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launch-release

/octopus:launch-release is the command that runs right after a versioned release lands. It reads the changelog, git history, and roadmap entries for the given refs, synthesises a canonical release narrative, and renders it into a themed set of paste-ready channel messages and a self-contained landing page.

What it solves

A version tag without a user-facing announcement is just a number. Writing that announcement manually across email, Slack, Discord, an in-app banner, and a slide deck means re-voicing the same changelog prose six times — each time losing context about which benefit to lead with and which evidence to cite.

launch-release solves the re-voicing problem structurally. It expands each changelog entry into a {feature, benefit, evidence} record once, then projects that record into every channel according to the theme’s intent (retaining existing users, expanding their capability, repairing a visible issue, or educating them about something already shipped). The narrative is written once and every channel reads from it — no channel invents its own headline.

How it works

  • Ref resolution — accepts version tags (v1.7.0), tag ranges (v1.5.0..v1.7.0), or roadmap IDs. When no refs are given, defaults to everything since the last release tag.
  • FBE expansion — each changelog highlight is rewritten into a feature / benefit / evidence record before any channel is rendered. benefit is always second-person (“you can now…”); evidence is omitted rather than fabricated when the source material doesn’t support it.
  • Theme resolution — themes control palette, typography, layout, voice tone, intent, and CTA style. The cascade is: --design-from prompt (custom theme via frontend-design) → --theme flag → .octopus.yml → default classic. Twelve preset themes ship out of the box.
  • Narrative synthesis — a narrative.yml is written first, carrying the headline, proof statement, and CTA. Every channel reads from it; no channel may invent its own opening.
  • Output — all artifacts land in docs/releases/YYYY-MM-DD-<slug>/: canonical index.html (self-contained, all CSS inline), narrative.yml, notes.md, theme.yml, and a channels/ subdirectory with the selected channel files.

Usage & parameters

/octopus:launch-release [<ref>...] [--theme=<name>] [--since=<tag>]
                           [--audience=<level>] [--channels=<list>]
                           [--design-from="<prompt>"] [--dry-run]
  • <ref>... — zero or more version tags, tag ranges, or roadmap IDs. When omitted, defaults to --since=<last-release-tag>..HEAD.
  • --theme=<name> — one of the installed preset themes. Default from .octopus.yml, else classic.
  • --since=<tag> — shortcut for <tag>..HEAD when no positional refs are given.
  • --audience=<user|developer|executive> — tunes voice and detail level across all channels. Default: user.
  • --channels=<list> — subset of email,slack,discord,in-app-banner,status-page,x-announcement,whatsapp,slides. Default: email,slack,in-app-banner. Use all for every channel, none for canonical artifacts only.
  • --design-from="<prompt>" — synthesise a custom theme via frontend-design and persist it for future reuse. Overrides --theme.
  • --dry-run — print the plan and exit without writing any files.

Pairing

/octopus:launch-release handles retention — existing users. For acquisition (new audiences, social posts, landing-page copy), use /octopus:launch-feature. A full release often needs both: one kit for the market, one for existing users. Run /octopus:release first to create the tag and changelog entry, then launch-release to generate the user-facing package.

Source: commands/launch-release.md