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Drop Execution Checklist

PLAYBOOK | DERIVED | Updated 2026-04-08 | Owner: Jordan Wagner

The operational checklist for running a drop day. Follow this for every pack release.

T-7 Days: Pre-Drop Preparation

  • [ ] Pack configuration finalized (pack math, pricing, rarity distribution)
  • [ ] Partner approval received (written confirmation)
  • [ ] Renders completed and QA'd
  • [ ] Minting completed on-chain
  • [ ] Pack stuffing completed and verified
  • [ ] Marketing assets ready (social posts, email templates, in-app banners)
  • [ ] Reactivation email scheduled for lapsed users (F020: 64% viewed pack pages before returning)
  • [ ] Challenge details finalized (if applicable)

T-3 Days: Announcement

  • [ ] Drop announcement posted to social channels
  • [ ] Email announcement sent to active collectors
  • [ ] In-app notification configured
  • [ ] Challenge announcement posted (if applicable)
  • [ ] Countdown content scheduled

T-1 Day: Final Checks

  • [ ] Verify pack inventory count matches configuration
  • [ ] Test purchase flow on staging environment
  • [ ] Confirm payment processing is operational
  • [ ] Verify storefront displays correctly
  • [ ] Check drop timing against peak activity (NBA: Wednesday 8pm ET is peak — $952K/hr)
  • [ ] Confirm customer support is aware and briefed

T-0: Drop Day

Drop Launch (First 2 Hours)

  • [ ] Monitor purchase flow in real-time
  • [ ] Watch for payment processing errors
  • [ ] Monitor site performance / load
  • [ ] Track sell-through rate
  • [ ] Check social media for collector feedback
  • [ ] Address any queue or purchasing issues immediately

During Active Sales

  • [ ] Monitor pack sell-through against projections
  • [ ] Track marketplace activity for early secondary market pricing
  • [ ] Respond to customer support escalations
  • [ ] Post real-time social content (pack opening highlights, collector reactions)

If Issues Arise

Issue Immediate Action
Payment processing failure Escalate to engineering. Pause drop if widespread.
Wrong pack contents Stop sales immediately. Investigate.
Site performance degradation Engage SRE. Consider queue throttling.
Low sell-through Not an emergency — analyze post-drop.
Collector backlash (pricing, content) Monitor but don't react in real-time. Analyze data first.

T+1 Day: Post-Drop

  • [ ] Compile sell-through numbers
  • [ ] Pull marketplace activity (secondary pricing, volume)
  • [ ] Gather W0 conversion data (new users who purchased)
  • [ ] Check reactivation numbers (lapsed users who returned)
  • [ ] Review customer support tickets for patterns
  • [ ] Post post-drop social content (notable pulls, statistics)

T+7 Days: Post-Drop Analysis

  • [ ] Complete experiment verdict (hypothesis vs. actual results)
  • [ ] Revenue: actual vs. expected
  • [ ] Sell-through: total packs sold vs. available
  • [ ] New user acquisition: W0 conversion rate
  • [ ] Reactivation: lapsed users who purchased
  • [ ] Marketplace impact: secondary prices, volume change
  • [ ] Challenge completion rates (if applicable)
  • [ ] Share analysis with EP (Matt) and portfolio team
  • [ ] Document learnings for next pack cycle

Key Metrics to Track

Metric Where to Find Target
Sell-through rate Pack sales dashboard >80% for tent-poles
W0 conversion clientmetric_w0_conversion_rate >12% (current baseline)
Reactivation count Transaction table (90d+ gap users) Track trend
Marketplace discovery post-pack 30-day crossover tracking >17% for cheap packs, >46% for $50+
Revenue vs. projection Finance dashboard Within 10% of target

Product-Specific Notes

NBA Top Shot

  • Peak activity: Wednesday 8pm ET
  • Playoffs drops aligned to game schedule
  • TST (Top Shot This) runs on different cadence — parallel chase mechanics

NFL ALL DAY

  • In-season drops aligned to game schedule (Thursday/Sunday/Monday)
  • Off-season: reduced cadence, draft-themed content
  • Check NFLPA agreement status before any player imagery content

Disney Pinnacle

  • Drops require Disney approval (4-6 week lead time)
  • Must include trading activation — content drops without trading mechanics lose 98% of buyers (F014)
  • Cultural calendar alignment critical (May 4th, D23, film releases)