## 1. Ideation Checkpoint
**Goal:** Align on the problem or opportunity and ensure it supports business and user needs.
### Key Inputs:
- User research insights
- Market and competitive analysis
- Business objectives and OKRs
### Participants:
Product, Data, Ops, and Key Stakeholders
### Discussion Points:
- What problem are we solving?
- Who is the target audience?
- Initial thoughts on potential solutions
- What metrics is it improving?
### Outcome:
Agreement on whether to proceed, refine, or pivot.
---
## 2. Discovery Checkpoint
**Goal:** Validate feasibility and prioritize effectively.
### Key Inputs:
- Technical feasibility assessment
- Resource and timeline estimates
- Dependencies identification
- Prioritization frameworks (e.g., RICE, impact/effort analysis)
### Participants:
Product, Engineering, UX, Ops, Legal
### Discussion Points:
- What are the risks and unknowns?
- What trade-offs are we making?
- What data do we need before proceeding?
- What is the expected impact?
### Outcome:
A refined product brief with problem statement, hypotheses, and an early solution outline.
---
## 3. PRD Feedback Checkpoint
**Goal:** Gather early feedback on the Product Requirements Document (PRD) before committing to execution.
### Key Inputs:
- Draft PRD (problem, scope, success metrics, user flows)
- Early design concepts
- Technical considerations
### Participants:
Product, Engineering, UX, Ops, and Key Stakeholders
### Discussion Points:
- Does the scope align with our goals?
- Are there alternative approaches?
- What gaps or risks should we address?
### Outcome:
Iterated PRD ready for broader alignment.
>[!note]
> Up to this point, the [[Structured quarterly requests and roadmap creation]] has likely completed the steps above.
---
## 4. Design Review Checkpoint
**Goal:** Validate that designs align with business goals and user needs.
### Key Inputs:
- Wireframes, mockups, or prototypes
- User flow diagrams
- Feedback from internal stakeholders
### Participants:
Product, UX/UI, Engineering Leads
### Discussion Points:
- Does this design address the core problem?
- Are there usability concerns?
- What are the technical implications?
### Outcome:
Approved design for prototyping and development.
---
## 5. Stakeholder Showcase Checkpoint
**Goal:** Create visibility and gather stakeholder input before development begins.
### Key Inputs:
- Refined PRD and design prototypes
- Key trade-offs and constraints
- Preliminary development plan
- Slides and kickoff meeting with stakeholders
### Participants:
Product, Leadership, Ops, Marketing, and Key Stakeholders
### Discussion Points:
- Are there cross-team dependencies?
- Are we missing critical considerations?
- What changes would improve adoption?
### Outcome:
Stakeholder buy-in and last-minute refinements before build.
---
## 6. Experimentation Checkpoint
**Goal:** Validate assumptions and refine before full-scale development.
### Key Inputs:
- A/B test plans or MVP prototypes
- Experimentation KPIs
- Rollout strategy (e.g., regional pilot, feature flagging)
### Participants:
Product, Engineering, Data, Ops
### Discussion Points:
- What success criteria define a positive signal?
- What learnings will shape the final implementation?
- What’s the fallback plan if results are inconclusive?
### Outcome:
Data-driven decision to iterate, expand, or pivot.
---
## 7. Development Checkpoint
**Goal:** Ensure the team is aligned and the build is on track.
### Key Inputs:
- Sprint backlogs
- Technical documentation and acceptance criteria
- Progress updates
### Participants:
Product, Engineering, QA
### Discussion Points:
- Are there emerging blockers?
- Are we on track with our timeline?
- Do any requirements need adjustments?
### Outcome:
Clear path forward for completing development.
---
## 8. Pre-Launch Readiness Checkpoint
**Goal:** Confirm that the product is ready for release and aligned with GTM strategies.
### Key Inputs:
- QA results and bug reports
- Internal testing feedback
- Localization and compliance checks
### Participants:
Product, Engineering, Marketing, Ops, Legal
### Discussion Points:
- Have we tested all key use cases?
- Are launch materials (docs, training, support) ready?
- What’s our monitoring plan post-launch?
### Outcome:
Green light for launch.
---
## 9. Launch Checkpoint
**Goal:** Execute the phased rollout and ensure smooth deployment.
### Key Inputs:
- Live monitoring dashboards
- Rollback and incident response plan
- Early user feedback
### Participants:
Product, Ops, Data, Engineering
### Discussion Points:
- Are there any immediate issues?
- What is user adoption looking like?
- Do we need to adjust anything mid-rollout?
### Outcome:
Full rollout approval or course correction.
---
## 10. Post-Launch Assessment Checkpoint
**Goal:** Analyze performance and plan next steps.
### Key Inputs:
- KPI tracking (adoption, retention, user satisfaction)
- Customer and internal feedback
- Operational insights
### Participants:
Product, Data, Ops
### Discussion Points:
- Did we hit our success metrics?
- What improvements should we prioritize?
- How do we scale or optimize further?
### Outcome:
Post-launch analysis with next steps.
---
## 11. Retrospective Checkpoint
**Goal:** Continuously improve the product development process.
### Key Inputs:
- Team feedback and lessons learned
- Development efficiency metrics
### Participants:
Product, Engineering, UX, Ops
### Discussion Points:
- What worked well?
- What could be improved?
- How do we apply these learnings to future projects?
### Outcome:
Actionable process improvements.