Two days after speaking at PrestigeConf in Minneapolis, our founder Brian Messenlehner was back home at the Jersey Shore. On May 26, 2016, the Jersey Shore Tech meetup held its 58th gathering at Art 629 in Asbury Park, a two hour panel called How to Launch Better Products. Brian joined fellow panelists Joe Nicosia, Jay Melone, Joshua Davidson and Craig Phares.
The topic
Launching a product is where good ideas meet reality. The panel, as covered by NJ Tech Weekly, dug into the ups and downs of launching: the challenges that show up only after real users arrive, getting bugs out before and after launch, and the work of promoting something new so people actually find it.
Brian brought the perspective of someone who had launched both software products and client platforms on WordPress, including AppPresser, the mobile app framework he co-founded, and its free Reactor app builder, which launched in December 2014.
What we have learned about launches
The specifics of that night's conversation belong to the people in the room, but the lessons Brian has taken from years of launches are the same ones we bring to every AlphaWeb project:
- Ship to a small group first. A staging site and a soft launch catch problems a test plan never will.
- Plan the boring parts. Redirects, analytics, backups, uptime monitoring and a rollback plan are part of launch, not afterthoughts.
- Expect app store review. For mobile apps, Apple and Google review can add days, so build that into the schedule.
- Fix fast after launch. The first two weeks after go live are when most issues surface. Keep the team close.
- Launch is not the finish line. The best products keep improving based on what real users do.
Why local tech meetups matter
The Jersey Shore has a real technology community, and Jersey Shore Tech has been one of the places it gathers. Meetups like this connect developers, designers, founders and local businesses who might otherwise never meet.
Launching with AlphaWeb
Whether it is a new website, a migration from another platform or a mobile app, every AlphaWeb launch follows a written plan with a staging review, a launch checklist and post launch monitoring. If you have a launch coming up and want it to go smoothly, let's talk.
At a glance
- Event: Jersey Shore Tech meetup #58
- Date: Thursday, May 26, 2016
- Venue: Art 629, Asbury Park, New Jersey
- Format: two hour panel, How to Launch Better Products
- Panelists: Joe Nicosia, Jay Melone, Brian Messenlehner, Joshua Davidson and Craig Phares
Related: PrestigeConf 2016: Don't Put All Your Eggs in One Basket, Designing App Screens With the AppPresser App Page Builder and Years of WordPress Meetups in New York and New Jersey.
Have a question about this event or a project like the ones mentioned here? Reach out to AlphaWeb and Brian will be glad to talk it through. We are always happy to compare notes on WordPress, mobile apps and migrations.
