The Pre-Launch Shipping Checklist

The Pre-Launch Shipping Checklist

Before you post your link in the Facebook group or send it to your first real users, run through this.

1Walk through your core flow start to finish, as a brand-new user would — no shortcuts, no "I know it works because I built it."

2Check it on an actual phone, not just a resized browser window. Most of your first users will be on mobile.

3Confirm your database survives a refresh — create a test record, reload the page, make sure it's still there.

4Test what happens with an empty state — a new user with no data yet. A surprising number of bugs live here.

5Connect a custom domain if you have one, and double check it resolves correctly over https before sharing widely.

6Add basic legal pages if you're collecting any personal data — even a simple privacy note is better than nothing.

7Set up a way to actually hear feedback — a link to a form, an email, or just an invite to the Facebook group.

8Decide, before you launch, what you'll do with a bug report on day one. Even a simple "reply within 24 hours" plan beats no plan.

9Take a final look at anything with a placeholder still in it — a "Lorem ipsum," a fake testimonial, a broken image link.

10Publish, then actually visit your own live link one more time — not the preview — before you share it with anyone else.

None of this needs to be perfect. It needs to not embarrass you in the first five minutes a stranger uses it.