Project 14: Directory Launch and Regional Availability Ops

Build a launch and distribution plan that aligns app discovery, availability constraints, and onboarding activation.

Quick Reference

Attribute	Value
Difficulty	Intermediate
Time Estimate	1 week
Main Programming Language	N/A (operations + analytics)
Alternative Programming Languages	TypeScript for telemetry scripts
Coolness Level	Level 3
Business Potential	Strong acquisition and retention impact
Prerequisites	Submission-ready app, basic analytics
Key Topics	Directory listing, regional constraints, onboarding conversion

1. Learning Objectives

1. Build a region/plan/workspace rollout matrix.
2. Align listing metadata with first-run user value.
3. Design clear unsupported-state messaging.
4. Track discovery and activation metrics after launch.

2. All Theory Needed (Per-Concept Breakdown)

Distribution as Product Engineering

Fundamentals Publishing is not binary. Availability can be constrained by plan, geography, and workspace policy. You must design for this explicitly.

Deep Dive into the concept Directory success depends on two coupled systems: discovery and activation. Discovery is driven by listing quality (name, icon, description, category, screenshots). Activation is driven by onboarding quality and fast first value.

Availability constraints complicate this: some users will see disabled connect actions due to region/workspace settings. If unsupported states are unclear, users churn and support load rises. Build a launch matrix and communicate constraints early.

Roll out in stages. Start with one segment, validate conversion and reliability thresholds, then expand. Every expansion should be gated by objective metrics: connect success, first-action completion, auth failure rate, and support ticket ratio.

Minimal concrete example

rollout_segment_us_plus:
  listing=enabled
  connect=enabled
  workspace_policy=required
  onboarding_version=v2
  target_activation=60%

3. Project Specification

3.1 What You Will Build

A distribution playbook covering listing assets, availability constraints, onboarding, and post-launch telemetry.

3.2 Functional Requirements

1. Define supported/unsupported segments.
2. Create listing and onboarding alignment checklist.
3. Add unsupported-state messaging and support guidance.
4. Instrument discovery-to-first-action funnel.

3.3 Real World Outcome

$ npm run launch:readiness
[ok] listing assets complete
[ok] rollout matrix validated
[ok] unsupported-state copy present
[ok] onboarding first-action test passed
[ok] funnel metrics dashboard seeded
launch_ready=true

4. Solution Architecture

Directory Listing -> Segment Gate (region/plan/workspace) -> Onboarding -> First Action -> Feedback Loop

5. Implementation Guide

5.1 The Core Question You’re Answering

“How do we ensure approved apps are actually discoverable, connectable, and usable in each target segment?”

5.2 Concepts You Must Understand First

1. Activation funnel design.
2. Segment-gated rollout strategy.
3. Onboarding and expectation alignment.

5.3 Questions to Guide Your Design

1. Which segment should launch first?
2. What unsupported-state guidance is required?
3. Which metric decides whether rollout expands?

5.4 Thinking Exercise

Design a two-phase rollout with explicit promotion criteria between phases.

5.5 The Interview Questions They’ll Ask

1. How do regional constraints change launch planning?
2. Which metrics indicate listing quality?
3. How do you handle disabled connect states gracefully?
4. How do you align onboarding with listing promises?
5. What triggers rollout expansion or rollback?

5.6 Hints in Layers

• Hint 1: Pick one segment and optimize deeply first.
• Hint 2: Keep unsupported messaging explicit and actionable.
• Hint 3: Measure discovery and activation separately.
• Hint 4: Tie rollout decisions to objective thresholds.

5.7 Books That Will Help

Topic	Book	Chapter
System boundaries	“Clean Architecture”	Boundary chapters
Iterative product loops	“The Pragmatic Programmer”	Feedback loops
Onboarding design	“Designing Interfaces”	First-run patterns

6. Testing Strategy

• Segment simulation tests (supported vs unsupported).
• Onboarding first-value tests.
• Connect-button and availability messaging checks.

7. Common Pitfalls & Debugging

Pitfall	Symptom	Solution
Unknown segment constraints	User confusion	Publish explicit availability matrix
High views, low activation	Metadata/onboarding mismatch	Align first-run path to listing promise
Unclear unsupported states	Support tickets spike	Add direct next-step guidance

8. Extensions & Challenges

• Add localization of onboarding copy.
• Add per-segment cohort analysis.
• Add weekly rollout decision reports.

9. Real-World Connections

• Marketplace launch operations
• Growth and activation teams
• Regional compliance rollout planning

10. Resources

• OpenAI blog: Developers can now submit apps to ChatGPT
• OpenAI Help: Apps in ChatGPT
• OpenAI Apps SDK: Submit your app

11. Self-Assessment Checklist

• I can define a segment-aware launch matrix.
• I can design clear unsupported-state UX.
• I can monitor and improve activation after launch.

12. Submission / Completion Criteria

Minimum Viable Completion

• Launch matrix plus listing/onboarding alignment checklist.

Full Completion

• Segment instrumentation, staged rollout criteria, and validated unsupported-state UX.