Launch is the middle of the road, not the finish line. The first weeks after release go into stabilization: monitoring and fixing errors found by real users — under the warranty. After that the product develops based on data: analytics show what works and what doesn't, and the next phase of features is built on metrics rather than gut feeling. You choose the support format: InterLAB continues development, or the project is handed over to your team with documentation and access.
Contents
The first weeks: stabilization
However thoroughly a product is tested, real users will find scenarios nobody thought of. That's normal — what matters is having a plan for this period:
Observation
Monitoring errors, speed and load. Incidents are triaged by priority: critical issues are handled first, the rest go into the fix plan.
Fixes and first data
Warranty fixes and the first metrics: where users reach their goal and where they stop.
Second-phase plan
A growth roadmap based on analytics data, not on a wish list.
Warranty and growth are different things
Warranty
- Fixes what doesn't work as recorded
- Free during the warranty period
- Doesn't include new features or wishes
Growth
- New features and changes per the roadmap
- Estimated and planned separately
- Built on analytics data
Metrics worth watching
Conversion
- What it shows
- share of users who reach the target action
- When to be concerned
- a sharp drop after a release
Retention
- What it shows
- how many users come back
- When to be concerned
- almost nobody returns after the first visit
Speed
- What it shows
- load time of key screens
- When to be concerned
- an increase after updates
Errors
- What it shows
- failure rate according to logs
- When to be concerned
- any increase in critical scenarios
Support formats
- Maintenance: monitoring, updates, backups and minor edits — for websites, 25,000–50,000 ₸ per month
- Growth in sprints: new features per the roadmap with a demo every two weeks
- Handover to your team: documentation, access and onboarding for a transition period
Whichever format you choose, after launch you should have everything you need not to depend on the contractor:
- Access to the repository, servers and domain — on your own accounts
- Architecture and deployment documentation
- Access to analytics and monitoring
- A list of known limitations and second-phase plans
- A clear support channel and response times
When a product needs optimization
Over time every product accumulates technical debt: dependencies go out of date, the data grows, pages get heavier. Signs it's time for optimization: the product has become noticeably slower, changes cost more and more, and manual routine has grown up around it.
Optimization isn't a rewrite from scratch — it's measurement, targeted fixes with the biggest impact, and planned development. We start with an audit and say honestly which pays off better: improving what's there or rebuilding.
A product that stops being developed after launch starts going out of date from day one.
