How to Launch a Product or Feature That Fuels Growth
When Superhuman launched as "The Fastest Email Experience Ever Made," they did something unusual: they didn’t open sign-ups to everyone. Instead, they crafted a limited launch, cultivating exclusivity and maximizing interest. It was a risky but brilliant move that drove substantial growth, press, and word-of-mouth, showing just how powerful a targeted launch can be. Here’s how this strategy works and why launching differently can create a lasting growth loop.
Why Traditional Launches Can Hold You Back
Most teams approach a launch with a checklist: release to all users, send out mass emails, line up media, and aim to get on platforms like Product Hunt. But this broad approach can create noise, obscure real feedback, and even harm long-term growth by overwhelming audiences who aren’t yet ready or interested in the product. Here’s why:
1. Dilutes Word of Mouth: Broad launches expose your product to users outside your ideal audience. If the experience doesn’t exceed their expectations, it can lead to neutral or negative feedback, weakening valuable word-of-mouth.
2. Slows Validation: By launching to a general audience, it becomes challenging to interpret metrics accurately since feedback is likely to be inconsistent. A filtered, targeted launch gives clearer validation and quicker insights.
3. Drains Audience Attention: A mass release can exhaust your audience’s interest. Trying to “wake up” all users risks making it harder to recapture their attention later, especially when the product is better suited for a specific subset.
4. Misses the Opportunity for Sustainable Growth: The goal of a launch is not just a spike in activity; it’s building a lasting growth loop. Instead of focusing only on the initial excitement, the right launch strategy should build a sustainable engine that keeps users coming back.
Building a Growth-Oriented Launch Strategy
To create a launch that drives long-term growth, let’s break down the strategy used by Superhuman and others into five essential steps:
1. Scope Your Initial Audience
Define a narrow target audience based on a specific hypothesis about who will benefit most from the product or feature. Instead of thinking about how to reach the most people, focus on those whose needs align closely with what you’ve built. This initial “core” group will set the foundation for future growth.
2. Create Access Points
Once you have an audience in mind, plan access points. Options like waitlists, email outreach, social media, or closed communities can all work. The key is to start small and build from there, ensuring you reach your target audience first.
3. Apply Filters
Introduce filters to qualify users who align with your ideal target profile. This could be surveys, questionnaires, or insights from user behavior. Filtering helps gather users who’ll find value in the product, increasing the chances of a positive experience that leads to valuable feedback.
4. Seek Success Signals
Early on, look for success indicators that validate your hypothesis. These can include:
— Qualitative feedback: NPS scores, user surveys, and feature requests.
— Retention metrics: Consistent usage patterns show product fit.
— Engagement markers: User activity levels indicate depth of engagement.
A step-by-step approach allows you to find what resonates with users, enabling you to optimize further before expanding the reach.
5. Leverage and Expand
Once initial success signals are evident, gradually open the product to the next audience layer. Think of it as concentric circles radiating out from your core users. With each new layer, continue testing and filtering to ensure your product scales without sacrificing quality.
Real-Life Example: Superhuman’s Exclusive Launch
Superhuman’s sign-up process was rigorous—starting with a waitlist, followed by a multi-step survey, an email conversation, and even manual onboarding. It wasn’t about maximizing initial sign-ups but about identifying high-potential users who’d be delighted by the product. This careful select
When Superhuman launched as "The Fastest Email Experience Ever Made," they did something unusual: they didn’t open sign-ups to everyone. Instead, they crafted a limited launch, cultivating exclusivity and maximizing interest. It was a risky but brilliant move that drove substantial growth, press, and word-of-mouth, showing just how powerful a targeted launch can be. Here’s how this strategy works and why launching differently can create a lasting growth loop.
Why Traditional Launches Can Hold You Back
Most teams approach a launch with a checklist: release to all users, send out mass emails, line up media, and aim to get on platforms like Product Hunt. But this broad approach can create noise, obscure real feedback, and even harm long-term growth by overwhelming audiences who aren’t yet ready or interested in the product. Here’s why:
1. Dilutes Word of Mouth: Broad launches expose your product to users outside your ideal audience. If the experience doesn’t exceed their expectations, it can lead to neutral or negative feedback, weakening valuable word-of-mouth.
2. Slows Validation: By launching to a general audience, it becomes challenging to interpret metrics accurately since feedback is likely to be inconsistent. A filtered, targeted launch gives clearer validation and quicker insights.
3. Drains Audience Attention: A mass release can exhaust your audience’s interest. Trying to “wake up” all users risks making it harder to recapture their attention later, especially when the product is better suited for a specific subset.
4. Misses the Opportunity for Sustainable Growth: The goal of a launch is not just a spike in activity; it’s building a lasting growth loop. Instead of focusing only on the initial excitement, the right launch strategy should build a sustainable engine that keeps users coming back.
Building a Growth-Oriented Launch Strategy
To create a launch that drives long-term growth, let’s break down the strategy used by Superhuman and others into five essential steps:
1. Scope Your Initial Audience
Define a narrow target audience based on a specific hypothesis about who will benefit most from the product or feature. Instead of thinking about how to reach the most people, focus on those whose needs align closely with what you’ve built. This initial “core” group will set the foundation for future growth.
2. Create Access Points
Once you have an audience in mind, plan access points. Options like waitlists, email outreach, social media, or closed communities can all work. The key is to start small and build from there, ensuring you reach your target audience first.
3. Apply Filters
Introduce filters to qualify users who align with your ideal target profile. This could be surveys, questionnaires, or insights from user behavior. Filtering helps gather users who’ll find value in the product, increasing the chances of a positive experience that leads to valuable feedback.
4. Seek Success Signals
Early on, look for success indicators that validate your hypothesis. These can include:
— Qualitative feedback: NPS scores, user surveys, and feature requests.
— Retention metrics: Consistent usage patterns show product fit.
— Engagement markers: User activity levels indicate depth of engagement.
A step-by-step approach allows you to find what resonates with users, enabling you to optimize further before expanding the reach.
5. Leverage and Expand
Once initial success signals are evident, gradually open the product to the next audience layer. Think of it as concentric circles radiating out from your core users. With each new layer, continue testing and filtering to ensure your product scales without sacrificing quality.
Real-Life Example: Superhuman’s Exclusive Launch
Superhuman’s sign-up process was rigorous—starting with a waitlist, followed by a multi-step survey, an email conversation, and even manual onboarding. It wasn’t about maximizing initial sign-ups but about identifying high-potential users who’d be delighted by the product. This careful select