Deck

Measure Release Impact with Before-and-After Customer Feedback

Check if a release worked by comparing customer feedback on the themes it targeted in equal windows before and after launch, with quotes and a clear verdict.

By Matt TeixeiraUpdated

Run it in Deck
Time to Run
20 min
Uses
Themes,Projects
You Get
Release Impact Report
Run It
In Deck or with your agent

How Do You Measure the Impact of a Release?

Pick the themes the release targets, then compare Deck's feedback totals in two equal windows: the days before the release and the same number of days after. Read the negative and bug totals, the trend, and quotes from after the release. Call the result fewer, about the same, more, or too early to tell.

Why Teams Never Know If a Release Worked

The fix shipped, the ticket closed, and everyone moved on. A month later someone asks whether complaints went down, and the answer is a feeling. Without the same measure before and after, a quiet week looks like success and a noisy one looks like a regression.

How Deck Compares Feedback Before and After a Release

Deck dates every insight by when the customer said it, so the same theme can be counted in two equal windows around the release. Subthemes show what is trending or changed suddenly, and a completed Project keeps attaching new matching feedback. You get side-by-side totals and real quotes, not a percentage someone guessed.

How to Run a Release Impact Check in Deck

Run it yourself in Deck, or hand it to your AI agent. Same steps, same result.

  1. 01

    Pin the Release Date

    Write down the date the change shipped and what it changed. If it came from a Deck Project, open it in Build → Projects and read its Success Metrics. The check is more reliable once 14 days or more have passed.

  2. 02

    Pick the Themes It Targets

    On the Project's Evidence tab, select Related Insights and note which themes they belong to. Keep the one to three themes that come up most. Without a Project, find the topic in Visualize → Themes.

  3. 03

    Compare Equal Windows Before and After

    Open each theme in Visualize → Themes. Use the sentiment timeline to compare the same length of time on each side of the release. Filter the theme's insights by negative sentiment, or by Bugs & Errors for a bug fix.

  4. 04

    Check What Is Trending

    On the Starter plan or higher, open Visualize → Subthemes and switch to Trending or Sudden Changes. Look for subthemes about what you shipped. A spike after the release can be a regression.

  5. 05

    Read the Feedback Since Launch

    Read the negative quotes from after the release and sort each one: same problem still there, a new problem, or not related. Then read the positive ones for praise of the change. On a completed Project, Deck adds new matching feedback to Related Insights automatically.

  6. 06

    Write the Verdict

    Put the totals side by side and call it fewer, about the same, more, or too early to tell. Add caveats, such as a short window or other launches in the same weeks. Record the result in the Project's Success Metrics.

Release Impact Report Template

release-impact-report.md
## Release
- Shipped: [What changed]
- Date: [YYYY-MM-DD]
- Project: [Deck Project link or none]
- Scope: [All customers or segment name]
## Totals (equal windows)
Theme        | Window          | Total                       | Negative     | Bugs        
-------------|-----------------|-----------------------------|--------------|-------------
[Theme]      | Before: [dates] | [Deck count]                | [Deck count] | [Deck count]
[Theme]      | After: [dates]  | [Deck count]                | [Deck count] | [Deck count]
All feedback | Before / After  | [Deck count] / [Deck count] | -            | -           
## Trends
- Subtheme trend: [Rising / Falling / Flat]
- NPS driver: [Only if the release targets one]
## Quotes from after the release
- Still there: "[Quote]"
- New problem: "[Quote]"
- Praise: "[Quote]"
## Verdict
- Result: Fewer / About the same / More / Too early to tell
- Caveats: [Short window, sources still processing, other launches]
Plain text. Pastes into Docs, Notion, or your agent.25 lines

Frequently Asked Questions

At least 14 days gives a more reliable read. If fewer than 7 days have passed, the honest verdict is too early to tell.

The report shows Deck's totals for both windows side by side, so anyone can check them. It does not compute percent changes or claim the release caused the change. It names other events in the same period instead.

Theme and insight totals work on every plan. Subtheme trends and NPS trends need the Starter plan or higher. On Free, the check leaves those parts out and says why.

By when the customer said it: the interview date, else the import date. If sources are still processing or waiting for credits, the after totals can still grow.

No. It only reads. Adding the result to the Project's Success Metrics or marking the Project Completed happens only after you say yes.

Yes. With Deck MCP connected, paste the prompt on this page. The agent pulls exact totals for both windows, Deck's trend data, and quotes, then writes the report. It asks before it writes anything back to the Project.