The Day of The Big Launch

Posted on November 16, 2012 by ThePMJournal

November 16. Today is Friday and The Big Launch of our new product. I reach the office at 8 o’clock and I am alone in the building. I quietly drink the coffee, send emails, make the final preparations for the product release. Although I had come first at the office, I arrive 5 minute late at the morning meeting. I begin my presentation… “The four big bad wolves” (the group of Experts) are waiting to tear me apart. Their first remarks are: “Why are the colors so?”, “Why this design?”, “I’ve seen better products than this”, “Why do we are misspelled words in the applications…”. The COO, the only man who could understand the constraints of resources and time we had, instead of supporting me, he didn’t say nothing, letting the impression he hasn’t the slightest involvement in all these stories.

In the presentation, I am one against seven people, by trying to present my product and to provide philosophical interpretation of architecture, design, vision to some people who haven’t more than few months experience in software industry. Attacked from all sides by a pack of wolves, I am asked asked: “-But why are you so defensive?”

At the end of the presentation, we are talking about partners and sales. CEO treats rapidly the subject, to avoid embarrassment of the gang of Experts who failed to sign a single contract in the past six months…

At 3 hours after the morning meeting, the CEO convenes a new session of presentation. What? “The Big Bad Wolf” got crazy? How can I explain him it wasn’t time for improvements? Finally I had an idea: Let’s bring in the meeting one of the most experienced software architects, to sustain my point of view (I was thinking CEO will not have the courage to attack us, especially in discussions about the technical side of the product). The idea was good, with one exception: My guest from development team was so close to beat the blonde from Marketing and the CRM Expert. My colleague was so shocked by our “abnormal” board meetings, he has reinforced his idea that he is “lead by morons“. Although the meeting ended without any incident, my colleague sparked a series of jokes through company about our immature leaders and about the fact that “we are doomed to bankruptcy“.

In the light of the events, CEO delayed the big launch and concluded:

-Although, today, Friday Nov 16, was the day of the Big Launch, I think it is a bad omen to launch this product Friday, before the weekend, when everyone is on holiday… Moreover, from now on, all releases will not be anymore made on Fridays. The Big Launch is postponed on Monday!

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