name: ship-checklist
description: Pre-launch checklist. Use before shipping a product or feature to external users. Solo Founder edition (not enterprise), trimmed to under 20 items to prevent real blockers that could sink you.
version: "1.0"
lastUpdated: "2026-04-24"
inspiredBy:
- source: "the methodology source's solo-version ship list"
note: "Not a simplified enterprise checklist, but redesigned from scratch: only items that can actually cause a crash"
- source: "Claude Code official /security-review"
note: "Security items kept at top priority"
designPrinciples:
- "≤20 items: more than that and nobody reads it"
- "Solo Founder context: skip enterprise items (multi-env, review gate, approval chain)"
- "Aim for not crashing, not perfection: real blockers first, nice-to-haves later"
usedBy:
- planner
- code-reviewer
dependencies: []
Pre-Launch Checklist · Solo Founder Edition
When to Use
- Product MVP ready for first user trials
- Before a major feature release
- Anything that goes in front of customers
How to Use
Claude runs through each item and outputs ✅/⚠️/❌ + one line of evidence. Final verdict: GO / NO-GO.
Code & Security (7 items)
- ⬜ code-reviewer ran, no CRITICAL/HIGH unresolved or tracked
- ⬜ No hardcoded secrets: grepped for
api_key|password|token|secret, no leaks - ⬜ Dependency scan:
npm audit / pip audit shows no high/critical vulnerabilities - ⬜ .env not in git:
.env in .gitignore, with .env.example template - ⬜ Errors don't leak internals: production error messages contain no stack/SQL/path details
- ⬜ Production DB backup: at least one automated backup mechanism
- ⬜ HTTPS: all external interfaces enforce TLS
Functionality & UX (5 items)
- ⬜ Core happy path manually tested 3 times: once per different browser/device
- ⬜ 3 edge case tests: empty input / oversized input / disconnect-reconnect
- ⬜ Loading/Error states: every async operation has UI fallback, no frozen white screen
- ⬜ Mobile usable: if not a desktop tool, run through on iPhone
- ⬜ Destructive actions have confirmation: delete/charge/send must require second confirmation
Data & Compliance (3 items)
- ⬜ Privacy policy + Terms of Service: required if collecting user data (open-source templates OK)
- ⬜ ICP filing (if deployed in China + public-facing): unregistered sites get pulled
- ⬜ User data export/delete flow: meets basic data rights expectations
Payments (if charging, 4 items)
- ⬜ Payment full test: success / failure / cancel / duplicate submission each tested once
- ⬜ Refund/cancel path: user can self-serve or has a clear channel
- ⬜ Invoice/receipt: both business and individual options available
- ⬜ Webhook idempotency: Stripe/WeChat Pay callbacks won't double-credit
Operations & Marketing (4 items)
- ⬜ Error monitoring: at least Sentry or self-hosted logging + alerting
- ⬜ Uptime monitoring: UptimeRobot / BetterStack or similar
- ⬜ Customer support channel: at least one of WeChat blog / email / WeChat group, and email must be reachable
- ⬜ Launch materials: landing page + demo GIF/video + social feed copy + WeChat blog post (can summon @marketing)
Exemptions (explicitly skippable)
If the product is a pure internal tool / single-client custom build:
- Can skip: 13, 14, 21 (case-by-case)
- Cannot skip: 1-6, 8-12, 16-19 (if payments involved)
If it's a free open-source tool:
- Can skip: 13, 14, 16-19
- Cannot skip: 1-12, 20, 22, 23
Skipping requires a written reason, not default skip.
# Pre-Launch Check: [Product/Feature Name]
Date: YYYY-MM-DD
## Item-by-Item Check
### Code & Security
1. code-reviewer ran —— ✅ Last run 2026-04-25, no CRITICAL, HIGH fixed
2. No hardcoded secrets —— ✅ Grepped, only .env.example has placeholders
3. Dependency scan —— ⚠️ 1 medium vulnerability (lodash), doesn't affect main flow, fix next release
4. ...
### Functionality & UX
8. Core happy path —— ❌ Only tested on Chrome, Safari not tested
...
## Status Summary
| Category | Total | ✅ | ⚠️ | ❌ | Skipped |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Code & Security | 7 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| ...
## Verdict
⚠️ **NO-GO · 2 issues to fix**:
1. #8 Safari not tested —— estimated 30 min
2. #20 Error monitoring not configured —— estimated 1 hour
Re-run this checklist after fixes. ETA: tonight.
GO Criteria
- All CRITICAL items (1, 2, 4, 12, 16, 17) must be ✅
- No more than 3 ❌ on other items, each with a clear "why it's OK to ship first" reason
- Every ⚠️ has a ticket / next-release plan
Don'ts
- Don't fake ✅ to hit a deadline (your code-reviewer sub-agent will catch it)
- Don't replace items with "I'll fix it later" — either write a ticket or give an explicit skip reason
- Don't let perfectionism block shipping — Solo Founders win through iteration, not first-version perfection