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Phase 6
Post-Launch Review & Retrospectives
The launch is never the end of the story—it’s the beginning of learning. Post-launch reviews and retrospectives help product teams pause, reflect, and extract lessons before diving headfirst into the next sprint or initiative. In this module, you’ll learn why structured retrospectives are critical for long-term product success, what they should include, who to involve, and how to capture “fast-follows” to keep momentum going. By the end, you’ll be equipped with facilitation techniques and frameworks to turn reflection into action, ensuring each release makes the next one smoother, faster, and more impactful.
What is a Launch Retrospective?
A structured, team-wide reflection session held after a release to capture what worked, what didn’t, and how to improve next time. The focus is not on blame, but on building shared learning. The output is a prioritized list of lessons, improvements, and “fast-follows.”
How to Run a Retrospective
Create a Clear Home for Feedback
Use shared tools (Airtable, Jira, Confluence, Notion) to capture feedback in one place.
Collect Input in Advance
Use forms or surveys with prompts like 'Start/Stop/Continue' to gather thoughts before the meeting.
Facilitate the Session
Review launch goals and metrics, cluster feedback into themes, and capture action items with clear owners.
Document Fast-Follows
Build a backlog of enhancements, bug fixes, or process tweaks and prioritize them for future sprints.
Key Takeaways
- Reflection is as critical as execution. Post-launch reviews prevent repeating mistakes and amplify successes.
- Retrospectives should be structured, inclusive, and action-oriented.
- Documenting and prioritizing “fast-follows” keeps momentum alive after launch.
- The best teams institutionalize learning—making every launch smoother and smarter than the last.