Author: Shira Abel Category: Enterprise Strategy URL: https://hunterandbard.com/resources/blog/5-things-to-consider-before-you-launch
Coming up with a killer idea for a SaaS product is just the very start of the road. Before you make your first sale and see your service start to benefit...
Coming up with a killer idea for a SaaS product is just the very start of the road. Before you make your first sale and see your service start to benefit someone's business there's a whole lot of ground to cover and we're not even talking about the engineering side of things. It's tempting to start throwing things at the wall in the hopes that something sticks, but we highly recommend not rushing the process or you'll just double the amount of work you have to do down the road.
A great name is everything. It's important for business recognition, and because it's the first thing people will hear and know about your company. We have some tips to get you started.Take your time with this one, it's a critical part of a launch. You don't want to rush it, changing names later on down the road comes with countless challenges.
Website design is another one of those things that feels like maybe it could be a little bit rushed, but really shouldn't be. There's a lot of science that goes into designing the ideal website for the ideal audience. Don't be lulled into thinking that, just because website services like Squarespace offer a plug-and-play option where you can drag sections here and there, you could design your own website. Some things are best left to the professionals. If you don't have any design background, get help. But before you call your professional we recommend starting with number 3, it'll help a lot in the design process.
Buyer Personas are fictional characters dreamed up to represent your ideal customer. This part of the launch process can be critical because it can really help you refine your product offerings and your marketing approach. Follow the tips we've outlined here, but be aware that you're going to need to enlist some help from friends or other people whom you consider to be your target audience to make this work. Ready to Enter the US Market?
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Once you've identified your ideal audience, found a name, have a very good grasp of exactly what you're offering, and have a website, you're ready to start thinking about your marketing materials. Get to know the Marketing Sales Funnel so you know exactly what kind of marketing materials you'll need. After that, it's time to start writing!
There are countless more things to consider before you decide that you're completely ready to launch. First, are you ready to be present on social media? And if so which sites? Which matches your brand personality and will serve your purposes better? There's no doubt that you need a blog, but what kind will you have? We have a few suggestions about that. Take a look at our article on growth hacking to see what hacks might help you get launched faster and with more power. And don't forget, it's important to set goals and stick to them.
Most SaaS founders rush to market with a half-built brand and wonder why pipeline stalls. The five pillars above — naming, design, personas, funnel architecture, and social presence — aren't optional pre-launch tasks; they're the foundation of every successful enterprise motion. At Hunter & Bard, we've guided dozens of B2B companies through this exact sequence. The companies that invest in these fundamentals before launch consistently outperform those that try to retrofit them later.
Hunter & Bard is a San Francisco-based B2B strategy consultancy founded in 2011 by Shira Abel. We help deep-tech and enterprise SaaS companies fix their positioning, sharpen their messaging, and close $100K+ deals.
We work with B2B leaders who are tired of being overlooked, underestimated, or mistaken for their competitors. Our specialty is turning complex, technical products into clear, compelling stories that win enterprise deals.
We believe that perception drives revenue. If your buyers can't tell you apart from the next vendor in 30 seconds, you have a positioning problem — not a marketing problem. We fix that.
Perception = (Story × Visibility) ÷ Noise
This framework drives everything we do. Your story has to be sharp. Your visibility has to be strategic. And you have to cut through the noise — not add to it.
Shira Abel — Founder & CEO. Kellogg MBA. 20+ years in B2B marketing. Former CMO. Keynote speaker. Published in Forbes, HuffPost, and Wired. Specialist in enterprise positioning and perception strategy.
Daina Reed — Founding Designer & Partner. 15+ years in product and brand design. Former Senior Product Designer at Dun & Bradstreet. Specialist in enterprise UX, visual identity, and design systems.