2 · Launch signoff — tiered go/no-go

TL;DR

Objective — make the launch decision tiered so a small cosmetic gap never blocks a launch and a real blocker always does — Tier 1 must be 13/13, Tier 2 launches with documented exceptions, Tier 3 can defer.

User part + done-when

👤 User part — the go/no-go is a person’s call: an agent can confirm each tier’s items, but launching to real customers is a human decision an agent does not make.

Done when all 13 Tier-1 blockers pass, Tier 2 items are either green or have a documented exception, and a person has signed off on the launch.  ·  ⏱ ~45 min  ·  🔀 mixed (🤖 verification, 👤 launch decision).

This is the final gate — run it last

Even though it’s page 2, the signoff is the last thing you do in Phase 11. Its Tier-1 blockers assume the business and support work is already done — landing page live, payments tested, legal pages published, support surface reachable. Complete Business & legal (page 3) and Support & onboarding (page 4) before you run this go/no-go.

The canonical launch bar (live charge + refund, consent banner, refund/cookie pages, header grade) lives in Phase 10 · Pre-launch sign-off — this page’s Tier 1 is the operational subset you re-verify immediately before opening registration; it must not be weaker than Phase 10.

Background

The decision is tiered on purpose. Tier 1 is non-negotiable; Tier 2 can ship with a written exception; Tier 3 is nice-to-have. That separation keeps a minor gap from blocking a launch while guaranteeing a real blocker always stops it.

Steps

1. Confirm Tier 1 blockers (must be 13/13)

If any of these fail, do not launch.

1. Verify all 13 blockers pass.

   #	Item	Check
   1	Production runs the committed code	Deployed commit hash matches
   2	APP_DEBUG=false	Production .env
   3	APP_ENV=production	Production .env
   4	APP_KEY set & secure	Starts with base64:
   5	Database connected	php artisan db:show
   6	All migrations applied	migrate:status all “Ran”
   7	Registration works	Live signup test
   8	Login works	Live login test
   9	Payment flow works	Live keys: real charge and refund on production (not test-card-only)
   10	HTTPS enforced	HTTP redirects, HTTPS 200
   11	.env not publicly reachable	Request returns 403/404
   12	Error tracking receiving	Test exception appears
   13	Uptime monitoring active	Monitors green

   • ✅ All 13 Tier-1 items pass — the launch is not blocked. Also confirm Phase 10 sign-off areas are still green: consent banner enforced, Privacy/Terms/Cookie/Refund published, and security headers match the Phase 7 canonical set.

2. Review Tier 2 — important (launch with documented exceptions)

Runtime version current, all PHP extensions loaded, storage writable, symlinks created, config/route caching succeeds, no JS console errors, email delivery confirmed, every critical route responds, log rotation configured.

1. Confirm each Tier 2 item or document the exception.

   • ✅ Every Tier 2 item is green, or each gap has a written, accepted exception.

3. Review Tier 3 — nice-to-have (can defer)

Static analysis clean, dependency audits clean, performance score above target, dev-only profiling disabled in production, chat-alert integration wired, page load under 3 seconds.

Who does this

👤 User makes the final go/no-go call — with Tier 1 at 13/13 and Tier 2 resolved, a person decides to open registration; deferring Tier 3 is acceptable.

1. Defer or complete the Tier 3 items, then sign off.

   • ✅ Tier 3 items are completed or knowingly deferred, and a person has signed off on the launch.

Checklist

Do not mark this step done until every box below is checked.

• 🤖 Tier 1 is 13/13 — all blockers pass; if any fail, do not launch.
• 🤖 Tier 2 resolved — green or documented exception for each item.
• 🤖 Tier 3 handled — completed or knowingly deferred.
• 👤 Launch signed off — a person has made the go/no-go decision.

→Next step

Phase 12 · Deploy to production