Product Launch Strategies Online

I was a VP at Amazon from 2004 to 2014. In that time, every major new product innovation was built using the same exact process. 11 years later, they are still using that process for everything they build. Here’s how it works. The process is called Working Backwards. It flips the traditional invention approach by not starting with a company’s internal capabilities or current products. It starts instead with a clear definition of a customer problem. The goal is to write a press release describing a significant customer problem or need, how current solutions don’t solve the problem, and the new product user experience for a solution to the problem. This approach is “Backwards” because it starts with a press release (the last step in building a new product ). Most companies start building products by evaluating their existing technology or capabilities, or by looking at new trends, and then trying to build something customers will want. Amazon takes the opposite approach. Working Backwards starts with a deep understanding and concise definition of a customer problem before moving to potential solutions. After writing the Press Release, you add a list of frequently asked questions, or FAQs. The FAQs include the likely questions from customers and the press, as well as the typical questions the internal leaders ask about any new product idea, like "How big is the market?" and "How will we solve the technical challenges?" This document forces teams to clarify not only the customer problem they are solving, but also the ideal outcome from the customer’s perspective. This is all done before a single line of code is written or a prototype is built. To do this, teams frame the problem statement, the customer behaviors, and existing alternative solutions. Then, they describe the ideal customer experience, outlining how the product would solve the problem meaningfully. Finally, they anticipate key challenges (legal, technical, competitive, or operational) and document how they will address them. The key here is this: If the problem statement is weak, unclear, or does not represent a significant customer need (with a large TAM), then moving forward with development is a waste of time and money. While working backwards, teams iterate on the problem definition until it is strong and clear, or they move on to a different idea. Amazon has used this process to build many multi-billion dollar businesses, and it remains a core part of their innovation strategy. By working backwards, Amazon ensures that the products they build have a clear reason to exist before any resources are spent. Follow for more insights about building inside Amazon.

This is why companies like Notion and OpenAI win: They don’t just ship fast. They experiment on almost everything. And they do it at a velocity most companies can’t touch. Here’s how the best teams in the world build scaled experimentation engines: — ONE - What Elite Teams Do Differently Most teams test a few things here and there. But OpenAI and Notion? Over 80% of their launches are measured. Even features they believe in are still validated with data. Because it’s not about having conviction. It’s about knowing what worked, what didn’t, and what will. — TWO - Three Levels of Experimentation Maturity Level 1: 10–20% of launches are experiments (The bare minimum. Just getting started.) Level 2: 30–50% of launches are experiments (You’ve got some coverage. But still inconsistent.) Level 3: Almost 100% of launches are experiments (This is where OpenAI & Notion operate) If you're only testing 20% of your output, you’re flying blind on the rest. “Velocity doesn’t matter if you’re only running experiments on 20% of your output.” – Vineeth Madhusadhanan, PM at Statsig — THREE - The 3 Foundations of Scalable Experimentation 1. Easy Data Lookup Teams should be able to find past experiment results instantly. No Slack digging, no tribal knowledge. 2. Trust & Consistency Tests should run the same way every time. No cherry-picking, no post-hoc storytelling. 3. Experiment Velocity You don’t need a PhD to run a test. Everyone on the product team ships and measures. — FOUR - How the Mental Model Has Evolved 2010: “Should we test?” 2015: “What should we test?” 2020: “How do we test everything?” 2025: “How do we build systems that remember what we’ve learned?” Because at this scale, institutional memory becomes a competitive edge. Not just testing more, but learning faster and forgetting less. — If you're trying to build this kind of experimentation muscle across your org… I put the full breakdown here: https://lnkd.in/etAGf7Nu It was great to collab with vineeth madhusudanan and Statsig on this. Let’s build smarter. Not just faster.

Most brands think spending 70% of revenue on ads is insane. But our most successful Amazon launches start exactly there. Here's why that "crazy" number makes perfect sense: Amazon gives new products a boost. The algorithm favors fresh launches because Amazon wants new products to be discovered. You get a honeymoon period that you'll never get again. But only if you execute properly from day one. Here's the reality of launch economics: Month 1: 70% ad spend to revenue ratio Month 2: 60% Month 3: 50% ... Month 12: 15% (our average client target) Why the dramatic drop? More organic sales kick in as you build ranking momentum. Reviews accumulate and conversion rates improve. The Amazon flywheel starts spinning. The mistake brands make: They launch a product, let it sit for 3 months with minimal promotion, then wonder why they can't gain traction. By then, you've lost your new product advantage. Amazon's moved on to the next shiny object. At Incrementum Digital, we develop 6-12 month forecasts based on estimated cost-per-click, conversion rates, and competitive pricing. Once we have real data, we pivot. The goal isn't to stay at 70% ad spend forever. It's to invest heavily upfront to capture that organic ranking momentum. Your launch window is everything on Amazon. You either go aggressive from day one or you fight an uphill battle forever. Most brands aren't willing to invest 70% of revenue in ads month one. That's exactly why the ones who do have such a massive advantage.

New: Amazon is planning to expand its discount storefront that competes with ultra-cheap Chinese e-commerce companies like Temu and Shein, sources told us. Amazon Haul launched in November, and now the company has indicated it will roll out the service in Europe later this year, according to two people familiar with the matter. Recent job postings also state that Andy Jassy's S-team set a 2025 goal to roll out Haul worldwide. The company has made a couple recent moves that show Haul, which is currently in beta in the U.S., is likely to become a more permanent fixture of its online store. Amazon launched sponsored product ads (which are a big moneymaker for its $56B+ advertiser business), and it's added curated product selections from influencers to Haul. This is all happening as the Trump administration has sought to crack down on direct-from-China shipments, which Haul relies on in part to keep prices so low. Amazon CEO Andy Jassy said earlier this week that the company isn't as exposed to the risks of de minimis going away as rivals Temu and Shein. https://lnkd.in/dTKAXfqq

How do you plan when uncertainty only seems to grow? Through embracing disciplined experimentation. Here’s new writing from our Partner Charlotte Desprat on the five-step process we use to make a company great at it: 1. First, establish what you know as fact and what you don’t know – including the X-factors that could upend your plans. 2. From there, tease out the key hypotheses that you want to test. Keep in mind that some hypotheses might be more fundamental than others, and therefore might need to be tested earlier. 3. Then, consider how you might investigate each of these hypotheses using the scientific method. How can you break hypotheses into small, easily-testable components? Depending on the degree of unknowns, a rapid-fire approach might be enough to determine the key components of change. 4. Once you’ve designed your experiments, consider the time, cost, and risk associated with each. Together with the importance of each hypothesis, decide which experiments must come first vs. later. This will give you a priority list to adjust along the way. 5. Finally, set up a system by which you can quickly capture learnings and adjust. Obtain tangible measurements from these experiments. Your system should include a way to decide which experiments to follow up with, know if more are needed, and determine when you’ve learned enough from a given test. Critically, it should include a mechanism to end new ideas. Remember that about 80% of venture capital investments fail, and yet venture capitalists earn higher return on capital employed than public companies; their secret is that most of their failures come early, quickly, and cheaply. By treating experimentation as a discipline, not a one-off, you can capture the upside of uncertainty. That will be one of the most important capabilities to win in a turbulent future. Interested in our book chapter on experimentation? Click here for a direct download: https://lnkd.in/eAnUrC2t

A DTC fashion brand founder reached out to me, frustrated. "We’re spending lakhs on ads, but every new customer is costing us ₹1,200. How do we scale without burning money?" I checked their numbers: 📉 Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC): ₹1,200 📉 Repeat Purchase Rate: 12% (way below industry standards) 📉 Average Order Value (AOV): ₹1,800 (low margin for ad-heavy growth) 📉 ROAS: 2.1X (barely breaking even) They were stuck in the classic DTC trap: 🚨 Scaling cold traffic with direct sales ads 🚨 Over-relying on discounts to convert 🚨 No focus on repeat purchases or brand loyalty We flipped the strategy in 3 steps: 🔹 Built a Content-First Funnel → Instead of selling immediately, we warmed up cold traffic with: • UGC & influencer testimonials (trust-building) • "How to style" content (engagement) • Brand storytelling ads (higher click-through rates) 🔹 Reworked Retargeting → Instead of spamming discounts, we created: • Social proof ads (before & after styling looks) • Exclusive limited-edition drops for engaged audiences • Cart abandonment sequences with urgency-driven copy 🔹 Fixed Retention & LTV → Profits come from repeat customers, so we: • Introduced personalized post-purchase offers • Built a VIP program for early access & loyalty perks • Increased email + WhatsApp engagement (repeat buyers grew 2.3X) 💡 60 days later, here’s what changed: ✅ CAC dropped from ₹1,200 → ₹740 ✅ Repeat purchase rate jumped from 12% → 28% ✅ AOV increased from ₹1,800 → ₹2,300 ✅ Monthly revenue scaled from ₹15L → ₹24L 🚀 Scaling isn’t about cheaper ads. It’s about smarter customer journeys. If you’re struggling with CAC, ask yourself: ⚡ Are you educating cold audiences or just pushing sales? ⚡ Is your retargeting strategy fixing objections or just repeating the same ads? ⚡ Are you retaining customers or constantly chasing new ones? Fix your funnel, and you’ll scale profitably. What’s your biggest challenge in lowering CAC? Drop it below.👇 #DTCGrowth #ScalingStrategies #CACReduction #RetentionMarketing

Amazon Bazaar: A Game Changer or Just Catching Up? E-commerce giant Amazon is making a strategic move with the launch of "Amazon Bazaar," a marketplace targeting the value-conscious customer segment in India. This could be a significant turning point in the e-commerce landscape, here's why: - A Level Playing Field: By eliminating seller commissions, Bazaar can offer products at significantly lower prices, directly competing with established players like Meesho and Shopsy. - Wooing Budget Shoppers: The focus on affordability and a wider selection of unbranded products aims to attract a vast customer base in smaller Indian cities, currently dominated by Meesho and Shopsy. - Brand Trust and Logistics Advantage: Bazaar leverages Amazon's established brand trust and robust logistics network, potentially offering a significant edge over pure social commerce players like Meesho. - Beyond Just a Marketplace: Amazon Bazaar is a strategic play to disrupt the current market. By focusing on value over speed and eliminating commission fees, Amazon targets a segment they haven't fully captured yet. This approach mirrors Meesho's strategy, but with the added muscle of Amazon's logistics and brand recognition, it poses a serious challenge to both Meesho and Flipkart's Shopsy. What do you think? #amazon #meesho #flipkart #ecommerce #ecommercesuccess #ecommercemarketing #ecommercetips

The usual thinking often goes, "We're changing the website/platform, so there's no point optimizing what we already have." This perspective, while common, can inadvertently equate experimentation solely with optimisation, potentially overlooking the enormous benefits of integrating a truly experimental approach into development and innovation. A replatforming or redesign project typically involves a complex decision-making and MoSCoW-style exercise centered around a set of features. It's often impossible to exactly replicate old features on a new platform, meaning crucial decisions must be made about what's essential and what might be dropped. Likewise, new platforms can introduce various potential new features, but are they truly worth the investment? These decisions can become complex, political, and increasingly stressful as deadlines loom. The risk is that choices are made based on internal influence rather than what will genuinely serve the customer, which is inherently difficult to guess. How can you better manage this process? How can you genuinely know what will deliver the best customer experience and commercial outcomes? EXPERIMENTATION! When done properly, experimentation (including but not limited to A/B testing) can fast-track this entire process and help you deliver a project that actually works. Consider starting by creating a comprehensive list of all feature disparities that need to be addressed. Then, establish an initial prioritization. Next, plan and run experiments for each consideration. Finally, assess the likely benefit. Some experiments are remarkably straightforward. If a new platform won't include a particular feature "out of the box," you could A/B test removing it from your existing site to understand its true importance. Others might be more challenging. If a new platform offers recommendations but at additional cost, you could conduct more rudimentary experiments on your existing site to test the core concept. Moreover, these features don't have to be front-end; the same process can be applied to backend operational features if you have the right expertise. Experimentation isn't just optimisation; it's a critical tool for informed innovation. #experimentation #cro #productmanagement #growth #digitalexperience #experimentationledgrowth #elg #growthexperimentation

I am surprised by how many founders and marketers have never heard about the fake door concept 🚪 3 out of 10 startups fail due to a lack of product-market fit. Why? Because they spend 💸💸💸💸 developing products for months and then realise people don't want to buy it. You can avoid this if you dare to use a fake door test. 🍿 Think of a fake door as the movie trailer for your product. The trailer doesn’t need the whole movie to be finished. It just needs to hook the audience and see if they’re willing to pay for a ticket. Similarly, a fake door test is your way to gauge whether people are genuinely interested in your idea. BEFORE you spend months building it. I spoke recently to a Growth Manager at Spotify. They often use that exact strategy to test new features. They would present the features as real to users, allow them to click on it, and then display a message explaining the feature wasn’t live yet. Here’s how to create your own movie trailer-style fake door test: 1️⃣ Run ads or create a landing page. Write compelling copy describing your product or feature, as if it’s ready for launch. Make it look real. 2️⃣ Add a strong call-to-action (CTA). This could be a sign-up, waitlist, pre-order, or “Buy Now” button. 3️⃣ Take payment details. If you really want to validate demand, ask for credit card details to secure a pre-order or payment. This is the ultimate proof that people will pay for your idea. 4️⃣ Deliver a “Sorry, it’s coming soon” message. After they try to complete the purchase, display a friendly message. “Thank you for your interest! We’re working hard to bring this product to life. You’ll be the first to know when it’s available—and we won’t charge you until it’s ready." 5️⃣ Analyze the results. Track how many people clicked, signed up, or entered payment details. These numbers will tell you whether the demand is strong enough to build the product. This way you can test your product ideas very quickly. Before committing resources. And you can save a loooooooot of 💰💰💰 and reach product-market fit quicker. Had you heard about the fake door test before?

I've worked with countless sellers who jump on Amazon expecting instant sales at any price point. My advice? Slow down. Amazon isn’t a vending machine.  You can’t just throw in some ads, slap on discounts, and expect consistent sales. Yes, ads, coupons, and discounts are part of the game.  But they’re not where you should start. Instead, Amazon operates like a funnel.  Ads might bring customers to your listing, but what converts them—and keeps them coming back—are fundamentals: a strong listing, a high-quality product, and exceptional customer experience. So before you burn money on PPC or discount stacking, ask yourself: 𝗜𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗸 𝘀𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗱? Here’s the 𝗔𝗺𝗮𝘇𝗼𝗻 𝗦𝗮𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗩𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗙𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀 𝗣𝘆𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗱 I share with clients. It’s a step-by-step blueprint to build a sustainable Amazon business: 𝟭. 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗮 𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘁𝘀 ➤ Clear, high-quality images that showcase your product from every angle. ➤ Benefit-driven copy addressing customer pain points. ➤ Efficient fulfillment setup (FBA or FBM). ➤ Solid inventory management to prevent stockouts. ➤ Strong Buy Box strategy for consistent visibility. ➤ Optimized backend keywords and product titles for discoverability. 𝟮. 𝗢𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗶𝘇𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗙𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗩𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗶𝘁𝘆 ➤ Prioritize inventory turnover for sales momentum. ➤ Refine pricing strategies to maintain Buy Box ownership. ➤ Improve fulfillment efficiency to cut costs and speed up delivery. ➤ Regularly enhance your listing quality score to stay competitive. 𝟯. 𝗔𝗱𝗱 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗘𝗻𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵 ➤ PPC bid automation for smarter ad spending ➤ Conversion rate analysis to identify bottlenecks. ➤ Keyword optimization for high-intent traffic. ➤ Rapid suppression issue resolution to avoid lost sales. ➤ Competitor benchmarking to outpace rivals. 𝟰. 𝗦𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗕𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗠𝗮𝘅𝗶𝗺𝘂𝗺 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁 ➤ Multi-channel advertising campaigns. ➤ Seasonal sales strategies for peak periods. ➤ A+ Content to build trust and loyalty. ➤ Influencer partnerships and external affiliates. ➤ Pricing elasticity tests for maximum profitability. ➤ A/B testing images for higher click-through rates. 𝟱. 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝘂𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗢𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗶𝘇𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 ➤ Track your KPIs religiously. ➤ Stay adaptable to Amazon's constant algorithm changes. ➤ Keep an eye on competitors and market trends. ➤ Invest in tools and education to stay ahead. So next time you think, "I need more ads," ask yourself: "Is my house in order first?" Get the fundamentals right, and growth will follow. If you're stuck, DM me—I’m here to help. Anything I missed? Drop it in the comments. 🚀