The Internal Launch Readiness Protocol
by Christine Itwaru • Product Operations Leader at Pendo
A long-time product leader who transitioned from traditional Product Management to pioneering the Product Operations function at Pendo. She is a recognized thought leader in the Product Ops space, helping define the role's scope, value, and execution strategy for the broader tech industry.
🎙️ Episode Context
Christine Itwaru demystifies the rising role of Product Operations, distinguishing it from Project Management and Product Marketing. She articulates how Product Ops acts as a strategic enabler that removes internal friction, allowing PMs to focus on customers rather than internal firefighting. The conversation covers how to diagnose if an organization needs Product Ops, how to structure the function, and how to execute specific workflows like Voice of Customer synthesis and internal launch readiness.
Problem It Solves
Prevents 'bad launches' where internal teams (Sales/CS) are blindsided, leading to poor customer adoption and internal chaos.
Framework Overview
A structured communication strategy that shifts focus from 'what is launching' to 'how the company gets ready' for the launch.
🧠 Framework Structure
Decouple Awareness from Readiness: Kn...
Create the 'Product Digest': A curate...
Define the PMM vs. Ops Line: PMM hand...
Enforce the 'Definition of Done': A f...
When to Use
During the weeks leading up to a feature release, specifically for B2B products with high-touch sales or success models.
Common Mistakes
Turning the digest into a list of dates and Jira tickets rather than a guide on value proposition and workflow changes.
Real World Example
After a disastrous launch where Pendo's own teams weren't ready, Christine implemented this protocol to ensure Sales knew how to position features and CS knew how to support them before the external release.
People can know when [a feature] is coming, but they need to know what it is they need to do with it.
— Christine Itwaru