5 Simple Steps to a Clean Production Launch (a.k.a. “Please Don’t Break Prod!”)

A release going to production shouldn’t feel like a high-stakes magic trick. You shouldn’t be praying, crossing fingers, and saying, “If this works, we’re buying donuts for everyone.”

That’s what release management is for: turning scary go-lives into predictable, boring, “yeah, it just worked” moments.

Here are 5 simple steps to prep for a clean production launch:

1. Lock the Scope and Name the Release

First things first: what exactly is in this release?

• List the tickets / features / fixes included

• Confirm what’s not included (this matters just as much)

• Freeze scope—no last-minute “oh can we just sneak this in?”

  
  

Give the release a name or number and stick to it. If it’s not tagged to that release, it’s not going. Goal: Everyone can answer, in one sentence, “What’s in this release?”

2. Build a Simple Cutover Runbook / Playbook

   This is your play-by-play script for launch day.

   
   

   Your runbook should include:

   • Who is doing what (by name, not “the dev team”)

   • When each step happens (timestamps or clear sequence)

   • How to do it (commands, scripts, URLs, checklist items)

   • Go / No-Go checkpoints and decision owners

     
     

If you wouldn’t hand this to a new PM and feel confident they could run cutover, it’s not clear enough yet. Goal: No winging it. Launch follows a script, not vibes.

3. Test Like It’s Real (Because It Is)

   If you don’t rehearse, prod becomes the rehearsal. That never ends well.

   
   

   Do a mock cutover in a lower environment and check:

   • Can you actually deploy with the documented steps?

   • Do configs, integrations, and data behave as expected?

   • How long does each step really take (not just in someone’s head)?

     
     

Adjust your runbook based on what you learn. This is where “surprises” should happen—not at 1:00 a.m. in production. Goal: By launch day, you’ve already done this at least once somewhere safe.

4. Align Comms and Stakeholders

   A clean launch isn’t just technical—it’s social.

   
   

   Before go-live, make sure you’ve:

   • Identified who needs to know what: execs, support, end users, vendors

   • Drafted pre-launch, in-flight, and post-launch comms

   • Clarified support paths: Who do people call when something’s weird?

     
     

Bonus points: a simple “What’s changing for you?” one-pager or email for impacted users. Goal: No one finds out about the change because something broke.

5. Plan for Rollback and Hypercare

   Optimism doesn’t count as a strategy. Have a Plan B.

   
   

   Make sure you know:

   • How to roll back (and how long it takes)

   • What metrics / dashboards you’ll watch after go-live

   • How long hypercare lasts and who’s on point (by name)

   • How you’ll capture and triage issues (war room, Slack channel, ticket queue, etc.)

     
     

If you can’t answer, “What if we need to undo this?” you’re not ready. Goal: You’re comfortable because you’re covered—even if things go sideways.

Wrap-Up: Good Release Management Is Just Good Stewardship

Great release management isn’t about perfection.It’s about reducing surprises and making smart trade-offs in daylight instead of panic.

With:

1. Clear scope

2. A real runbook

3. Rehearsed steps

4. Tight comms

5. Rollback + hypercare ready

   
   

…your production launch stops being a gamble and starts feeling like… just another (well-run) step in the plan.

xoxo,

Bridget & Eric