b-open-io/saas-launch-audit

SaaS Launch Audit

A comprehensive, repeatable audit workflow for SaaS products approaching launch. Provides clear PASS/FAIL states with single actionable next steps.

Purpose

Validate launch readiness across 10 critical areas: validation, pricing, payments, AI economics, discovery, competitors, social presence, legal, trust infrastructure, and launch day operations.

Workflow Overview

1. Discovery Survey - Gather project context (product type, audience, stage)
2. Interactive Verification - Actively verify items using browser tools and web queries
3. PASS/FAIL Report - Output each item with status and next step for failures
4. Iterate - Re-run audit after fixes until all items pass

Discovery Survey

Before running the checklist, gather project context:

Questions to ask:

1. Product type: B2B SaaS, B2C, Developer Tool, Marketplace, or Other?
2. Target audience/ICP: Who is the primary customer?
3. Current stage: Pre-MVP, Beta/Early Access, or Ready to Launch?
4. Does the product use AI/ML that affects unit economics?
5. Primary domain/URL to audit (if live)

Platform recommendations by product type:

• Developer Tools: GitHub, Hacker News, Reddit, X, Dev.to
• B2B SaaS: LinkedIn, Product Hunt, G2/Capterra
• B2C/Consumer: X, TikTok, Instagram, YouTube
• Indie Hacker: Product Hunt, Indie Hackers, X, Reddit

Audit Checklist (10 Sections)

1. Pre-Launch Validation

| Item | Verification Method | |------|---------------------| | 50+ discovery calls completed | Ask user | | Pre-payment secured from 3+ customers | Ask user | | Problem validated (not just interest) | Ask user for evidence | | Manual service delivery tested | Ask user |

2. Pricing Strategy

| Item | Verification Method | |------|---------------------| | Pricing model selected (outcome/usage/hybrid) | Ask user, verify NOT per-seat only | | Value metric identified | Ask user what outcome they charge for | | 3-4 tiers with clear differentiation | Browser: check pricing page | | Annual contract incentives configured | Browser: verify discount shown | | Pricing page live and scannable | Browser: visual check |

3. Payment Integration

| Item | Verification Method | |------|---------------------| | Stripe account activated (live keys) | Ask user to confirm | | Test transactions successful | Ask user | | Webhook endpoints configured | Ask about endpoint URL | | Billing portal accessible | Browser: test billing portal link | | Tax/KYC requirements met | Ask user |

4. AI Economics (if applicable)

| Item | Verification Method | |------|---------------------| | Inference costs calculated per action | Ask user for cost breakdown | | AI costs < 30% of revenue | Calculate: inference cost / revenue per user | | Gross margin > 50% (AI-adjusted) | Verify: traditional SaaS 80-90%, AI-first 50-65% | | Margin protection strategy exists | Ask about usage caps, tiering | | Cost monitoring/alerts configured | Ask user |

5. GEO & AI Discovery

| Item | Verification Method | |------|---------------------| | AI visibility audit completed | WebSearch: query ChatGPT/Perplexity for brand | | Structured data/FAQ schema | Browser: check page source | | Content uses authoritative language | Browser: check for excessive hedging | | SSR/pre-rendering for LLM crawlers | Ask about rendering strategy | | Server response time < 200ms | Run scripts/tech-audit.sh | | Core Web Vitals passing | Check PageSpeed Insights |

2026 Fact: AI agents account for ~33% of organic search activity. Only 12% of companies appear across ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Claude.

6. Competitor Intelligence

| Item | Verification Method | |------|---------------------| | 3+ direct competitors identified | Ask user to list | | Competitor pricing documented | WebSearch: research each competitor | | Differentiation statement written | Ask user for positioning | | AI visibility comparison done | WebSearch: query "[category] tools" | | Citation sentiment analyzed | Review AI responses for tone |

7. Social Media & Launch Prep

| Item | Verification Method | |------|---------------------| | Primary platform profiles created | Browser: check each platform | | LinkedIn founder profile optimized | Browser: review profile | | X/Twitter presence established | Browser: check account | | Product Hunt profile ready | Browser: check PH profile | | 400+ PH supporters lined up | Ask user about DM outreach | | Launch email sequence drafted | Ask user | | Content calendar for 30 days | Ask user | | "Magic Triangle" ready | Ask about founder content + outreach + retargeting |

8. Legal & Compliance

| Item | Verification Method | |------|---------------------| | Privacy Policy live | Browser: check /privacy or footer link | | Terms of Service live | Browser: check /terms or footer link | | Cookie consent banner | Browser: verify banner appears | | DPA template ready (if B2B) | Ask user |

9. Trust Infrastructure

| Item | Verification Method | |------|---------------------| | Auth system production-ready | Ask user about auth provider | | Audit logging enabled | Ask user | | Error tracking configured | Ask about Sentry or similar | | Uptime monitoring active | Ask user | | Security headers configured | Run scripts/tech-audit.sh |

10. Launch Day Readiness

| Item | Verification Method | |------|---------------------| | Support channels operational | Browser: check support links | | FAQ/Knowledge base published | Browser: check /help or /docs | | Analytics tracking verified | Ask about GA4, PostHog setup | | Team roles assigned | Ask user | | Rollback plan documented | Ask user |

Output Format

Report each item as:

[PASS] Item description

or

[FAIL] Item description
  → Next step: Single actionable instruction

Verification Tools

Browser Verification

Use mcp__claude-in-chrome__* tools to:

• Navigate to pricing, terms, privacy pages
• Check for cookie banners, structured data
• Verify billing portal accessibility
• Review social media profiles

Web Search Verification

Use WebSearch to:

• Query AI assistants for brand visibility
• Research competitor pricing
• Check product mentions and sentiment

Script Verification

Use provided scripts:

• scripts/tech-audit.sh - Core Web Vitals, SSL, security headers
• scripts/competitor-visibility.sh - AI visibility comparison

Additional Resources

For detailed guidance, see the references directory:

• references/pricing-2026.md - Outcome/usage-based pricing strategies, 2026 trends, tier design principles
• references/payment-verification.md - Stripe go-live checklist
• references/geo-visibility.md - GEO/AI discovery optimization, technical requirements, content strategies
• references/launch-tactics.md - Product Hunt and social strategies, "Magic Triangle" approach
• references/trust-infrastructure.md - Trust-as-a-Product requirements
• references/metrics-2026.md - AI-first SaaS metrics (gross margins, cost optimization)
• references/platform-guides.md - Platform-specific launch guides

Completion Criteria

The audit is complete when:

1. All 10 sections have been evaluated
2. Each item shows PASS or FAIL with next step
3. User has a prioritized list of fixes

Re-run the audit after implementing fixes until all critical items pass.

Key 2026 Insights

1. Pricing: Per-seat is declining (126% YoY growth in credit models). Use outcome-based or hybrid models.
2. AI Economics: Target AI costs < 30% of revenue. Traditional SaaS: 80-90% margins. AI-first: 50-65% margins.
3. Discovery: AI agents now ~33% of organic search. Only 12% of companies appear across all AI platforms.
4. Trust: Trust-as-a-Product is a differentiator, not just compliance.
5. Product Hunt: 26.5% of launches get 500-1000 users. 49% fail by relying on PH alone.