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10 Key Considerations Before a New Product Launch

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If launching a new product was easy, then everyone would be doing it.

Instead, even as we’ve discovered in our planning for the launch of our new “coffee table” book of infographics, it requires an incredible combination of vision, deliberation, teamwork, and project management expertise to accomplish something that’s never been done before.

And even if you are lucky enough to nail many of those things, external factors can be just as deadly.

Getting a Launch Right

Today’s infographic comes from To The New, and it details 10 key points to consider before any new product launch. While it has a slant towards technology and startup products, many of the points are relevant for any new endeavor.

10 Key Considerations Before a New Product Launch

The fact is: launching a product can be ripe with pitfalls. Mckinsey says the chance of success for a new product is 14%.

That’s why preemptively addressing the most common slipups for new products can be an invaluable step for any prospective entrepreneur.

Ten Areas to Focus On

Here are 10 areas that experts say must be addressed to increase the odds of a successful product launch:

1. Market Analysis
According to CB Insights, 19% of startup failures were as a result of ignoring competition. Instead, the market potential must be properly analyzed and assessed to give a realistic perspective on a product launch.

2. Unclear Requirement and Strategy
If expectations for team members are unclear, then it will have a ripple effect. Product development will be delayed, and it could impact timing and profit potential.

3. Product Roadmap
This high-level plan keeps team members on the same page as product development and the launch are executed.

4. Poor Design
An easy thing to overlook – product design should be tested with extensive user research. Otherwise, users may not be aware of key features.

5. Engineering Best Practices
Following best practices for engineering helps to guarantee the product will be ready and glitch-free come launch time.

6. Poor Project Management
Unrealistic timelines, a lack of communication, and inadequate resource allocation can have a big impact on project success.

7. Funding and Capital
Getting the right amount of capital is key. Allocating it wisely to ensure project success is just as important.

8. Launch Timing
Poor timing can also lead to failure. As a result, project scheduling should be carefully planned and thought out, taking into account possible roadblocks or other adverse circumstances that could derail the plan.

9. Performance and Usability
For software or web-based products in particular: no one wants to deal with long loading times, slow responsiveness, or other usability issues. It’s best to clear these up before the product hits market.

10. Availability and Maintenance
If the product is connected to the web, the team needs to ensure that servers and security measures are taken to ensure uptime and availability.

A Final Note

Even the most powerful corporations are aware of the many potential pitfalls when launching a new product.

It’s why every CEO is so adamant that their organization maintains the focus on their core vision, competitive advantage, and current brand value proposition. If any new product does not fit all this criteria, it’s not worth the risk of the company being distracted. This is true for even the most resourceful and innovative corporations.

Luckily, and consequently, this conservatism that permeates big companies is exactly what opens up the tiny window for you to succeed with your next product launch!

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Ranked: America’s Largest Semiconductor Companies

This graphic visualizes the market capitalizations of America’s 15 largest semiconductor companies.

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Ranking America’s Largest Semiconductor Companies

As our world moves further into an era of widespread digitization, few industries can be considered as important as semiconductors.

These components are found in almost everything we use on a daily basis, and the ability to produce them domestically has become a topic of national security. For example, in 2022 the Biden administration announced the CHIPS and Science Act, which aims to strengthen America’s position in everything from clean energy to artificial intelligence.

With this in mind, we’ve ranked the top 15 U.S. semiconductor companies by their market capitalizations.

Data and Highlights

The data we used to create this infographic is listed in the table below. Year-to-date (YTD) returns were included for additional context. Both metrics are as of May 30, 2023.

RankCompanyTickerMarket Cap (USD billions)YTD Return
1NvidiaNVDA$992180.2%
2BroadcomAVGO$33545.1%
3AMDAMD$20295.7%
4Texas InstrumentsTXN$1608.2%
5QualcommQCOM$1298.2%
6IntelINTC$12512.2%
7Applied MaterialsAMAT$11541.2%
8Analog DevicesADI$899.2%
9Lam ResearchLRCX$8552.1%
10Micron TechnologyMU$7842.3%
11SnyopsysSNPS$7145.4%
12KLAKLAC$6321.8%
13Marvell Technology GroupMRVL$5476.2%
14Microchip TechnologyMCHP$4211.2%
15ON SemiconductorON$3636.3%

At the top is Nvidia, which became America’s newest $1 trillion company on Tuesday, May 30th. Shares pulled back slightly over the day and Nvidia closed at $992 billion. Over the past decade, Nvidia has transformed from a gaming-focused graphics card producer to a global leader in AI and data center chips.

In third and sixth place are two of America’s most well known chipmakers, AMD and Intel. These longtime rivals are moving in opposite trajectories, with AMD shares climbing 770% over the past five years, and Intel shares falling 47%. One reason for this is the data center segment, in which AMD appears to be stealing market share from Intel.

Further down the list we see Applied Materials in seventh, and Lam Research in ninth. Both firms specialize in semiconductor manufacturing equipment and thus play an important role in the industry’s supply chain.

Trade War Impacts

As tensions between the U.S. and China escalate, chipmakers are becoming increasingly entangled in geopolitical conflict.

In October 2022, the Biden administration introduced new export controls aimed at blocking China’s access to semiconductors produced with U.S. equipment. This impacted several companies in our top 15 list, including Lam Research and Applied Materials.

Shortly after the export controls were announced, Lam Research said it expected to lose upwards of $2.5 billion in annual revenues.

We lost some very profitable customers in the China region, and that’s going to persist, obviously.
– Doug Bettinger, CFO, Lam Research

In response, China announced in May 2023 that it would no longer allow America’s largest memory chipmaker, Micron, to sell its products to “critical national infrastructure operators”.

This is not the first time Micron has been involved in a controversy with China. In 2018, the firm alleged that Fujian Jinhua Integrated Circuit, a Chinese state-owned company, had solicited a Micron employee to steal specifications for memory chips. The U.S. Department of Commerce imposed export restrictions on Fujian Jinhua as a result.

Chipmakers on both sides of the Pacific will be closely watching as competition between these two countries heats up.

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