This is a topic I’ve been meaning to discuss for a long time, and it still applies today. We’re seeing the same mistakes repeated with new sites, proving that companies continue to misunderstand what makes a launch truly successful. A launch is an important milestone—it signals a level of completion for the owner. But too many online businesses overemphasize The Launch, pouring everything into a single moment instead of focusing on long-term success.
Why Timing Matters More Than Hype
I recently read Seth Godin’s article Not So Grand, and I completely agree with his point:
“The best time to promote something is after it has raving fans, after you’ve discovered that it works, after it has a groundswell of support. And more important, the best way to promote something is consistently and persistently and for a long time. Save the bunting for Flag Day.”
How often have we seen companies throw elaborate launch parties only to fade into the background? Think about all the startups spotlighted by TechCrunch’s conferences—how many of them do you actually use? How many are still around?
Case Study: Twitter’s Growing Pains
The biggest companies weren’t instant successes at launch. Twitter, for example, started in March 2006 and officially launched in July of that year, but it didn’t truly take off until SXSW 2007. Even then, Twitter wasn’t prepared for the massive influx of users. They struggled with defining their company’s purpose, and their infrastructure wasn’t built to handle the demand.
Jack Dorsey, Twitter’s CEO at the time, gave a presentation that highlighted a clear divide: how Twitter’s users wanted to engage with the platform versus how the company originally envisioned it being used. Originally, Twitter was designed as a simple status update service, but users quickly adapted it as a social networking and news-sharing tool. Instead of focusing on monetization, Twitter’s primary challenge became scaling—something they could have addressed much earlier.
The Danger of Scaling Too Late
That’s the mistake so many companies make. They rush to bring in users before their foundation is solid. It’s understandable, but it often leads to serious problems. Twitter managed to survive because investors kept throwing money at them, giving them the time and resources to fix their issues. Most companies don’t have that luxury.
Digg’s Struggle With User Expectations
Take Digg as another example. It launched in 2004 but didn’t gain serious traction until 2006, eventually exploding in popularity in 2007. But as they scaled, they hit a fundamental problem—one that could have been addressed much earlier. Digg wanted to go mainstream, but its core users wanted it to remain focused on technology. That disconnect between user expectations and the company’s vision created friction, ultimately leading to Digg’s decline.
A Launch is Just the Beginning
A launch is just the beginning. Success isn’t determined by how much noise you make on day one—it’s about the decisions you make afterward. Ensuring that your foundation is solid makes long-term success much easier to achieve. But if you focus on the wrong things, your company can slip through your fingers just as quickly as it started. The key isn’t in the launch itself—it’s in how well you build and maintain what comes next.
