Product launch template
Product launch timeline template
Most launch plans die in a spreadsheet nobody opens. This one is a single link: kickoff through GA on one bar, with a countdown to whichever milestone is next. Start from the template below, swap in your dates, and send the URL to design, engineering, and GTM.
Use this template
Opens in the editor. Free, no signup.
The milestones
Roughly 32 weeks end to end. Weeks are relative to the first milestone — set your own dates once it's open in the editor.
| When | Milestone | Phase |
|---|---|---|
| Week 0 | Kickoff | Planning |
| Week 4 | Discovery & research | Discovery |
| Week 9 | Design review | Design |
| Week 15 | Engineering build | Build |
| Week 22 | Beta launch | Launch |
| Week 32 | GA release | Launch |
What to put on it
- A kickoff date everyone agrees on, so "when did this start" never gets relitigated.
- A design-complete checkpoint that sits before build, not next to it.
- Code freeze or feature freeze — the date that actually protects the launch.
- Beta or early access, if you have one. It's the milestone most likely to slip.
- GA, plus whatever marketing needs to have shipped before it.
Questions
- How far ahead should a product launch timeline go?
- Far enough that the last milestone is the launch itself, and no further. Two quarters is typical for a significant release. Anything beyond that tends to be a roadmap, not a launch plan, and it gets ignored.
- How many milestones should I use?
- Five to eight. Fewer than five and the timeline hides the risky handoffs; more than eight and people stop reading. Group the detail under phases instead of adding milestones.
- Can I share it without making people sign up?
- Yes. Publishing gives you a public URL that anyone can open, and pasting it into Slack, Teams, or Discord unfurls a preview of the actual timeline. Nobody needs an account to view it.
Make it yours in about a minute.
The template opens as a draft in your browser. Edit the dates, publish when it's right, and share the link — it unfurls as a preview of the actual timeline in Slack, Teams, Discord, and iMessage.
Use this template