Product Launch Play

---
name: product-launch-play
description: >-
  Runs outbound triggered by product launches, either a competitor launch or a
  target account launch, with timing-based urgency and competitive positioning.
  Use when a competitor ships a new feature, or a target account announces a
  product the user can support. Triggers on: "product launch play", "competitor
  launch response", "launch-based outbound".
license: MIT
compatibility: Claude Code, Codex, GitHub Copilot, Cursor, Gemini CLI, OpenCode, Goose, Hermes, Windsurf, Zed
metadata:
  version: "1.0.0"
  author: LeadMagic
  category: sales-plays
  tags: [sales-plays, product-launch, competitive, trigger-based, urgency]
  frameworks:
    - "Force Management — Command of the Message"
    - "Winning by Design — SPICED"
    - "Klue — Competitive battlecards"
---

# Product Launch Signal Play

## Overview

Product launches — both your competitor's and your target account's — create
buying windows. A competitor launch makes your prospect curious about alternatives.
A target account launch signals new initiatives and budget. This play has two
mirror-image variants: competitive displacement triggered by competitor launches,
and initiative alignment triggered by account launches.

## Authoritative Foundations
- **Force Management — Command of the Message** — Build differentiation around required capabilities and proof, so the response to a launch is about outcomes, not features.
- **Winning by Design — SPICED** — Discovery framework — Situation, Pain, Impact, Critical Event, Decision; the launch creates a critical event to qualify around.
- **Klue — Competitive battlecards** — Update battlecards within days of a competitor launch so reps have approved talk tracks.

## When to Use

- "Competitor just launched something"
- "Run a launch response play"
- "Target account launched a product"
- "Respond to new competitor feature"

## Step-by-Step Process

### Variant A: Competitor Launch Response

#### Phase 1: Signal Detection

Monitor via:

- Competitor blog / changelog RSS feeds
- Product Hunt launches
- TechCrunch / VentureBeat coverage
- LinkedIn posts from competitor executives
- G2 / Capterra new feature announcements

#### Phase 2: Rapid Response (24-48h Window)

The first 48 hours after a competitor launch is when prospects are most open
to alternatives. The launch creates FOMO — your outreach provides perspective.

Subject: "Saw [Competitor]'s launch — interesting timing"
Body: Acknowledge the launch neutrally. "The [feature] they just launched
addresses [problem]. Most teams we work with find that [nuanced take]."
Add your differentiated perspective without trashing them.

#### Phase 3: Competitive Positioning Refresh

Update your battlecards within 72 hours with:

- What the launch actually means (vs marketing hype)
- Feature comparison: what they added, what you already had
- Architectural comparison: how they built it vs your approach
- Customer impact: what this means for current users of both products

#### Phase 4: Active Deal Outreach

For every deal where this competitor is involved, within 48 hours:

- Send your champion a brief: "Saw [Competitor]'s launch. Here's what it
  actually means for the [problem] you're solving. TLDR: [1-sentence take]."
- Update your MEDDICC assessment — does this change their competitive position?
- Offer a call to walk through the implications

### Variant B: Target Account Product Launch Response

#### Phase 1: Signal Detection

- Target account press releases, blog posts, product updates
- Target account Product Hunt launches
- LinkedIn posts from target account PMs/executives

#### Phase 2: Initiative Alignment Outreach

Subject: "Congrats on [New Product] — related question"
Body: Reference their launch, connect their initiative to a problem your
product solves for companies launching products. "When we work with
companies launching [type of product], they typically need [capability].
How are you handling that?"

#### Phase 3: Timing Alignment

Their product launch means: new budget for supporting tools, new team
members being hired, new workflows being defined. Your product fits into
the ecosystem they're building.

## Output Format

Launch play playbook with: signal monitoring setup, rapid response templates,
competitive refresh checklist, active deal outreach plan, and timeline.

## Quality Check

Before delivering, verify:

- [ ] Both variants covered: Variant A (competitor launch response) and Variant B (target account product launch)
- [ ] Competitor launch: rapid response window is 24-48 hours — first outreach within that window claims the perspective
- [ ] Battlecard refresh: updated within 72 hours with what the launch means vs marketing hype, feature comparison, architectural comparison, and customer impact
- [ ] Active deal outreach: every deal where the competitor is involved gets a champion brief within 48 hours and a MEDDICC competitive position reassessment
- [ ] Target account launch: outreach connects their product initiative to a supporting capability your product provides for companies launching products
- [ ] Timing alignment: target account launch = new budget + new team + new workflows — outreach positions your product as part of the ecosystem they're building

## Common Pitfalls

1. **Trashing the competitor launch.** 'Their new feature is terrible' burns credibility. Fix: acknowledge the launch neutrally, then offer a nuanced perspective — 'The feature addresses [problem]. Most teams find that [nuanced take].'
2. **Waiting for the news cycle.** Sending a competitive displacement email two weeks after launch means the prospect already formed their opinion. Fix: rapid response within 48 hours.
3. **No active-deal triage.** When a competitor launches something new, your existing pipeline is at risk. Fix: immediately identify every open deal where that competitor is involved, brief your champion, and reassess MEDDICC.
4. **Target account launch = generic congratulations.** The same opener every vendor sends. Fix: connect their launch initiative to a specific operational challenge — 'When companies launch [product type], they typically need [capability]. How are you handling that?'
5. **Ignoring that launches create new buying committees.** A product launch forms a new team — new decision-makers, new budget, new tool requirements. Fix: map the new initiative's org chart, not the existing one, and reach the people who just got budget.

## Implementation Depth

Use this section when the user asks for a finished asset, not a high-level explanation.

### Diagnostic Questions

1. What is the primary motion: founder-led, sales-led, product-led, partner-led, or lifecycle-led?
2. Which ICP tier is the output for: small business, mid-market, enterprise, or mixed?
3. What proof is available today: customer stories, usage data, third-party validation, screenshots, or none?
4. What system will execute the work: CRM, sequencer, warehouse, support desk, product analytics, or manual workflow?
5. What decision will the user make from this output: launch, prioritize, route, rewrite, score, coach, or measure?

### Framework Application

Map the recommendation explicitly to the named frameworks in this skill:

- Signal-Based Selling: apply only the part that directly improves the requested deliverable.
- Force Management Competitive Displacement: apply only the part that directly improves the requested deliverable.
- Winning by Design — SPICED: apply only the part that directly improves the requested deliverable.

### Deliverable Standard

A strong output from this skill includes:

- A crisp diagnosis of the current situation
- A recommended path with tradeoffs, not a generic list
- A concrete artifact the user can use immediately: table, script, checklist, scorecard, sequence, dashboard spec, or implementation plan
- A measurement plan with leading and lagging indicators
- Risks and edge cases called out before execution

### Adaptation Rules

- For small business: reduce complexity, shorten time-to-value, and prioritize owner/operator clarity.
- For mid-market: include workflow ownership, handoffs, integrations, and enablement assets.
- For enterprise: include governance, risk, procurement, stakeholder mapping, and proof requirements.

## Execution Artifacts

- `references/framework-notes.md` — Named frameworks and reference tables
- `templates/output-template.md` — Deliverable shell for agent output
- `scripts/check-output.py` — Lightweight deliverable validator

## Related Skills

- competitive-intel, battlecard-builder, cold-email-strategy, objection-handling, pipeline-management