I’ve witnessed a seismic shift in the way new products are launched over the past decade. As the founder of a firm that helps launch products, services, businesses, and communities, I’ve watched the days of an embargoed launch date and a single exclusive media story disappear. The Internet has changed the launch process—now companies seed products with influencers, leak information to reporters, bloggers, and consumers, live-stream launch events globally, and reward brand advocates with exclusives. The insatiable 24/7 news cycle and the dominance of social media makes launching a new product far easier in some ways—and more difficult in others.