You never get a second chance to make a first impression. So how do you make sure it's a good one? This matter is constantly in the mind of release managers and product owners because they know that once a product is set loose into the world, all bets are off.
Although releasing a product or new feature may be tempting as soon as it is functional, users expect (and deserve) quality and polish. Therefore, before even reaching the beta test stage, much non-technical work must be done: documentation must be written, security must be assessed, and business objectives must be established. These are some things we have learned about software releases at Semaphore.