Cutover minutes are a simple record of what happened during the release. They replace vague memory with a shared timeline.
The format should be short enough to write in real time.
Why minutes matter
When something goes wrong later, the minutes show what was changed and when. They are the fastest way to rebuild context.
During the release
Record timestamps for key actions: deploy start, feature flag flips, smoke test results, and rollout checkpoints.
A simple template
Window: Owner:
Timeline:
- 14:00 deploy started
- 14:12 smoke tests passed
- 14:25 ramped to 50%
Notes:
After the window
Link the minutes to the release note and the afterparty log. This creates a full narrative.
How ReleaseMind helps
ReleaseMind keeps cutover minutes tied to the release draft so the timeline is never lost.
