# Product Launch Retrospective: Project Phoenix

**Date:** November 2024
**Facilitator:** Product Team
**Attendees:** Engineering, Design, Marketing, Sales

## Context

Project Phoenix was our Q3 initiative to launch a new analytics dashboard. The feature shipped on September 15th after a 4-month development cycle.

## What Went Well

### 1. Cross-functional Collaboration
The weekly sync between engineering, design, and product prevented misalignment. Design reviews caught issues early, saving significant rework.

### 2. Beta Program
Our 20-customer beta program identified 47 bugs before launch. Customer feedback directly shaped the final UI.

### 3. Documentation
Engineering wrote comprehensive API docs. The developer portal received positive feedback from partners.

### 4. Launch Metrics
- Day 1 adoption: 34% of active users
- Week 1 retention: 67%
- NPS from early users: +42

## What Could Have Gone Better

### 1. Timeline Pressure
The original June deadline was unrealistic. We cut corners on test coverage (only 62% vs. our 80% target).

### 2. Performance Issues
Initial load time was 4.2 seconds. We had to hotfix performance optimizations in week 2.

### 3. Mobile Experience
Mobile was deprioritized. The responsive design has usability issues on smaller screens.

### 4. Sales Enablement
Sales team wasn't trained until launch day. Early deals had inconsistent positioning.

## Key Metrics Post-Launch

| Metric | Target | Actual | Status |
|--------|--------|--------|--------|
| MAU | 10,000 | 12,400 | Exceeded |
| Avg Session Duration | 5 min | 7.2 min | Exceeded |
| Error Rate | <0.1% | 0.3% | Missed |
| Support Tickets | <50/week | 73/week | Missed |

## Action Items

1. **Testing**: Establish minimum 75% coverage for all new features
   - Owner: Engineering Lead
   - Due: December 1st

2. **Performance Budget**: Add performance gates to CI/CD
   - Owner: Platform Team
   - Due: December 15th

3. **Mobile-First**: Require mobile designs before development starts
   - Owner: Design Lead
   - Due: Immediate

4. **Sales Training**: Build 2-week lead time for enablement
   - Owner: Product Marketing
   - Due: Next launch

## Lessons Learned

1. Beta programs are invaluable - expand to 30+ customers
2. Performance testing should be part of definition of done
3. Cross-functional alignment works - keep the weekly syncs
4. Documentation pays off - developers loved the API docs

## Follow-up

Schedule 30-day post-launch review for October 15th to assess long-term adoption patterns.
