One would think that after doing this for the last twenty years by now this would have gotten easier. Apparently not.
Here is the Memento look (with apologies to Guy Pierce) on what happened last night.
Day Zero – Launch
21st January 2012 – 2:00 am – Launch
Press post on Facebook, Linkedin and Twitter.
21st January 2012 – 1:00 am – Code Launch
The blog post announcing the arrival of FourQuants.com is ready. The two promo videos are up and running on our youtube channel.
Launch minus One
20th January 2011 – 6:30 pm – 11:50pm
18 iterations of the video promos get recorded, edited, re-recorded. By the time we are done the promo folder is on version x.30.x.
20th January 2011 – 4:00pm – 6:00pm
Final touches to the site. Arbab gives the go ahead to launch at 5:30.
20th January 2011 – 9:00am – 4:00pm
Last minute debate on if the landing page works or not or if we need to redo it one more time. Bad scare.
20th January 2011 – 4:30am – 7:00am
Version 6 of the video promo gets done, zipped, shipped to the team.
20st January 2011 – 2:00 am
Sleep.
Launch minus Two days
19th January 2012
Live site is finally up.
18th January 2012
More last minute changes and fixes. Graphic designer goes under.
17th January 2012
Review session of the test site with conversion specialist throws up all sort of issues. Big feedback session at office on stuff that needs to change.
16th January 2012
The push from HostGator’s test server to GoDaddy production server falls flat on its face. Quick call to support shows limited options. Decide to kill the push to GoDaddy and use HostGator. We start playing with Name Servers.
Launch minus One week
Launch date gets set in stone
Launch minus Two weeks – One month
I know it’s not fair. And I promised that I would share. But twenty hours after launch I am actually being very honest. I really don’t remember anything at all. Right now it is all a buzz in my right temple. Maybe when its gone it will come back.
Update: 22nd January morning
Well some of it came back this morning
First week of December
Initial task list and plan for launch discussed and reviewed with Uzma and Agnes. They both break it down further in a week by week plan for the team.
Second week of December
Design work on the site completed. Basic theme and design elements approved
Two long sessions with Shah Jehan of TeamAnts on the name, related domains and logo related design elements
Third week of December
Arbab starts coming in after hours to help out with the new shopping portal and Facebook pages
Name for the site finalized. Domains acquired. Start investigating hosting providers
Start playing with logo options
Fourth week of December
Logo Finalized – well almost. We have a second round with Shah Jehan on what we want.
Review launch plan, basic agreement on a date
Iphone and Android application contract signed
Pick up Alpha and test site hosting at HostGator
First week of January
Arbab joins full time
Uzma and Agnes pushing ahead to wrap up content packaging and site content
Review marketing copy on the site
Review flow of shopping cart and portal
Start showing the site around to immediate friends and family for reactions and commentary
Second week of January
Memento time
Ps. Btw, here is what the final edition of the other video spots looked like after the final iteration