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
- Discovery Survey - Gather project context (product type, audience, stage)
- Interactive Verification - Actively verify items using browser tools and web queries
- PASS/FAIL Report - Output each item with status and next step for failures
- Iterate - Re-run audit after fixes until all items pass
Discovery Survey
Before running the checklist, gather project context:
Questions to ask:
- Product type: B2B SaaS, B2C, Developer Tool, Marketplace, or Other?
- Target audience/ICP: Who is the primary customer?
- Current stage: Pre-MVP, Beta/Early Access, or Ready to Launch?
- Does the product use AI/ML that affects unit economics?
- 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 descriptionor
[FAIL] Item description
→ Next step: Single actionable instructionVerification 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 headersscripts/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 principlesreferences/payment-verification.md- Stripe go-live checklistreferences/geo-visibility.md- GEO/AI discovery optimization, technical requirements, content strategiesreferences/launch-tactics.md- Product Hunt and social strategies, "Magic Triangle" approachreferences/trust-infrastructure.md- Trust-as-a-Product requirementsreferences/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:
- All 10 sections have been evaluated
- Each item shows PASS or FAIL with next step
- User has a prioritized list of fixes
Re-run the audit after implementing fixes until all critical items pass.
Key 2026 Insights
- Pricing: Per-seat is declining (126% YoY growth in credit models). Use outcome-based or hybrid models.
- AI Economics: Target AI costs < 30% of revenue. Traditional SaaS: 80-90% margins. AI-first: 50-65% margins.
- Discovery: AI agents now ~33% of organic search. Only 12% of companies appear across all AI platforms.
- Trust: Trust-as-a-Product is a differentiator, not just compliance.
- Product Hunt: 26.5% of launches get 500-1000 users. 49% fail by relying on PH alone.