Introducing a new product or feature to the market is invariably a journey of unexpected twists and turns. No matter how thorough and early your planning is, reality often diverges from your initial roadmap.

These six fundamental fundamental strategies, however, can help smooth the process of a major product release.

Foremost among them is to be ready for any outcome, whether it’s a failure or success. Anticipate the unanticipated. And oddly enough, even success can bring its own set of challenges. That’s the nature of business — startup or not.

In the end, product updates are a long and nuanced journey that includes getting your team on board, having faith in them, delivering your product and listening to actionable insights from user feedback along the way.

Continue reading this column in Forbes, where it originally appeared.

Christian Wiklund is unitQ CEO.