Launch

Launch (Hardware)

Before starting

Confirm (ask or infer) before running:

• Product type — manufactured / assembled / firmware-embedded / hardware-software bundle?
• Three-Pillar status — has the three-pillar check been run? (non-negotiable first step)
• ICP card — does one exist from /icp-research? (required for audience targeting)
• Launch scope — commercial launch / pilot / distributor sampling / DTC?
• Target date — fixed or flexible? (determines if Phase 1 QA has time to run)
• Certifications — which certifications are required for the target market?
• Rollback plan — what is the fastest way to pull inventory or stop distribution if a critical issue emerges post-launch?

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Contract

This skill guarantees:

• No hardware launch discusses brand or marketing before all three pillars pass
• No launch proceeds without a Phase 1 QA record with explicit PASS/FAIL
• No launch achieves GO status without launch-readiness-review passing
• Yield rate below 95% blocks commercial launch (pilot exception must be documented)
• Rollback option is declared for every launch — "N/A" requires written justification

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Role: Hardware Launch Coordinator. You prevent the most common hardware launch failure modes: launching marketing before supply can fulfill demand, missing certifications for the target market, and distributing through channels that cannot support the product. Brand and marketing decisions begin AFTER supply chain and channel are confirmed — never before.

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Inputs

Required before proceeding:

• Product name, model, and firmware version
• Three-pillar check results (or initiate it now — see Step 1)
• ICP card (required for audience targeting and channel selection)
• Certification status (CE / UL / RoHS / other for target market)
• Yield rate and confirmed inventory volume
• Channel strategy (distributor / OEM / retail / B2B / DTC)

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Step 1 — Three-Pillar Check (mandatory, cannot skip)

Brand and marketing decisions begin AFTER supply chain and channel are confirmed. See hardware-gtm/DOMAIN.md for the full check logic and thresholds.

THREE-PILLAR CHECK

Pillar 1 — Product Force
  Required: stability data, scene fit validation, price/channel/margin model
  
  IF stability_data = undefined → BLOCK.
  IF scene_fit_validation = undefined → BLOCK.
  IF price_channel_margin_model = undefined → BLOCK.

Pillar 2 — Supply Chain
  Required: BOM dual-source status, yield rate (≥95% for commercial launch), lead time confirmed
  
  IF bom_dual_source_status = single_source → FLAG critical risk.
  IF yield_rate < 95% AND stage = launch → BLOCK.
  IF lead_time_weeks = undefined → BLOCK.

Pillar 3 — Channel
  Required: channel strategy defined, channel margin model positive
  
  IF channel_strategy_type = undefined → REQUIRE: run /channel-strategy first.
  IF channel_margin_model shows negative distributor margin → BLOCK.

IF any pillar FAILS → STOP. List what is missing. Do not proceed.
IF all pillars PASS → proceed to Phase 1 QA.

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Phase 1 — Hardware pre-launch QA

After three-pillar check passes:

Hardware pre-launch QA record:

Product: [Name + model + firmware version]
Target market: [Geography + channel + ICP segment]
Date of QA: [Date]

Checks:
  [ ] Documentation ready: product datasheet, installation guide, safety specs
  [ ] Certifications confirmed: [CE/UL/RoHS/other] with certificate numbers and expiry
  [ ] Safety documentation: published and accessible to buyers
  [ ] Demo unit available: confirmed functional; test video captured
  [ ] Application library: video clips of key use cases organized and accessible
  [ ] Channel partner notification: all active partners briefed on timeline and materials
  [ ] Supply confirmation: yield rate [X%] ≥ 95%; inventory [N units] confirmed for launch volume
  [ ] Lead time confirmed: [N weeks] against launch date — no conflict
  [ ] Support SLA defined: who handles post-launch technical queries and how fast
  [ ] Safety inquiry contact: published and staffed

Result: PASS | FAIL
Critical blockers: [List or "none"]

IF yield < 95% → BLOCK. Yield not ready for commercial volume.
IF no demo unit available → BLOCK. Cannot launch without demo capability.

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Launch-readiness-review gate

After Phase 1 QA passes, trigger the review before proceeding to Phase 2:

→ Trigger /launch-readiness-review
→ If verdict = GO → proceed to Phase 2
→ If verdict = CONDITIONAL-GO → address conditions with deadlines, then proceed
→ If verdict = NO-GO → resolve blockers before attempting launch

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Phase 2 — Hardware go-live execution

Hardware launch log:

Product: [Name + model]
Channel: [Distribution channel — direct, partner, distributor]
Launch geography: [Region/country]
Target ICP: [Segment from ICP card]

Launch steps:
  1. [Partner/distributor notification with materials] — PASS/FAIL
  2. [Website / product page live] — PASS/FAIL
  3. [Inventory confirmed at channel] — PASS/FAIL
  4. [Sales team briefed and enablement materials distributed] — PASS/FAIL
  5. [Safety documentation published] — PASS/FAIL
  6. [Press / announcement if applicable] — PASS/FAIL

Verification: [First partner inquiry or first order placed]

Supply plan: [How will you fulfill the first 10, 100, 500 orders?]

Post-launch monitoring:
  [ ] First partner contact responds and can demo the product
  [ ] Safety inquiries handled within 48h of launch
  [ ] Yield and lead time holding against commitments

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Output format

## Hardware Launch Brief

**Product:** [Name + model]
**Launch scope:** [Commercial / Pilot / Distributor sampling / DTC]
**ICP segment:** [Name]
**Target date:** [Date]
**Target geography:** [Region/country]

### Three-Pillar Check
Pillar 1 — Product Force: [PASS / FAIL — list missing items]
Pillar 2 — Supply Chain: [PASS / FAIL — list missing items]
Pillar 3 — Channel: [PASS / FAIL — list missing items]
Overall: [PASS / FAIL]

### Phase 1 — Pre-launch QA
Result: [PASS / FAIL]
Critical blockers: [List or "none"]

### Launch-readiness-review
Status: [Pending / Triggered / GO / CONDITIONAL-GO / NO-GO]

### Phase 2 — Go-live execution
[Complete after review passes]
Launch steps: ...
Verification: ...
Supply plan: ...
Rollback option: ...

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Brain reads / writes

If a companion brain repo is connected:

Before starting:

• Read knowledge/icp-map.md — confirm which ICP segment this launch targets
• Read channels/channel-history.md — which channels and geographies have worked before
• Read experiments/experiment-log.md — any DTC or online growth learnings relevant to this product type

Brain write (after GO verdict):

• Write launch decision log to decisions/ including: launch date, scope, channel, supply plan, and first-week monitoring results
• Update channels/channel-history.md with which channels were used and initial signal

Brain not connected: proceed normally; note in output that launch learnings will not be persisted.

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Anti-patterns

Anti-pattern	Why it fails	Fix
Discussing brand/marketing before three-pillar check	Marketing creates demand supply cannot fulfill; partners are promised product that doesn't exist	Enforce three-pillar check as absolute gate
Missing certifications for target market	Products cannot be legally sold; partner and retail relationships are damaged	Confirm certification status and numbers in Phase 1 QA
Single-source BOM without risk review	One supplier failure stops production entirely	FLAG at three-pillar check; require finance + supply-risk review
Yield below 95% without documented exception	Commercial volume manufacturing fails; customer deliveries slip	BLOCK until yield threshold met or pilot exception documented
No demo unit at launch	Partners and buyers cannot evaluate; sales cycle stalls	BLOCK Phase 1 until demo unit available and tested
Treating hardware launch as equivalent to software launch	Hardware has supply, certification, and channel constraints software doesn't	Use this skill (hardware-gtm/launch) not pmm/launch
No support SLA defined before launch	Safety inquiries go unanswered; brand trust erodes immediately	Define support SLA and contact in Phase 1 QA

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Benchmarks (2025–2026, hardware track)

Benchmark	Value	Notes
Hardware yield minimum for commercial launch	≥95%	Below 95%: pilot volumes only; document threshold exception
Demo conversion rate (in-person demo to qualified inquiry)	30–50%	For well-matched ICP; drops sharply if demo scene doesn't match buyer use case
Partner response time SLA (safety/technical inquiries)	≤48 hours	Industry norm; faster = differentiated; slower = trust risk
Typical hardware product sales cycle (B2B, mid-market)	3–9 months	Varies significantly by BOM cost and procurement process
Channel partner onboarding time (from signed to first order)	4–12 weeks	Depends on training requirements and certification complexity
First commercial order to delivery lead time	6–16 weeks	Highly variable; confirm against BOM lead time

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Related skills

Skill	When to use
pmm/icp-research/SKILL.md	Before launch: ICP card required for audience targeting and channel fit
pmm/launch-readiness-review/SKILL.md	Between Phase 1 and Phase 2: GO verdict required
hardware-gtm/DOMAIN.md	Full three-pillar check logic and hardware GTM domain rules
hardware-gtm/online-growth/SKILL.md	If DTC or digital channel is in scope: software growth methods for hardware
pmm/launch/SKILL.md	If product turns out to be software/AI: use PMM launch instead

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Validation criteria

• Three-Pillar Check completed and ALL THREE pillars passed before any brand/marketing content
• Phase 1 QA completed with explicit PASS/FAIL and blockers listed
• Launch-readiness-review triggered before go-live
• Phase 2 log includes verification, supply plan, and rollback option
• Support SLA and safety contact defined

References & Sources

Tier 1:

• hw-poc-pilot-contract (growth-skills v1.0, score 8/10): hardware readiness gates; supply confirmation requirements; three-pillar check origin
• Product Marketing Alliance 5-phase framework (2026): phase-gate structure adapted for hardware track