Strategic Launch Planning: How Zenhub Sprints Revolutionized Project Management

During my time at Zenhub, an agile project management software for GitHub teams, we received feedback from our users that they were spending a significant amount of time on administrative tasks, such as updating project progress, which was taking away from writing code and developing software.

To address this issue and reduce manual overhead for developers, we recognized that automation was the key solution. Consequently, we developed Zenhub Sprints—a feature aimed at helping developers work more efficiently and focus on their most meaningful tasks. What sets Zenhub Sprints apart from other products in the market is its unparalleled automated experience in planning sprints and seamlessly carrying over unfinished work between them.

As the Marketing Director, my primary responsibility was to drive the launch of Zenhub Sprints and generate significant buzz and traction around this innovative feature. My role encompassed various aspects, including strategizing the launch, planning, and executing the marketing campaign.

To achieve these goals, I worked closely with the product development team to ensure that I understood the capabilities and benefits of Zenhub Sprints. Additionally, I collaborated with a PR & communications contractor to craft a compelling narrative centered on the product's unparalleled automation capabilities. After discussing with the leadership team and CEO, we made the strategic decision to align the launch of Zenhub Sprints with the timing of the seed funding announcement. This allowed us to leverage the media exposure and investor interest to drive awareness for our new feature.

The main challenge we faced was how to generate buzz and attract attention to Zenhub Sprints in a market that is highly competitive. We recognized that having an excellent product alone might not be enough to capture the attention of our target audience. Therefore, we needed to develop a well-coordinated marketing strategy that would highlight the unique automation capabilities of Zenhub Sprints and make it stand out in the market.

To overcome this challenge, we decided to delay the launch of Zenhub Sprints (already developed in December 2020) until February 2021, aligning it with the announcement of our $4.7M seed funding. This approach allowed us to craft a compelling narrative around Zenhub being the "most automated solution" and leverage the media attention already generated by the funding news. By capitalizing on this increased brand awareness, we could effectively reach our target audience and entice them to explore and adopt Zenhub Sprints.