Should I launch a product or event before I have a full plan?
Short answer
Yes. Always launch things before you make the full plans. Build the part that creates the decision, like a polished signup page with real pricing, leave costly commitments like the venue open, and spend money only after people sign up. It only works if you already have a way to get the launch in front of people.
"Always launch things before you make the full plans."
I mean that literally. For an AI 101 event for local business owners, I built a polished registration site: hero section, why-attend cards, and a pricing page that looks like a million-dollar business would use it. I didn't have a venue. The site said "venue upon registration," and I'd deal with that if people signed up.
What do I build first, and what do I leave open?
- Build what creates the decision. The page, the offer, the price.
- Leave costly commitments open. The venue, in that case.
- Commit money only after signups.
The exception: anything other work depends on. If a build is a foundation for other things, it gets a brief and acceptance criteria first.
Why do some launch-first experiments fail?
Because nobody sees them. A year to eighteen months before that event, I was serious about the same idea and started a Facebook page. It went nowhere. I had no audience because I had no local newsletter, and I didn't know how to run Facebook ads. With no way to get the word out, I stopped.
Launching first only gives you a signal if you can put the launch in front of people.
Isn't jumping in early a mistake?
It can be, and it's burned me. One of my problems as an entrepreneur type is jumping in way too early, before it's there. In September 2025 I was in a holding pattern: massive potential, staff I was paying, and not much revenue. My plan was to prove the model with partners before scaling.
The way I square it: launching a page is cheap, and committing staff and money before the idea is proven isn't. Launch early. Commit late.
What if the product isn't perfect yet?
Run a small, bounded test anyway. In a July 2026 campaign review I applied a "good enough to learn" rule: launch a $10-a-day follower test despite minor imperfections, while keeping real product defects listed as separate blockers. Polish shouldn't become a substitute for learning. A first version still has to clear the bar, though: I treat 7 out of 10 as minimum competent.
What if I don't have all the answers?
Ready, fire, aim. Pursue the hard thing and figure it out later. And when you pitch someone, don't show up with ideas. Build a template or a simple version so they can see it. That's how I pitch publishers on my newsletter system.
Treat all of this as a guide, not gospel. Somebody is doing the opposite of what I'm saying and crushing it.
Answered by TJ Larkin. From a June 2025 solo podcast episode, Local Media HQ conversations in 2025 and 2026, and calls in September 2025 and July 2026. Last updated .