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.