Definition
A go/no-go decision is a structured checkpoint where a cross-functional team evaluates whether a product launch, release, or initiative should proceed as planned. Each function (engineering, design, QA, marketing, support, legal) reviews their readiness criteria and votes go or no-go. If any critical function votes no-go, the launch is delayed until the blocker is resolved.
The practice originated in aerospace and defense (NASA uses formal go/no-go polls before rocket launches), but it is equally valuable in software. Stripe runs go/no-go reviews before every major API change because a broken payment API affects millions of merchants. Shopify uses go/no-go gates before Black Friday/Cyber Monday releases because the stakes of a production issue during peak traffic are enormous.
Why It Matters for Product Managers
PMs are usually the ones who call the go/no-go meeting and facilitate the decision. This puts them at the center of a high-stakes conversation where different teams have competing priorities. Engineering wants more testing time. Marketing has a committed launch date. Sales has already told a customer the feature ships this week. The PM has to balance these pressures and make a recommendation.
Without a formal go/no-go process, launches happen by default -- the deadline arrives and the team ships whatever is ready, regardless of quality. This leads to the pattern where teams ship features with known bugs, missing documentation, and unprepared support teams, then spend the next two weeks firefighting. A structured go/no-go checkpoint prevents this by making readiness an explicit, cross-functional assessment rather than an assumption.
The go/no-go decision also protects the PM. When a launch goes badly, the first question is "who decided to ship?" A documented go/no-go review with criteria, votes, and known risks provides a clear decision trail. It shows that the team made a deliberate, informed choice rather than stumbling into a launch.
How It Works in Practice
Define criteria in advance -- Before the launch enters its final phase, document the go/no-go criteria for each function. Engineering: all P0/P1 bugs resolved, load testing passed, rollback plan tested. QA: test plan complete, no open blockers. Marketing: launch materials ready, messaging approved. Support: FAQ published, team briefed. Write these down during planning, not the day before launch.
Schedule the review 2-3 days before launch -- This gives teams enough time to remediate any issues flagged during the review. A go/no-go meeting on launch day is too late for meaningful course corrections.
Each function reports status -- Go through each area systematically. Use a simple framework: Green (ready, no concerns), Yellow (ready with known risks -- enumerate them), Red (not ready, here is what is blocking us). Avoid lengthy status updates -- focus on blockers and risks.
Make the call -- If all functions are green, proceed. If any function is red, delay and set a specific remediation plan with a new go/no-go date. Yellow requires judgment: is the risk acceptable? Can it be mitigated with a phased rollout or feature flag? The PM recommends, but any critical function has veto power.
Document the decision -- Record the outcome, any known risks accepted, and the rationale. If the team decides to go despite a yellow item, note what mitigation is in place and who is responsible for monitoring.
Common Pitfalls
Sunk cost pressure. "We already announced the launch date" is not a go/no-go criterion. The decision should be based on readiness, not on how much has been invested. Shipping a broken product damages trust more than a delayed launch.
No clear authority to say no-go. If the VP of Sales can override a no-go from engineering, the process is theater. Define who has veto authority upfront and respect it. Any critical function should be able to block a launch.
Vague criteria. "Is the product ready?" is not a useful go/no-go criterion. "All P0 and P1 bugs are resolved and the 95th percentile response time is under 500ms" is specific enough to evaluate objectively.
Skipping the meeting for "small" releases. Not every release needs a full go/no-go review. But any release that touches payments, authentication, data models, or user-facing workflows should have at least a lightweight readiness check.
Related Concepts
Release Management is the broader process that go/no-go decisions fit into, covering the full lifecycle from planning through deployment and monitoring.
Definition of Done (DoD) provides the engineering-level quality criteria that feed into the go/no-go assessment at the release level.
Go-to-Market Strategy (GTM) defines the marketing and sales readiness criteria that are evaluated during a go/no-go review for major launches.Explore More PM Terms
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