Launch criteria are the explicit conditions a product must meet before launching to its target audience, documented in advance and used as go/no-go decision points. They apply to soft launch, GA launch, or any defined release milestone, and they align teams on what "ready" actually means. The discipline transforms launch decisions from "vibes" to "documented commitments" and is one of the higher-leverage product-management practices. Without explicit launch criteria, launches happen when someone decides it's time, often before the product is actually ready.
The components:
Functional completeness criteria:
Quality cr...