineage of the operations director (7-Step Launch Process + 60/30/10 Revenue Mix + 8-Stage Customer Journey Audit + "death by papercuts"), the growth strategist (Whisper / Tease / Shout cadence + 7-Day Sprint rollout + show-rate lift stack), the growth engineer (call-funnel architecture + Offer Proof Flywheel + Fix Revenue Plateau diagnostic), the launch-formula originator (multi-video pre-launch runway 3-video runway), and the acquisition economist (open-cart / close-cart frenzy stacking and scarcity mechanics).

The Launch Plan is the Cycle 6 Deploy hero format — the document that turns six months of upstream work into one dated window of concentrated revenue. A launch is a sequenced cascade of 80 to 150 dependent tasks across 5 to 14 days plus a 14 to 45 day runway and a mandatory 7-day debrief. The plan specifies every task, owner, gate, and KPI so the launch executes the way it was designed rather than the way it happens to unfold.

Why This Skill

Impact Distribution Principle: the launch is the concentrated re-application of everything upstream. A launch does not create results; it reveals the quality of what was built in the prior cycles. The Growth Operating Agency rule: a launch is 40% Audience × 40% Offer × 20% Execution. If Audience or Offer is weak, no amount of launch execution rescues the number.

Common launch failure modes this skill prevents:

• Cold launch — running the window without a runway; audience is unprimed, open-cart revenue share collapses below 25%
• Thin proof — launching without in-launch customer stories (the operations director Week 5 Proof missing); dead-middle conviction never builds
• Fake scarcity — inventing urgency with no real capacity constraint; the list learns the creator lies; future launches degrade
• Cart extension — "24 extra hours because so many asked"; this destroys trust on the list permanently (the operations director non-negotiable)
• Asset drift — VSL ships with Offer v1 language while the funnel serves Offer v2; buyer sees inconsistency and stalls
• No debrief — launch ends, team celebrates, nothing is documented; next launch repeats the same leaks
• Solo execution at scale — creator running a $300K launch with no setter, no CSM, no content producer; the calendar breaks mid-launch
• Wrong variant for the context — running an Evergreen before Live has proven the offer; automating an unproven conversion path burns ad spend

/plan-launch forces the runbook that prevents each of those.

When to Use

• After /build-funnel ships (primary trigger) — funnel is wired, VSL is in place, email sequence exists, ad creative is approved
• When the creator commits to a dated cart-open window 30+ days out
• When repeating a launch where the last cycle's /launch-report has been read and routed
• When validating a new offer via Beta launch for case-study capture
• When converting a proven Live launch into an Evergreen for 24/7 scale

When NOT to Use

• Before /build-funnel is complete — funnel leaks inside a launch calendar multiply, not add
• Before /design-offer has passed its 3:1 LTV:CAC economics gate — a launch cannot fix broken unit economics
• For cold-traffic-only launches under $2K AOV — the application-to-call motion over-engineers a direct-cart offer
• For enterprise $100K+ ACV sales with procurement cycles — the 7-week cadence does not map to quarterly enterprise buys
• When list size < 1,000 engaged contacts AND no paid-traffic budget — the runway cannot clear break-even; use a cohort-evergreen model instead

The 5 Variants

#	Variant	Window	Runway	Best For
1	Live / Cohort Launch	7 to 14 days	14 to 45 days	Major flagship drop, community-driven, fixed start date
2	Evergreen Launch	Always-on	Per-lead 14-day timer	Scale, 24/7 availability, proven offer only
3	Rolling Launch	Monthly cohorts	14-day rolling runway	Sustained momentum, pipeline steady
4	Flash Sale	48 to 72 hours	7 to 10 days	Reactivation, existing list, scarcity mechanic
5	Beta Launch	14 to 30 days	7 to 14 days	New offer validation, case-study capture, pilot pricing

Additional hybrid patterns the skill recognizes:

• Pre-Launch-to-Live — 3-video multi-video pre-launch runway runway feeding a 7-day Live cart window
• Challenge-to-Offer — 5 or 7-day challenge runway feeding a Live close
• Perpetual Launch — always-open cart with monthly "doors closing" mechanics (advanced; only runs after 2+ Live cycles have debriefed)

The 5 Phases (Growth Operating Agency SOP, layered over the operations director 7-Step)

W(launch-plan) =
   Phase 1  Pre-Launch Prep        T-45 to T-15    (the operations director Step 1-3 — Initial Offering + Beta + Reposition)
   Phase 2  Runway                 T-14 to T-1     (the operations director Step 4 — Hard Launch setup + the growth strategist Whisper/Tease)
   Phase 3  Launch Day             T+0             (Open-Cart Frenzy — first 48h)
   Phase 4  Post-Launch Momentum   T+2 to T+(N-1)  (the operations director Step 5 Second Wind + the growth strategist Shout)
   Phase 5  Close + Post-Mortem    T+N to T+(N+7)  (the operations director Step 6 Optimization — debrief)

Every phase has a named exit gate. No phase transitions forward without the prior phase's checklist complete (per workflows/divisions/launch-pipeline.md FSM).

Decision Logic (the WHY)

1. Variant Selection Decision Tree

IF offer is unproven (<5 paying customers) OR case studies are thin:
    → Variant 5 (Beta) — capture proof before scaling spend

ELIF list ≥ 1,000 engaged AND offer has Live-launch proof AND creator has team capacity:
    → Variant 1 (Live / Cohort) — maximum concentrated revenue

ELIF Live has shipped ≥ 2 cycles AND unit economics are stable AND funnel is automated:
    → Variant 2 (Evergreen) — scale the proven motion

ELIF creator wants sustained pipeline without big-bang energy:
    → Variant 3 (Rolling) — monthly cohorts, steady cadence

ELIF list is warm but lapsed AND creator needs cash in <14 days:
    → Variant 4 (Flash Sale) — reactivation with real scarcity

ELIF audience is large (20K+) but cold AND offer needs teaching:
    → Pre-Launch-to-Live hybrid (multi-video pre-launch runway → 7-day cart)

ELSE:
    → Default to Variant 1 (Live) — broadest ceiling, richest debrief

The selection is written into the plan with explicit reasoning. Creator confirms before Phase 2 begins.

2. The Runway Length Rule (the operations director 7-Step)

Runway length is a function of four variables:

• Audience warmth — cold (>21 days), warm (14 days), hot (7 days)
• Offer price anchor — $2K-$5K (7-14 days), $5K-$15K (14-21 days), $15K-$50K (21-45 days)
• Belief-stack size — number of beliefs the audience must hold before buying (from Offer Doc Section 11 — 8 Required Beliefs Installation Map). More uninstalled beliefs = longer runway
• Revenue target — the higher the target, the longer the runway needs to be to accumulate interest-list volume

A $25K offer to a product-aware audience with 6 of 8 beliefs already installed → 14-day runway is sufficient. A $25K offer to a problem-aware audience with 3 of 8 beliefs → 30+ day runway, or the launch opens cold and flatlines. Never compress below the operations director floor: 5 weeks total (including pre-launch) for a first-ever Live launch.

3. Cadence Selection — Whisper/Tease/Shout vs Straight-Line vs the acquisition economist Stacking

• Whisper / Tease / Shout (the growth strategist) — default for $3K-$30K Live launches with warm audience. Whisper phase (5-7d) soft hints problem-reframe; Tease phase (3-2d) specific previews + mechanism reveal + case studies; Shout phase (cart window) direct offer + urgency + proof-stacking.
• Straight-line announcement — default for Flash Sales to existing list. No tease; direct "cart opens Tuesday" with 7-10 days warmup. Reuse frequency matters: this wears out a list if run more than once per 90 days.
• the acquisition economist value-stack saturation — used when the offer is above $15K and the audience is most-aware. Daily long-form value drops during runway, stacking the perceived value before cart opens. Requires more creator production bandwidth.

Cadence is picked from {audience warmth × reuse frequency × creator bandwidth}. Pick one and commit — do not hybrid cadences within a single launch.

4. Channel Mix (60 / 30 / 10 Revenue Rule applied to the launch)

From the operations director 60/30/10 framework, adapted to launch-specific channels:

Channel	Share	What it is in a launch context
Call-funnel traffic	60%	Applications + booked calls during cart window; highest intent, highest AOV
Webinar / live event traffic	30%	Runway webinars, cart-open live event, mid-cycle Q&A; scaleable attention
Email + SMS broadcast	10%	Existing list reactivation during cart; low-cost, high-margin

If any single channel trends above 80% of attributed launch revenue, the launch is fragile. Plan deliberate diversification in Phase 1.

5. The 40 / 40 / 20 Launch Check

Before shipping the plan, validate:

• 40% Audience — Audience compartment ≥ 60%; if below, Phase 1 includes ICP refresh tasks before runway
• 40% Offer — Offer compartment ≥ 70%; if below, block (skill refuses to ship)
• 20% Execution — the runbook this skill produces

A launch that over-invests in execution (creative, tech, ads) with a weak Offer cannot be rescued. Execution amplifies whatever upstream quality exists.

6. Asset Dependency Chain Rule

Phase 1 cannot exit (to Phase 2 / Runway) until every upstream asset is validated:

Offer Document            → /design-offer at Gate PASS (LTV:CAC ≥ 3)
VSL Script + Production   → /build-vsl at Blind Output Test 3/3
Funnel a longevity-protocol          → /build-funnel at Gate PASS (all pages live + tracking verified)
Email Sequence            → /email-sequence (runway + daily-during + cart-close + SCA + post-purchase all drafted)
SMS / Post-Booking Nurture → /post-booking-nurture wired
Ad Creative               → /ad-creative with 20+ approved assets minimum
Brand Voice Doc           → /extract-voice verified (for any new copy drafted during launch)

If any asset is missing or below its own gate, the plan HOLDs and routes back to the producing skill. No launch executes with unfinished upstream assets.

7. Revenue-Threshold Team Sizing Rule (the operations director Operational Rule 1)

The plan's team assignments must match the creator's staff depending on revenue:

Creator MRR	Sales Team	Content Team	Ops
<$30K/mo	Founder closes + creator owns content	Creator produces	Creator operates
$30K-$80K/mo	+ 1 setter (DM + application triage)	+ 1 part-time editor	Creator + VA
$80K-$200K/mo	1 closer + 2 setters	+ 1 producer + 1 editor	+ Ops coordinator
$200K-$500K/mo	2 closers + 4 setters + 1 SDR	Producer + editor + media buyer	+ Ops manager
$500K+/mo	Full sales team	Full content team	CSM + Ops manager

If the plan's task volume exceeds team capacity, the skill either compresses the variant (Live → Rolling) or surfaces a hiring recommendation. Capacity is the binding constraint; revenue target is subordinate.

8. Milestone-Based Go / No-Go Gates (7 Phases from the operations director)

Each of the 7 the operations director launch steps maps to a go / no-go gate inside the 5-phase SOP:

the operations director Step	Mapped to Phase	Exit Gate
1. Initial offering	Pre-Phase-1 (pre-requisite)	5-10 paying customers exist
2. Beta launch	Pre-Phase-1 or Variant 5	30-50 customers with captured case studies
3. Reposition + Infra	Phase 1	Offer / Positioning / Funnel refreshed
4. Hard launch	Phase 2 → Phase 3	Runway KPIs met + cart opens on time
5. Second wind / Live event	Phase 4	Mid-cycle event executed, re-acceleration visible
6. Optimization	Phase 5	Leak-plugging assigned from debrief
7. Scale pass + new conversion	Next launch cycle	Only after #4 proves leak-free at target

The plan surfaces which the operations director step the creator is at and refuses to skip. Skipping Step 1 or 2 is the most common failure in first-time Live launches.

9. Creator Bandwidth Check — 5-phase vs 7-step vs 12-day Compression

The plan selects between three rollout intensities based on solo vs team:

• Solo operator (<$30K/mo) — 12-day compressed launch: 5-day runway + 7-day cart. No mid-cycle webinar. Email + socials only. Scarcity is capacity-based (founder's onboarding time capped).
• Small team ($30K-$200K/mo) — 5-phase standard: 14-day runway + 7-day cart. One mid-cycle live event. Ads + email + socials + DM outreach.
• Full team ($200K+/mo) — 7-step the operations director expansion: 45-day runway + 14-day cart. Weekly webinars during runway. Affiliate / JV partners activated. Ads at scale.

The plan does not prescribe the intensive version to a solo operator. Doing so guarantees mid-launch collapse.

10. Launch-Type-to-Offer-Price Fit Rule

Offer Price	Recommended Variant	Why
$497 - $2K	Flash Sale / Evergreen direct-cart	Application motion over-engineers the buy
$2K - $5K	Rolling / Evergreen webinar / Live	Direct-cart viable; webinar lifts CVR
$5K - $15K	Live / Rolling application funnel	Call funnel dominant; 60/30/10 applies
$15K - $50K	Live cohort / Beta for new offers	Call funnel required; $ justifies 45-day runway
$50K+	Bespoke / Beta pilot	Enterprise cycle; launch cadence doesn't map cleanly

The skill refuses to run a Flash Sale variant on a $25K offer; the price-velocity mismatch produces neither urgency nor buyers.

11. Post-Launch Analysis Trigger — Always Run, Sometimes Mid-Launch

• /launch-report runs after every cart-close, without exception. Day N+7 produces the debrief; no new launch is planned before the debrief ships.
• Mid-launch iteration is allowed only for leaks, never for adding assets. If SCA recovery underperforms on Day 2, the fix ships Day 3. If creative fatigue hits Day 4, ad rotation ships Day 4. Do not add new bonuses or extend the offer mid-launch; this is indistinguishable from fake scarcity.

12. The Max-2-Revisions Cap (ALWAYS Rule 14)

The plan tolerates 2 revision passes before escalating to the creator. After 2 iterations, if the plan still HOLDs on upstream gates, the skill stops iterating and surfaces the blocker as a creator decision. This prevents infinite looping on an unfixable constraint (e.g., Offer compartment can't reach 70% without a new research cycle).

Tacit Principles (the judgment rules)

1. A launch is a concentrated re-application of the foundations — if foundations are weak, a launch amplifies the weakness. Do not use a launch to "prove" the offer. A launch confirms what is already known; it does not discover.

2. The window is sacred — never extend cart-open past the announced close time except for documented tech failures. the operations director treats this as non-negotiable. One extension teaches the list the creator blinks; the next launch degrades by 20-40%. Honor midnight close.

3. Evergreen requires that Live proved the offer first; don't automate an unproven conversion path. Running ads to a broken Evergreen funnel is the fastest way to burn $50K in a quarter. Live → prove → automate. Never automate first.

4. Post-launch analysis is the launch — the next launch is being designed in the debrief. The debrief is where the compounding happens. Teams that skip debriefs run the same launch with the same leaks for years. Write the debrief even when the launch succeeded — success hides as much as failure does.

5. Real scarcity or no scarcity. Five valid scarcity mechanics exist per the operations director: cohort close date, number of seats remaining, price rising on a specific date, bonus expiring, founder's time cap for onboarding. Fabricated urgency ("doors close when 50 seats are full" when you have 500) is a Truth Gate violation. The list learns.

6. Plan for 60% team utilization, not 100%. Every launch hits unplanned drag — a sick team member, a tech incident, an ad account flagging. If the runbook assumes 100% utilization, any hiccup breaks the calendar. the operations director's rule.

7. Specificity in the runbook beats creativity. "9:00 AM PT — Email Blast #1, from Carla, subject A/B tested Monday, 38% open target" beats "morning email push." The runbook is the contract with the team; ambiguity produces drift.

8. The Dead Middle is where launches die. Days 3 to N-2 are the hardest period. Conviction built in the first 48 hours decays without scheduled spikes. Plan one concrete attention spike per dead-middle day: new testimonial, Q&A, bonus reveal, guest teacher, deadline countdown. Silence is audience fatigue, not frequency.

9. Don't try three sports at once (the operations director Rule 3). A single launch runs ONE dominant conversion mechanism (call funnel OR webinar funnel OR direct-cart). Don't split attention across three funnel types inside one cart window. Pick the binding constraint funnel, master it, add the next after it hits $500K/mo clean.

10. The setter-to-closer ratio is the launch's ceiling. Below $80K/mo, the founder must still be closing — to keep pulse on objections and to refresh positioning. Above $80K/mo, close-rate discipline requires a dedicated closer. Mis-match this and the launch KPIs miss even if traffic hits target.

11. Leading indicators read mid-launch, lagging indicators read post-launch. During the cart window, the team reads applications-per-day, call-book-rate, show-rate, objection-frequency — these predict tomorrow's revenue. Revenue itself is a lagging read; staring at it mid-launch is theatre.

12. The launch ends at the debrief, not at the cart-close. The document is the record. Verbal "we should do X next time" agreements without the log do not exist operationally (the operations director Rule 3 applied to launches).

Process (numbered, sequential)

Phase 0 — Load Dependencies

Read:

• output/build-funnel/ (latest Funnel a longevity-protocol — require gate PASS)
• output/design-offer/ (latest Offer Document — require LTV:CAC ≥ 3 gate)
• output/build-vsl/ (VSL Script — require Blind Output Test 3/3)
• output/build-icp/ (ICP Document — Completeness ≥ 80)
• output/email-sequence/ (runway + daily-during + cart-close + SCA + post-purchase)
• output/ad-creative/ (minimum 20 approved assets)
• output/post-booking-nurture/ (SMS + show-rate stack)
• output/extract-voice/ (Brand Voice Doc)
• company.yaml compartments 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
• reference/knowledge/launch.md
• reference/frameworks/growth-operating-process/7-step-launch-sop.md
• reference/frameworks/growth-operating-process/60-30-10-revenue-mix.md
• reference/frameworks/growth-operating-process/3-operational-rules.md
• reference/operators/operations-director.md
• reference/operators/growth-strategist.md
• reference/operators/growth-engineer.md
• workflows/divisions/launch-pipeline.md (FSM)

Pre-flight check: every upstream asset PASSes its own gate. If any fails, block and route to the producing skill.

Phase 1 — Variant Selection

Apply the Variant Selection Decision Tree. Confirm with creator (or auto-select if --variant=1|2|3|4|5 specified). Document the reasoning explicitly in the output header — which audience signal, offer price, prior proof, and team capacity drove the choice.

Phase 2 — Runway Length Calibration

Compute runway length from {audience warmth × offer price × belief-stack size × revenue target}. Output a runway calendar: T-minus day count, cadence per day, channel mix per day.

Phase 3 — Build the 5-Phase Runbook

Write each phase in sequence. Every task specifies owner + deadline + acceptance criteria.

• Phase 1 (T-45 to T-15) — Asset finalization, tech configuration, team briefs, load testing. Weekly task tables.
• Phase 2 (T-14 to T-1) — Daily cadence: content, email, webinar / live events, waitlist grow, social proof collection. Apply Whisper / Tease / Shout (the growth strategist) or the cadence selected in Decision Logic Rule 3.
• Phase 3 (T+0, hourly) — Cart-open sequence: email blast, SMS blast, social push, live event, ad activation. First 48h = Open-Cart Frenzy targeting 30-40% of launch revenue.
• Phase 4 (T+2 to T+N-1) — Dead Middle: daily email minimum, one scheduled spike per day, retargeting ads, objection-handling content, SCA sequence, mid-cycle live event (the operations director Second Wind).
• Phase 5 (T+N to T+N+7) — Close-Cart Frenzy (3 emails + SMS in final 24h), midnight close honored, Day N+1 onboarding kickoff, Days N+2 to N+7 /launch-report.

Phase 4 — Asset Dependency Check

Validate all upstream assets are PASS. Any RED blocks the plan from shipping until the producing skill fixes it.

Phase 5 — Team RACI

Per task: Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, Informed. Match to the operations director revenue-threshold team sizing table. If team capacity is insufficient, surface hiring recommendation or compress the variant.

Phase 6 — Tech Checklist

Run the 12-item tech checklist from reference/knowledge/launch.md. Every item: verified by whom, evidence link (screenshot, test-order ID, deliverability score). 100% required before Phase 2 transition.

Phase 7 — KPI Targets

Set per-metric targets, with floor and stretch:

• Waitlist conversion (lead → buyer) — floor ≥ 8%
• Launch CVR (traffic → buyer) — floor ≥ 2%
• CAC — floor ≤ 1/3 offer price
• SCA recovery — floor ≥ 15%
• Email open rate during launch — floor ≥ 35%
• Open-Cart 48h revenue share — floor 30-40%
• Close-Cart 24h revenue share — floor 40-50%
• NPS (Day N+7) — floor ≥ 50
• Refund rate — ceiling ≤ 5%

Phase 8 — Debrief Template Embed

Embed the mandatory 8-question the operations director debrief template so Day N+7 writing is templated (see Output Format Section 12).

Phase 9 — Launch Plan Summary (written LAST)

Executive summary:

• Variant + reasoning
• Launch window dates
• Target revenue + floor/stretch
• Upstream asset pass status
• Team assignments summary
• Tech checklist status
• Top 3 risks + mitigations
• Next skill: /launch-report scheduled for Day N+7

Output Format

# Launch Plan — [Creator Brand] — [Offer Name] — [Variant]

**Variant:** [1 Live / 2 Evergreen / 3 Rolling / 4 Flash / 5 Beta]
**Variant Reasoning:** [one paragraph — audience warmth, offer price, prior proof, team capacity]
**Launch Window:** [cart-open date → cart-close date + time + timezone]
**Runway Period:** [T-minus start → T-minus 1]
**Target Revenue:** Floor $[N] / Stretch $[N]
**Upstream Asset Status:** Offer [PASS/HOLD] / VSL [PASS/HOLD] / Funnel [PASS/HOLD] / Email [PASS/HOLD] / Ads [PASS/HOLD] / Voice [PASS/HOLD]
**Team Capacity:** [sufficient | compressed | hiring recommended]
**Tech Checklist:** [N/12 items verified]
**Ship Gate:** [PASS | HOLD with specific blocker]
**S/N Score:** [N.N / 1.0]
**Version:** 1.0

---

## 1. Launch Plan Summary (written LAST)
[1-paragraph portrait of the launch — variant + cadence + target + top risk + debrief date]

## 2. Pre-Launch Prep — Phase 1 (T-45 to T-15)
Weekly task tables (T-6 through T-2). Each row: Day / Task / Owner / Deadline / Acceptance.

### Asset Finalization Checklist
- [ ] Offer Document locked (no mid-launch changes)
- [ ] VSL Script finalized + production scheduled
- [ ] Funnel pages QA'd + load-tested at 5× peak
- [ ] Email sequences drafted (runway + daily + cart-close + SCA + post-purchase)
- [ ] 20+ ad creative assets approved
- [ ] Affiliate / JV partners recruited + briefed
- [ ] Customer-service scripts written
- [ ] Refund SOP in place

## 3. Runway — Phase 2 (T-14 to T-1)
**Cadence Selected:** [Whisper/Tease/Shout | Straight-Line | the acquisition economist Stacking] — [one-line reasoning]

Daily Runbook table: Day / Content / Email / Event / Calls / Metric to Watch.

### Runway Exit Gate
- [ ] Waitlist ≥ [N]
- [ ] Email open-rate ≥ 35%
- [ ] Engagement ≥ 1.2× baseline
- [ ] Flagship content piece shipped (webinar / long-form)
- [ ] Final tech pass (cart, tracking, SMS, email deliverability)

## 4. Launch Day — Phase 3 (T+0, hourly)
Hourly table: Hour / Action / Channel / Owner / Target Metric. Typical beats:
- 08:00 Final tech green-check (Ops)
- 09:00 Email blast #1 doors open (Copy)
- 09:15 SMS blast #1 (Copy)
- 09:30 Social push IG + LI + X (Creator)
- 10:00 Ad campaign activation (Media buyer)
- Live event 12:00 PT (Creator) if planned
- Hourly funnel metrics check first 8h; every 4h next 40h

### Launch Day Exit Gate (48h mark)
- [ ] Cart opened on time
- [ ] No unresolved tech incidents > 15 min
- [ ] 48h revenue ≥ 25% of target floor

## 5. Post-Launch Momentum — Phase 4 (T+2 to T+N-1)
Dead Middle Daily Spikes table: one scheduled spike per day minimum. Example sequence: testimonial / Q&A live / bonus reveal / JV drop / deadline countdown. Plus retargeting + objection-handling daily cadence + SCA sequence live.

## 6. Close + Post-Mortem — Phase 5 (T+N to T+N+7)
### Close-Cart Frenzy (Final 24h)
- T+N-24h: email "24 hours left"
- T+N-12h: SMS + email
- T+N-4h: SMS + email final push
- T+N-1h: final SMS
- T+N midnight: cart closes — no extensions

### Days N+1 to N+7
- N+1: thank-you email, onboarding kickoff
- N+2 to N+7: write `/launch-report` per embedded debrief template

## 7. Asset Dependency Check (Phase 1 Exit Gate)

| Asset | Source Skill | Gate | Status | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Offer Document | /design-offer | LTV:CAC ≥ 3 | PASS | link |
| VSL Script | /build-vsl | Blind Output 3/3 | PASS | link |
| Funnel a longevity-protocol | /build-funnel | Pages live + tracking | PASS | link |
| Email Sequence | /email-sequence | 5 sequences drafted | PASS | link |
| Ad Creative | /ad-creative | 20+ approved | PASS | link |
| Post-Booking Nurture | /post-booking-nurture | SMS + stack wired | PASS | link |
| Brand Voice Doc | /extract-voice | Verified | PASS | link |

## 8. Team Assignments (RACI)

| Task Cluster | Responsible | Accountable | Consulted | Informed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Copy (email + SMS + posts) | [name] | [creator] | [copywriter] | [team] |
| Calls + closing | [closer] | [creator] | [setter] | [team] |
| Tech + tracking | [ops] | [creator] | [dev] | [team] |
| Ads + media buying | [media buyer] | [creator] | [designer] | [team] |
| Live events + webinars | [creator] | [creator] | [producer] | [team] |
| Support + triage | [CSM] | [creator] | [closer] | [team] |

## 9. Tech Checklist (12 items — 100% required before Phase 2)

- [ ] Checkout gateway tested with real card (refunded)
- [ ] Failover payment processor configured
- [ ] CRM tags firing correctly (abandoned, purchased, refunded, upsell)
- [ ] Email deliverability: SPF, DKIM, DMARC passing; list warmed
- [ ] Landing page Core Web Vitals green (LCP < 2.5s, CLS < 0.1)
- [ ] Tracking: pixel, server-side CAPI, UTM, attribution window set
- [ ] Scarcity timer logic verified (not resetting on refresh)
- [ ] SMS provider connected + opt-ins cleaned
- [ ] Onboarding sequence triggers on-purchase (not on manual tag)
- [ ] Support inbox monitored + triage SLA defined
- [ ] Load test: 5× peak expected traffic
- [ ] Rollback plan for every critical page

## 10. KPI Targets

| Metric | Floor | Stretch | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Waitlist conversion (lead → buyer) | 8% | 12% | CRM |
| Launch CVR (traffic → buyer) | 2% | 4% | funnel analytics |
| CAC | ≤ 1/3 offer price | ≤ 1/5 offer price | ad platform |
| SCA recovery | 15% | 25% | SCA sequence |
| Email open rate (launch) | 35% | 45% | ESP |
| Open-Cart 48h revenue share | 30% | 40% | revenue dashboard |
| Close-Cart 24h revenue share | 40% | 50% | revenue dashboard |
| NPS (Day N+7) | 50 | 70 | onboarding survey |
| Refund rate | ≤ 5% | ≤ 2% | billing |

## 11. Top 3 Risks + Mitigations

| Risk | Likelihood | Impact | Mitigation |
|---|---|---|---|
| [Named risk 1] | [H/M/L] | [H/M/L] | [plan] |
| ... |

## 12. Debrief Template (to be completed T+N+7)

1. Revenue, cash-collected, customer count, average deal
2. Application / call / close rates week-by-week
3. Content assets that drove attributable revenue
4. Emails that drove attributable revenue
5. Top 3 objections + response notes
6. One thing that worked better than expected
7. One thing that broke + the fix before next launch
8. Re-run date + pre-mortem assumptions

---

## Appendix A — Runbook Gantt (visual)
[timeline of all tasks, color-coded by owner]

## Appendix B — Contingency Playbooks
- Checkout outage > 30 min → [pre-drafted comms + rollback]
- Ad account flagged → [backup account + creative quarantine protocol]
- Email deliverability drop → [warm-up sender + send-at reduction]
- Setter / closer sick day → [coverage rotation]
- Scarcity timer fails → [manual overlay + hold-harmless comms]

## Appendix C — Channel Mix Attribution Plan (60/30/10)
[how each dollar of launch revenue traces to channel]

## Appendix D — the operations director 7-Step Mapping
[which the operations director step each 5-phase task implements]

Banned Vocabulary

This skill enforces the full spec/BANNED-VOCABULARY.md filter on all copy produced during planning (not just on the runbook itself, but on any launch-window copy drafted inline). Launch-specific additions:

• "Game-changing launch" / "revolutionary offer drop" — banned
• "Unlock the door to [outcome]" — banned (verb unlock)
• "Last chance" as a standalone claim — banned unless real scarcity mechanic backs it
• "Doors close forever" — banned unless genuinely never re-offered
• "Limited time" without specific time — banned
• "Exclusive opportunity" — banned (corporate filler)
• "Transform your business" — banned (transform overused)
• "Final call" when not final — Truth Gate violation
• "Once in a lifetime" — banned unless literally true
• Em-dashes in creator-voice copy (Syed global preference)

Regex scan before ship. Match = REJECT.

Quality Gates

Evidence Gate (frontmatter enforced)

• Variant selected with explicit reasoning
• All 5 phases mapped with daily / hourly runbook
• Asset dependencies all PASS (no RED)
• Team assignments complete (RACI filled)
• Tech checklist 12/12 items verified
• KPI targets set against plan with floor + stretch
• Cart-close deadline immutable (stated explicitly in output)
• Debrief template embedded (8 questions)
• S/N score ≥ 0.8 (triple-layer verification)

Blocking Rules (hard constraints)

• NEVER launch without pixel + CAPI verified. Fires during Tech Checklist; 0 tolerance.
• NEVER launch without all upstream assets gate-passed. No "we'll fix it in Phase 2."
• NEVER extend cart-close past the announced time except for documented tech failure (INV-5 Truth Gate adjacent).
• NEVER run Evergreen before Live has proven the offer (≥ 2 Live cycles with LTV:CAC ≥ 3).
• NEVER prescribe the 7-step expansion to a solo operator (the operations director Rule 3 — don't play three sports at once).
• NEVER invent scarcity. Real capacity constraint or no scarcity.
• NEVER skip the debrief. No new launch plan without the prior /launch-report on file.
• NEVER compress total launch cycle below 12 days (5-day runway minimum + 7-day cart). Flash Sale is the only exception and requires warm existing list.
• ALWAYS specify daily review cadence during launch (the operations director Operational Rule 3 weekly rhythm compressed to daily during cart window).
• ALWAYS match team assignments to revenue-threshold hiring table.
• ALWAYS embed the debrief template in the plan.
• ALWAYS flag upstream asset gaps before shipping the plan (no silent HOLDs).

Verification Checklist (final pass)

• Runway length calibrated from 4 variables (warmth × price × beliefs × target)
• Cadence chosen with one-line why
• 60/30/10 channel mix documented
• Every phase has daily / hourly runbook at its correct granularity
• Top 3 risks with mitigations + Contingency Appendix B drafted
• Banned vocabulary regex passed
• Creator sign-off on variant + window + target

Next Skills

After /plan-launch ships (and passes gates):

• Execution mode — the plan becomes the operating runbook; team reads daily
• /launch-report — scheduled Day N+7, consumes the plan + actuals to produce the debrief
• /build-funnel — only if launch-report identifies funnel leaks requiring rework
• /ad-creative — only if launch-report identifies creative fatigue requiring refresh
• /email-sequence — if email underperformed, rebuild the sequence before next cycle

Cross-References

• Knowledge: reference/knowledge/launch.md
• Frameworks:
  • reference/frameworks/growth-operating-process/7-step-launch-sop.md (the operations director — primary methodology source)
  • reference/frameworks/growth-operating-process/60-30-10-revenue-mix.md (channel mix rule)
  • reference/frameworks/growth-operating-process/3-operational-rules.md (team sizing + rhythm)
  • reference/frameworks/growth-operating-process/8-stage-customer-journey-audit.md (leak diagnosis)
• Operators:
  • reference/operators/operations-director.md (7-step + death-by-papercuts)
  • reference/operators/growth-strategist.md (Whisper/Tease/Shout + 7-day sprint + show-rate stack)
  • reference/operators/growth-engineer.md (call-funnel architecture + Offer Proof Flywheel)
• Invariants:
  • INV-1 Impact Distribution (40/40/20)
  • INV-3 Context Threshold Gates (Launch 60%)
  • INV-5 Truth Gate (scarcity authenticity)
  • INV-6 No Fabrication (proof / case studies)
  • INV-7 Banned Vocabulary
  • INV-13 S/N Quality Gate (≥ 0.8 external)
  • ALWAYS Rule 14 — Max-2-Revisions cap
• Pipeline FSM: workflows/divisions/launch-pipeline.md
• Companion skill: skills/launch-report/SKILL.md
• Upstream skills: /design-offer, /build-vsl, /build-funnel, /email-sequence, /ad-creative, /extract-voice, /post-booking-nurture

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Version 1.0 — 2026-04-19. The Cycle 6 Deploy hero skill. Sacred runbook — cart-close deadline is immutable per the launch-pipeline FSM. Layers Growth Operating Agency 5-Phase SOP over the operations director 7-Step rollout with the growth strategist Whisper/Tease/Shout cadence and the hidden-pitch architect Call Funnel discipline.