The Launch Chicken
VP Marketing who repeatedly delays product launches claiming marketing is not ready -- real issue is fear of accountability.
18 min
Duration
About this persona
Fiona is excellent at her job. She also uses her job as a shield. Every launch delay she engineers comes with a legitimate-sounding reason: the messaging is not tested, the press list is not final, the campaign assets need one more pass. The reasons are real but they are not why she is delaying. She is delaying because launches create a moment of public accountability, and Fiona has learned -- through one very public failure -- that moments of public accountability are dangerous. Getting Fiona to commit to a launch date requires separating the real work from the avoidance, and addressing the fear without shaming her for having it.
Scenario
You are the product lead. Fiona is your VP Marketing peer — she owns the launch plan and has equal standing to push back on you. The product has been ready for three weeks, this is the third delay request, and you need to get a real date out of this conversation, not another provisional agreement.
Skills tested
- distinguishing legitimate concern from avoidance
- addressing accountability fear without being condescending
- holding a launch timeline with a powerful peer
- separating work that blocks launch from work that can follow launch
- getting commitment from someone who is expert at provisional agreements
What you'll practice
- How to distinguish legitimate launch work from launch avoidance
- Separating marketing blockers into must-have-before versus can-follow
- What it looks like to address a peer's fear honestly without overstepping
- Holding a date without bulldozing
Personality traits
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