Chapter 3 of 12

The Deployment Runbook: Minute-by-Minute Execution

Creating granular, time-bound scripts for launch day to reduce cognitive load and mitigate risk.

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What You'll Learn How to build runbooks with clear tasks, owners, and rollbacks—plus playbooks for different launch types.

The Deployment Runbook: Minute-by-Minute Execution

The runbook is the brain of the launch. It replaces vague plans with exact, owned tasks. Decisions are made in advance—you just execute.

4.1 Runbook Architecture

A robust runbook is a structured database of actions, not a casual document. It must include:

  • Task ID: Unique identifier (e.g., OPS-01) for dependencies.
  • Action: Specific command (e.g., "Merge PR #405"). Vague instructions like "Check system" are forbidden.
  • Owner: Named individual. Single thread of accountability.
  • Duration: Allotted time to identify delays immediately.
  • Rollback Plan: Specific "Undo" steps for every technical action.

4.2 Example: The T-Minus Countdown Sequence

Time ID Task Description Owner Rollback
T-24H PRE-01 Final "Go/No-Go" Decision Meeting Launch Cpt N/A
T-2H OPS-01 Establish "War Room" (Slack/Zoom) Ops Lead N/A
T-60m TECH-01 DB Migration Scripts Execution Backend Lead Restore DB Snapshot
T-30m TECH-02 Smoke Test in Production (Internal Only) QA Lead Revert Migration
T-00m GO-01 Flip Feature Flags to "ON" (100%) Product Mgr Flip Flags "OFF"
T+05m MKT-01 Publish Website & Pricing Page Web Team Revert CMS
T+15m OPS-02 Monitor Error Rates & Server Load DevOps Scale Down / Revert

4.3 Automated vs. Manual Runbooks

Use scripts where possible to cut human error. But keep manual checkpoints for key business decisions.

Automate These

  • Database migrations and rollback scripts
  • Infrastructure scaling (HPA, auto-scale groups)
  • Health checks and smoke tests
  • Feature flag toggles (LaunchDarkly API)
  • CDN cache invalidation
  • Status page updates via API

Keep Manual

  • Go/No-Go decision checkpoints
  • Marketing campaign triggers
  • Customer communication sends
  • Rollback decisions (requires judgment)
  • Incident escalation calls
  • Press embargo lifts

Runbook Validation: The Dry Run

A runbook is only as good as its last rehearsal. Run a full dry run before launch.

The Dress Rehearsal

Execute the entire runbook in a staging environment 48-72 hours before launch:

  • Same Time: Run at the same time of day as the actual launch
  • Same Channels: Use the actual War Room Slack channel (mark as test)
  • Same People: All owners must participate—no proxies
  • Same Pressure: Inject fake "incidents" to test response protocols
  • Document Gaps: Every "uh, what do I do now?" becomes a runbook update

Dependency Management: The Critical Path

Some tasks can't start until others finish. Map them to avoid delays.

Task ID Task Depends On Blocks
TECH-01 Run DB Migrations PRE-01 (Go Decision) TECH-02 (Smoke Test)
TECH-02 Production Smoke Test TECH-01 GO-01 (Feature Flags)
GO-01 Flip Feature Flags TECH-02 MKT-01 (Website)
MKT-01 Publish Website Update GO-01 MKT-02 (Email Blast)
MKT-02 Send Launch Email MKT-01 MKT-03 (Social)

Dependency Anti-Patterns

  • Circular Dependencies: Task A waits for B, B waits for A. Audit your runbook for loops.
  • Hidden Dependencies: "Oh, we need Legal sign-off first." All approvals must be in the runbook.
  • Human Bottlenecks: One person owns 5 sequential tasks. Parallelize or add backup owners.

Launch-Specific Playbooks

Different launches need different runbooks. One size doesn't fit all.

4.4 The Product Hunt Protocol

Product Hunt Mechanics

Timing Strategy:

  • Launch at 12:01 AM PST to maximize 24-hour visibility
  • Tuesday-Thursday launches perform best
  • Avoid holidays and major tech announcements

First Hour Tactics:

  • Maker posts first comment immediately
  • Pre-schedule DMs to network for upvotes
  • Respond to every comment within 15 minutes

4.5 The Soft Launch Protocol

Soft Launch Mechanics

A "soft launch" limits exposure to a controlled audience before the public announcement:

  • Invite-Only Access: Beta users via email codes
  • No Marketing: Zero paid ads or press
  • Instrumented: Extra logging and session replay
  • Duration: 1-2 weeks before hard launch
  • Exit Criteria: <5% error rate, >30% activation
  • Kill Criteria: >20% negative feedback

4.6 The Enterprise Launch Protocol

Enterprise Release Mechanics

Enterprise launches require white-glove coordination with key accounts:

  • T-2 Weeks: Notify CSMs and account owners
  • T-1 Week: Customer-specific training sessions
  • T-Day: Staggered rollout by account tier
  • Rollout Order: Tier 3 → Tier 2 → Tier 1 (largest last)
  • Per-Account Rollback: Feature flags by org_id
  • Executive Notifications: Personalized emails from founder

Common Runbook Failures

Learn from others' mistakes. Here are the most common runbook fails:

The "It's Obvious" Trap

Missing steps because "everyone knows that." New team members don't. Document every click.

The Stale Runbook

Last updated 6 months ago. APIs changed, people left. Review runbooks quarterly.

The Solo Owner

Only one person can execute critical steps. What if they're sick? Every task needs a backup.

No Rollback Defined

"We'll figure it out if something breaks." You won't. Panic prevents clear thinking.

Missing Time Buffers

Every task takes exactly as planned. It won't. Add 20% buffer to every estimate.

No Communication Plan

Technical steps defined, but no one told Sales/Support. Cross-functional visibility is mandatory.

Generate Your Runbook

Use our AI-powered Runbook Generator to create a customized deployment checklist for your specific launch type.

Launch Checklist

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Works Cited & Recommended Reading
Lean Startup Methodology
Launch Readiness & Strategy
  • 3. "Goals, Readiness and Constraints: The Three Dimensions of a Product Launch." Pragmatic Institute
  • 4. "I Launched a SaaS and Failed - Here's What I Learned." Reddit
  • 5. "SaaS Product Development Checklist: From Idea to Launch." Dev.Pro
  • 6. "10 Biggest SaaS Challenges: How to Protect Your Business." Userpilot
Metrics & KPIs
  • 7. "The Essential Guide to Product Launch Metrics." Gainsight
  • 8. "Product launch plan template for SaaS and B2B marketing teams." Understory Agency
  • 9. "SaaS Metrics Dashboard Examples and When to Use Them." UXCam
  • 10. "B2B SaaS Product Launch Checklist 2025: No-Fluff & AI-Ready." GTM Buddy
  • 11. "The Pre-Launch Metrics Imperative." Venture for All
  • 12. "Average Resolution Time | KPI example." Geckoboard
  • 13. "Burn rate is a better error rate." Datadog
Stakeholder Alignment
  • 14. "Coordinate product launches with internal stakeholders." Product Marketing Alliance
  • 15. "Comprehensive SaaS Product Readiness Checklist." Default
  • 16. "Launching with stakeholders - Open-source product playbook." Coda
  • 17. "Product launch checklist: How to ensure a successful launch." Atlassian
Launch Checklists & Process
Runbooks & Execution
  • 20. "Runbook Example: A Best Practices Guide." Nobl9
  • 21. "10 Steps for a Successful SaaS Product Launch Day." Scenic West Design
  • 22. "SaaS Outages: When Lightning Strikes, Thunder Rolls." Forrester
  • 23. "Developer-Friendly Runbooks: A Guide." Medium
  • 24. "Your Essential Product Launch Checklist Template." VeryCreatives
  • 25. "87-Action-Item Product Launch Checklist." Ignition
Press Kits & Marketing Assets
  • 26. "How to Build a SaaS Media Kit for Your Brand." Webstacks
  • 27. "Press Kit: What It Is, Templates & 10+ Examples For 2025." Prezly
  • 28. "How I Won #1 Product of The Day on Product Hunt." Microns.io
Messaging Frameworks
  • 29. "Product messaging: Guide to frameworks, strategy, and examples." PMA
  • 30. "Product Messaging Framework: A Guide for Ambitious PMMs." Product School
Runbook Templates & Automation
Dashboards & Real-Time Monitoring
  • 39. "8 SaaS Dashboard Examples to Track Key Metrics." Userpilot
  • 40. "Real-time dashboards: are they worth it?" Tinybird
  • 41. "Incident Management - MTBF, MTTR, MTTA, and MTTF." Atlassian
  • 42. "SaaS Metrics Dashboard: Your Revenue Command Center." Rework
  • 43. "12 product adoption metrics to track for success." Appcues
Crisis Communication
  • 44. "How to Create a Crisis Communication Plan." Everbridge
  • 45. "10 Crisis Communication Templates for Every Agency Owner." CoSchedule
  • 46. "Your Complete Crisis Communication Plan Template." Ready Response
  • 47. "Crisis communications: What it is and examples brands can learn from." Sprout Social
Retrospectives & Learning
  • 48. "What the 'Lean Startup' didn't tell me - 3 iterations in." Reddit
  • 49. "Does Your Product Launch Strategy Include Retrospectives?" UserVoice
  • 50. "Retrospective Templates for Efficient Team Meetings." Miro
  • 51. "50+ Retrospective Questions for your Next Meeting." Parabol
  • 52. "Quick Wins for Product Managers." Medium
  • 53. "Showcase Early Wins for Successful Product Adoption." Profit.co
Observability & Tooling
  • 54. "The Lean Startup Method 101: The Essential Ideas." Lean Startup Co
  • 55. "Grafana: The open and composable observability platform." Grafana Labs
  • 56. "The essential product launch checklist for SaaS companies | 2025." Orb Billing

This playbook synthesizes methodologies from DevOps, Site Reliability Engineering (SRE), Incident Command System (ICS), and modern product management practices. References are provided for deeper exploration of each topic.