For a new domain, holding content to launch a coherent first cluster is usually the stronger move, though it is a genuine trade-off rather than a flat rule. The pivot is launch-as-authority versus index-and-learn-sooner. Hold and release a cluster together when you want internal links and full topical coverage live on day one, so the site reads as an authority on its topic from the start. Publish as you go when faster indexing and earlier learning matter more, and you can link pieces together as each one arrives. For a new domain trying to establish what it is about, the coherent cluster generally wins.
Neither reflex serves you. Publishing each page the moment it is finished gets content indexed fastest and lets you see what works sooner, but on a brand-new domain it can present a thin, disconnected scatter of pages with nothing tying them into a topic, which is a weak first impression. Waiting for everything before you publish anything delays all signals indefinitely and risks never launching. The real choice is between launching a focused set together for impact and dripping pages out for speed, and the right answer depends on which you need more right now.
The case for the cluster on a new domain is that it lets the first thing search engines see be a complete, interlinked treatment of one topic: a hub page supported by focused spokes, all linking sensibly to each other. That structure reads as deliberate coverage rather than a random first post, and the internal links distribute context across the set the moment it goes live. The case for dripping is real too, mainly when speed of feedback or a slower content pipeline makes waiting impractical, in which case publish and connect the pieces as they land rather than leaving them orphaned.
For your next launch, decide by what the domain needs first. If you are establishing a topic and want to look authoritative from day one, hold the pages and release a tight, interlinked cluster together. If indexing speed and learning what resonates matter more, publish as you go, but commit to linking each new piece into the growing set so it never sits alone.