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Solo Founder Struggles: How Do You Prioritize Tasks as Launch Day Approaches?
As the launch date gets closer, I’m finding it increasingly difficult to balance the endless tasks that come with it. I’m spending so much time focusing on the product itself, but I’m realizing I’m neglecting crucial launch preparations like media, community building, and marketing. How do you, as solo founders, manage to prioritize these tasks? Have you faced the same struggle? Would love to hear how you tackle this!
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Tania Bell / Product Delights
@natalia_eiriz you could split your focus:
phase 1: get the product to the 'launch ready' stage
phase 2: promo, marketing etc.
so you get two chunks of time where you focus on one 'workstream' only. switching b/w dev work and marketing/promo can be hard.
at the end of the day, the launch date is self-imposted.
you can un-impose it, I suppose :)
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@taniabell You're absolutely right! The launch date is self-imposed, but I think it’s important to stick to it to keep the momentum going. It's easy to fall into the trap of wanting everything to be perfect before launching, but in reality, it's often better to just get it out there and improve it over time.
Progress is better than perfection, and launching is a huge step forward!
Thanks for the advice, it definitely helps put things into perspective.
@natalia_eiriz glad my comment was useful.
just to be clear - *not advocating* 'to get the product to be perfect before you launch'.
instead I'm saying that
a) building and marketing are two very different activities
b) both have lots of complexity and not much overlap
for me, splitting the time between these two would make sense:
1. go deep on the dev side for a pre-defined period of time
2. stop all dev work when you hit this pre-defined time slot limit
3. switch to marketing/promo mode for a pre-defined period of time
- there's quite a lot that needs to be done *before the launch* (to make it successful)
4. launch when you hit the pre-defined time for your launch
appreciate this may not work for everyone. but it's an option
Before spending time on something ask, "Would I regret not doing this on launch day?" If the answer is no, it's not a priority.
@ruth_funmilayo That's a great point! I asking myself this question really can help cut through the noise. It's a great way to stay grounded and avoid getting sidetracked by smaller details. Prioritization can be tough, but having a simple rule like this makes it a lot clearer!
@kay_arkain Thanks for the advice! I totally agree that getting the core features right should be the top priority. I’ve been so focused on perfecting the product that marketing has taken a backseat. Dedicating at least an hour a day to it seems like a manageable way to stay consistent without losing focus on the product. The difficult part is to find that one hour!
Ask myself, If I were my first user what would frustrate me the most? Fix that first.
@zainab_adamu1 Great point! Focusing on what would frustrate your first user is key. I hadn’t really prioritized tasks that way before, but it definitely helps in creating a smoother experience and stronger first impressions!
Pick three non-negotiable tasks per day. If I finish them great. If not, I'm trying to do too much.
@marie_williamud Love this approach! Setting three non-negotiable tasks each day helps keep things manageable and focused.
Perfection is a luxury I can't afford right now. Ship the MVP get feedback and literate fast.
@donna_gerrard Absolutely! Perfection can often slow us down, especially as a solo founder. Focusing on getting the MVP out there allows you to gather valuable feedback early on, which is way more important than waiting for the 'perfect' product. I’ve been trying to adopt this mindset too
A "perfect" launch doesn't guarantee success. Focus on momentum not a single-day event.
@aliza_beth3 You're right! A "perfect" launch might sound great, but it's the momentum that truly makes a difference. It's all about keeping the energy going and focusing on growth, not just the big day.
Thanks for the reminder!