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. Incorporates 2026-specific guidance on outcome-based pricing, AI visibility optimization, and modern SaaS metrics.
Workflow Overview
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Discovery Survey - Gather project context (product type, audience, stage)
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Interactive Verification - Actively verify items using browser tools and web queries
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PASS/FAIL Report - Output each item with status and next step for failures
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Iterate - Re-run audit after fixes until all items pass
Discovery Survey
Before running the checklist, gather project context. Use AskUserQuestion:
Questions to ask:
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Product type: B2B SaaS, B2C, Developer Tool, Marketplace, or Other?
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Target audience/ICP: Who is the primary customer?
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Current stage: Pre-MVP, Beta/Early Access, or Ready to Launch?
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Does the product use AI/ML that affects unit economics?
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Primary domain/URL to audit (if live)
Platform recommendations based on product type:
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Developer Tools: GitHub, Hacker News, Reddit, X, Dev.to
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B2B SaaS: LinkedIn, Product Hunt, G2/Capterra
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B2C/Consumer: X, TikTok, Instagram, YouTube
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Indie Hacker: Product Hunt, Indie Hackers, X, Reddit
Audit Checklist (10 Sections)
1. Pre-Launch Validation
| 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
Consult references/pricing-2026.md for detailed guidance.
| 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
Consult references/payment-verification.md for Stripe go-live checklist.
| 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)
Consult references/metrics-2026.md for AI-first metrics.
| 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
Note: IER (Inference Efficiency Ratio) is a useful internal metric but not an industry standard. Target AI costs < 30% of revenue as the primary benchmark.
5. GEO & AI Discovery
Consult references/geo-visibility.md for optimization guide.
| 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 (LCP < 2.5s, INP ≤ 200ms, CLS < 0.1) | 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
Run scripts/competitor-visibility.sh for automated checks.
| 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
Consult references/launch-tactics.md and references/platform-guides.md.
| 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 (warm contacts preferred)
| 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
| 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
Consult references/trust-infrastructure.md for Trust-as-a-Product guide.
| 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
| 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 description
or
[FAIL] Item description
→ Next step: Single actionable instruction
Example output:
## Pricing Strategy
[PASS] Pricing model selected (usage-based)
[PASS] Value metric identified (API calls)
[FAIL] 3-4 tiers with clear differentiation
→ Next step: Add a middle tier between Free and Pro to capture mid-market
[PASS] Annual contract incentives configured (20% discount)
[FAIL] Pricing page not found
→ Next step: Create /pricing page with tier comparison table
Verification Tools
Browser Verification
Use mcp__claude-in-chrome__* tools to:
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Navigate to pricing, terms, privacy pages
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Check for cookie banners, structured data
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Verify billing portal accessibility
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Review social media profiles
Web Search Verification
Use WebSearch to:
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Query AI assistants for brand visibility
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Research competitor pricing
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Check product mentions and sentiment
Script Verification
Use provided scripts:
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scripts/tech-audit.sh- Core Web Vitals, SSL, security headers -
scripts/competitor-visibility.sh- AI visibility comparison
Reference Files
Consult these for detailed guidance:
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references/pricing-2026.md- Outcome/usage-based pricing strategies -
references/payment-verification.md- Stripe go-live checklist -
references/geo-visibility.md- GEO/AI discovery optimization -
references/launch-tactics.md- Product Hunt and social strategies -
references/trust-infrastructure.md- Trust-as-a-Product requirements -
references/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:
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All 10 sections have been evaluated
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Each item shows PASS or FAIL with next step
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User has a prioritized list of fixes
Re-run the audit after implementing fixes until all critical items pass.
Key 2026 Insights (Research-Verified)
Embedded throughout this audit:
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Pricing: Per-seat is declining (126% YoY growth in credit models). Use outcome-based or hybrid models. Note: pendulum swinging back toward simplicity.
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AI Economics: Target AI costs < 30% of revenue. Traditional SaaS: 80-90% margins. AI-first: 50-65% margins.
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Discovery: AI agents now ~33% of organic search. Only 12% of companies appear across all AI platforms. Server response < 200ms critical.
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Trust: Trust-as-a-Product is a differentiator, not just compliance.
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Product Hunt: 26.5% of launches get 500-1000 users. 49% fail by relying on PH alone. Warm outreach > cold DMs.