You've got a launch date. You need a video. And if you're reading this, you probably don't have a lot of time.
Good. Let's skip the preamble and get into what actually works.
Why most tech startup launch videos fail
The default launch video is a 90-second screen recording with a voiceover that says "We're excited to announce..." followed by a feature walkthrough that nobody asked for.
It gets posted on LinkedIn. It gets 47 views. The founder wonders if video marketing works.
The video wasn't the problem. The strategy was.
Step 1: Define the job the video needs to do
Before you touch a storyboard, answer these three questions:
Where does this video live? A homepage hero, a Product Hunt launch, a LinkedIn post, a paid ad — these are completely different contexts. A video designed for your homepage should not be the same video you post on Twitter.
Who is watching? Cold traffic who's never heard of you needs a different video than warm leads who already visited your site twice. Don't try to serve both audiences with one piece.
What happens after they watch? One CTA. Not two. Not three. One action you want people to take immediately after the video ends. Everything in the video should build toward that single moment.
Step 2: Pick the right format
There's no single "best" format. There's only the right format for your specific situation.
Animated explainer
Best for: Complex products, abstract concepts, B2B tools that are hard to show visually. Animation lets you visualize ideas that don't have a physical form. If your product is an API, a data platform, or an infrastructure tool — animation is probably your best bet.
Product demo
Best for: Products with a strong, visual UI that people can immediately understand. If your product looks good in motion, show it. But don't just record your screen — design the demo. Choreograph the clicks. Show the "aha moment" in the first 10 seconds.
Brand film
Best for: Launches where emotional positioning matters more than feature communication. If you're entering a crowded market, a brand film that articulates your worldview can differentiate you faster than a feature list.
Character-driven
Best for: Consumer products, social-first distribution, brands that want to build a personality. Character animation creates emotional connection and is inherently shareable. It works especially well on TikTok and Instagram.
Step 3: Nail the first 3 seconds
This is not a suggestion. This is the entire game.
In a social feed, you have roughly 3 seconds before someone scrolls past. On a landing page, you have about 5 seconds before someone clicks away. Your opening frame needs to do one of three things:
- Show something visually unexpected. Not a logo. Not a title card. Something that makes someone pause.
- State the problem they feel right now. Lead with the pain, not the solution.
- Make a bold claim. Say something that makes them think "wait, really?"
If your video starts with your logo and a tagline, you've already lost most of your audience.
Step 4: Write the script before you design anything
Most startup founders want to jump straight to visuals. They send reference links to studios. They talk about "the vibe."
The script is the vibe. Every great launch video is built on a tight script. Here's the structure that works:
0-5 seconds: Hook — interrupt the pattern 5-15 seconds: Problem — make the viewer feel seen 15-45 seconds: Solution — introduce your product as the answer 45-60 seconds: Proof — show it working (demo, social proof, metrics) 60-75 seconds: CTA — one clear next step
That's 75 seconds. If your first launch video is longer than 90 seconds, it's probably too long.
Step 5: Budget realistically
Here's what launch videos actually cost in 2026:
$3K-5K: Motion graphics, templated animation, basic product demo. Functional but not memorable. Fine for a seed-stage launch with limited resources.
$5K-15K: Custom animation, original creative direction, professional sound design. This is where most successful launches land. The video looks intentional and polished.
$15K-30K: Full creative development — concept, scripting, storyboarding, custom illustration or 3D, cinematic production. This is the level where a video can genuinely differentiate your brand.
$30K+: Campaign-level production with multiple deliverables — hero video, social cuts, ad creative, and variant testing. For Series A+ companies doing a major market launch.
The most common mistake is spending too little on the concept and too much on production. A great concept with decent production always outperforms a mediocre concept with premium production.
Step 6: Build the distribution plan before the video is done
Most startups finish the video and then think about distribution. This is backwards.
Your distribution plan should inform the video itself. If you know the video needs to work on TikTok, you're designing differently than if it only lives on your homepage.
The minimum distribution stack:
- Homepage hero (resize for desktop and mobile)
- Social posts on 2-3 primary channels (native uploads, not links)
- Product Hunt or launch platform (format to their specs)
- Email to your waitlist (embed or thumbnail + link)
If you're running paid:
- 3-5 ad creative variants with different hooks
- Platform-specific aspect ratios (16:9, 9:16, 1:1)
- Retargeting creative for video viewers who didn't convert
Step 7: Measure what matters
Views are vanity. Here's what actually matters for a launch video:
- Hook rate: What percentage of people watch past 3 seconds?
- Completion rate: What percentage watch the whole thing?
- Click-through rate: What percentage take the CTA action?
- Conversion rate: What percentage of clickers actually sign up or buy?
If your hook rate is low, your opening is weak. If your completion rate is low, your middle is boring. If your CTR is low, your CTA is unclear. Each metric tells you exactly where the video breaks.
The timeline you need
Working with a professional studio, here's the realistic timeline:
- Week 1: Strategy, creative brief, script development
- Week 2: Storyboarding and visual development
- Week 3: Production (animation, filming, etc.)
- Week 4: Sound design, polish, final delivery
That's 4 weeks. Some AI-accelerated studios can compress this to 2 weeks without sacrificing quality. But if someone promises you a premium launch video in 3 days, they're either cutting corners or lying.
Plan the video before you set the launch date. Not the other way around.
One more thing
Your launch video is not a one-time asset. It's the most visible piece of marketing you'll produce all year. People will see it on your homepage for months. Investors will watch it during due diligence. Future hires will watch it while deciding whether to join.
Build it to last. Make it say something worth saying. And make sure it represents the brand you're actually building — not just the product you're shipping today.
