Product Hunt Launch Plan

Product Hunt Launch Plan

Purpose

Generate a comprehensive, personalized Product Hunt launch plan with actionable steps from A-Z to help the user rank #1 Product of the Day.

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Execution Logic

Check $ARGUMENTS first to determine execution mode:

If $ARGUMENTS is empty or not provided:

Respond with: "product-hunt-launch-plan loaded. I'll create a personalized Product Hunt launch strategy to help you rank #1. Let me gather some information about your product first."

Then proceed to the Discovery Questions phase.

If $ARGUMENTS contains content:

Use the provided content as initial context, but still proceed through Discovery Questions to fill any gaps.

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Task Execution

When user engages with this skill:

1. MANDATORY: Read Reference Files FIRST

BLOCKING REQUIREMENT — DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP

Before doing ANYTHING else, you MUST use the Read tool to read the reference file:

Read: ./references/ultimate_product_hunt_launch_guide.md

What you will find:

• Complete 3-phase launch strategy (Before, During, After)
• Timing and day selection guidance
• Asset requirements and examples
• Support list building strategies
• Launch day timeline hour-by-hour
• Hidden gems and pro tips from makers who ranked #1
• 20+ alternative launch platforms

DO NOT PROCEED to Step 2 until you have read this file and have the complete guide in context.

2. Check for Business Context

Check if FOUNDER_CONTEXT.md exists in the project root.

• If it exists: Read it and extract all relevant product information (product name, description, target audience, unique value proposition, current traction, audience size).
• If it doesn't exist: You will gather this information through Discovery Questions.

3. Discovery Questions (MANDATORY)

Ask up to 10 targeted questions to personalize the launch plan.

Present questions using the AskUserQuestion tool or conversationally. Gather:

1. Product Basics

• What is your product name and one-line description?
• What problem does it solve and for whom?

2. Current State

• What's your current launch date (or target timeframe)?
• Do you have a Product Hunt account? Is it active/warmed?

3. Audience & Reach

• How large is your email list?
• What's your Twitter/X following size?
• Are you active in any communities (Indie Hackers, Discord, Slack)?

4. Assets Readiness

• Do you have product screenshots/demo video ready?
• Do you have a landing page live?

5. Support Network

• Do you have founder friends who could support the launch?
• Have you supported other Product Hunt launches before?

6. Goals & Constraints

• What's your primary goal? (users, awareness, investors, validation)
• Any constraints? (budget, time, team size)

Adapt questions based on FOUNDER_CONTEXT.md if available. Skip questions already answered there.

4. Analyze & Personalize

Based on gathered information, assess:

• Support Strength: Weak (<100 supporters), Moderate (100-300), Strong (300-500+)
• Asset Readiness: Not ready, Partially ready, Fully ready
• Timeline: Rushed (<2 weeks), Tight (2-4 weeks), Ideal (4+ weeks)
• Audience Reach: Limited, Moderate, Strong

Use this assessment to customize recommendations.

5. Generate Personalized Launch Plan

Create a comprehensive plan with:

Section 1: Executive Summary

• Product overview (from their input)
• Launch date recommendation
• Predicted ranking potential based on their current assets
• Key success factors for THEIR specific situation

Section 2: Pre-Launch Phase (customize timeline based on their date)

• Week-by-week action items
• Specific community recommendations based on their niche
• Asset creation checklist tailored to what they're missing
• Support list building strategy based on their current reach

Section 3: Launch Week Preparation

• Day-by-day countdown
• Specific outreach templates personalized for their product
• Social media post drafts
• Email copy suggestions

Section 4: Launch Day Battle Plan

• Hour-by-hour timeline in their timezone
• Specific platforms to post on based on their product type
• Engagement scripts for comments
• Monitoring setup

Section 5: Post-Launch Strategy

• Follow-up actions
• How to leverage results (even if not #1)
• Badge/social proof implementation

Section 6: Hidden Gems & Pro Tips Include 5-10 advanced tactics from the reference guide, selected based on relevance to their situation.

Section 7: Alternative Launch Platforms List the 20+ platforms from the reference guide, prioritized based on their product type (dev tool, SaaS, AI product, etc.).

6. Format and Verify

• Structure output according to Output Format section
• Complete Quality Checklist self-verification before presenting

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Writing Rules

Hard constraints. No interpretation.

Core Rules

• Be specific and actionable — no vague advice like "build community"
• Include exact timelines, numbers, and examples
• Personalize every recommendation to THEIR product
• Reference their product name throughout the plan
• Include templates they can copy/paste
• Prioritize actions by impact

Personalization Rules

• If small audience (<500): Focus on community building and reciprocity tactics
• If large audience (5000+): Focus on coordinated launch and momentum strategies
• If dev tool: Emphasize Hacker News, DevHunt, GitHub community
• If AI product: Include AI-specific directories
• If B2B SaaS: Focus on LinkedIn, professional communities
• If consumer app: Focus on Twitter/X, visual assets

Honesty Rules

• Be realistic about their chances based on their current situation
• If timeline is too tight, say so and suggest rescheduling
• If assets are weak, prioritize fixing that first
• Don't promise #1 if their support base is too small

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Output Format

# Product Hunt Launch Plan: [Product Name]

## Executive Summary
**Product:** [Name] - [One-liner]
**Recommended Launch Date:** [Date] ([Day of week])
**Launch Time:** 12:01 AM PST
**Ranking Potential:** [Assessment based on their situation]
**Critical Success Factor:** [The ONE thing they must nail]

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## Phase 1: Pre-Launch ([X] weeks out)

### Week [X]: [Focus Area]
- [ ] Action item 1
- [ ] Action item 2
...

### Week [X-1]: [Focus Area]
...

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## Phase 2: Launch Week

### Day -7 to -1: Final Preparations
...

### Launch Day: Hour-by-Hour Battle Plan

**[Time in their timezone] - [Action]**
...

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## Phase 3: Post-Launch

### Day 1-3: Immediate Actions
...

### Week 1: Capitalize on Results
...

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## Your Personalized Tips

Based on your situation, focus on these advanced tactics:

1. **[Tip Name]:** [Specific advice for their situation]
...

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## Alternative Launch Platforms (Prioritized for [Product Type])

### Launch This Week (Alongside Product Hunt)
| Platform | Why It Fits You |
|----------|-----------------|
...

### Launch Next Week
...

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## Ready-to-Use Templates

### Supporter DM Template
[Personalized template with their product details]

### Launch Day Tweet Thread
[Draft thread they can customize]

### Email to Subscribers
[Draft email copy]

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## Your Launch Checklist

### Assets Needed
- [ ] Item (Status: Ready/Needed)
...

### Support List Target
- [ ] Category: [X] people (Current: [Y])
...

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References

This file MUST be read using the Read tool before creating any launch plan (see Step 1):

Why this matters: This guide contains battle-tested strategies from someone who has ranked #1 multiple times. The tactics, timing, and templates are proven to work — not theoretical advice.

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Quality Checklist (Self-Verification)

Before finalizing output, verify ALL of the following:

Pre-Execution Check

• [ ] I read ./references/ultimate_product_hunt_launch_guide.md before creating the plan
• [ ] I checked for and read FOUNDER_CONTEXT.md if it exists
• [ ] I have the complete guide content in context

Discovery Check

• [ ] I asked targeted questions to understand their specific situation
• [ ] I know their product, audience size, timeline, and assets status
• [ ] I adapted my questions based on available context

Personalization Check

• [ ] Every section references THEIR product by name
• [ ] Recommendations match their audience size and reach
• [ ] Timeline is realistic for their launch date
• [ ] Platform recommendations match their product type
• [ ] Templates include their specific product details

Completeness Check

• [ ] All 3 phases covered (Before, During, After)
• [ ] Hour-by-hour launch day timeline included
• [ ] Hidden gems/pro tips section included
• [ ] Alternative platforms listed and prioritized
• [ ] Ready-to-use templates provided
• [ ] Checklist with current status included

Honesty Check

• [ ] Ranking assessment is realistic
• [ ] Weak areas are called out with solutions
• [ ] Timeline concerns are addressed
• [ ] No false promises of guaranteed #1

If ANY check fails → revise before presenting.

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Defaults & Assumptions

Use these unless the user overrides:

• Launch day: Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday (higher traffic)
• Launch time: 12:01 AM PST (Product Hunt reset time)
• Target ranking: Top 5 (requires ~500 engaged supporters)
• Preparation time: 4 weeks ideal minimum
• Primary goal: User acquisition and validation
• Hunter strategy: Self-hunt (60% of #1 products are self-hunted)
• Asset format: Static images prioritized over video (higher engagement)

Document any assumptions made in the Executive Summary.

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Ultimate Guide to Rank #1 on Product Hunt

Based on Tibo's guide - Maker of the Year 2022 with multiple #1 Product of the Day wins

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Why Product Hunt Matters

Product Hunt has an active and engaged community of tech enthusiasts, early adopters, investors, journalists, and fellow entrepreneurs. The #1 spot can generate approximately:

• 10,000 unique visits
• 1,000-3,000 qualified leads
• Significant press coverage and backlinks
• Investor attention
• Initial traction and validation

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PHASE 1: BEFORE THE LAUNCH

1.1 Hunter vs. Self-Launch Decision

Key Statistic: 79% of featured products were self-hunted, and 60% of #1 products came from makers launching independently.

Self-launching benefits:

• Full control over timing
• No coordination overhead
• Direct connection with community
• You can respond faster to comments

When to use a Hunter:

• If you have zero Product Hunt presence
• If a top hunter with relevant audience offers genuinely
• Never pay for hunters - it violates PH terms

Recommendation: Self-hunt unless you have a compelling reason not to.

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1.2 Setting Your Goals

Aim to build support from around 500 people to reach top-5 ranking.

Define specific targets before launch:

• Target upvote count (500+ for top 5)
• Target comment count (50+ shows engagement)
• Target new user signups
• Target email subscribers

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1.3 Building Your Support List

Create a spreadsheet with ALL potential supporters:

Important: Ensure supporters have warmed Product Hunt accounts (accounts that have been active, not just created).

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1.4 Community Engagement (Start 2-4 Weeks Before)

Where to engage:

• Indie Hackers
• The Product Folks
• Relevant Slack communities
• Discord servers in your niche
• Twitter/X maker community
• Reddit (relevant subreddits)

How to engage:

• Upvote and comment on other launches genuinely
• Share helpful insights in communities
• Build relationships, not just ask for favors
• Focus on warm relationships over cold outreach

Twitter/X Strategy: A lot of makers hang out on Twitter. Building an audience there can help with successful launches. If you already have an audience, make sure you leverage it.

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1.5 Prepare All Launch Assets

Title

• Use your product name
• No emojis in the title
• Keep it clean and recognizable

Tagline (60 characters max)

Craft a compelling tagline explaining your value proposition.

Great tagline examples:

• Notion: "One workspace. Every team"
• Slack: "Make work life simpler, more pleasant and more productive"
• Your tagline should answer: What does this do and for whom?

Description

• Brief elaboration of your product
• Highlight unique selling points
• Keep it concise - people skim
• Lead with benefits, not features

Visual Assets

Thumbnail (240x240):

• Eye-catching image or animated GIF
• Your logo or product screenshot
• Must be recognizable at small size

Gallery Images (1270x760):

• First image appears in social previews - make it count
• Show benefits, not just features
• Ensure mobile legibility
• Use consistent styling
• 3-5 images is optimal

Video/Demo (Optional but recommended):

• Product demonstration or founder walkthrough
• Keep it under 2 minutes
• Show the product in action
• Don't show everything - create curiosity

Maker's First Comment

Critical: 70% of top performers included maker comments.

Your first comment should:

• Explain why you built this
• Share your personal story/motivation
• Ask for specific feedback
• Invite questions
• Be authentic and human

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1.6 Coming Soon Page

Schedule your product 1 month in advance.

Benefits:

• Generates early interest
• Collects email subscribers
• Gets feedback before launch
• Builds anticipation
• Product Hunt promotes Coming Soon products

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1.7 Pre-Launch Marketing Materials

Prepare these BEFORE launch day:

Social Media Posts:

• Twitter/X thread announcing launch
• LinkedIn post
• Instagram story/post if relevant
• All posts should include Product Hunt branding

Direct Messages:

• Personalized DM templates for different supporter tiers
• Don't copy-paste - personalize each one

Email Copy:

• Launch announcement email
• Reminder email (send night before)
• Thank you email (for after launch)

Marketing Images:

• Social cards with your Product Hunt link
• Stories/posts celebrating milestones

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PHASE 2: LAUNCH DAY EXECUTION

2.1 Strategic Timing

Launch at 12:01 AM PST to maximize full 24-hour visibility.

Day Selection:

Key insight: Product Hunt initially hides vote counts for the first 4 hours, giving all products equal visibility opportunities. First 4 hours are CRITICAL.

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2.2 Launch Day Timeline

Hour 0 (12:01 AM PST): 1. Submit your product (if not scheduled) 2. Post your maker comment IMMEDIATELY 3. Send launch email to your list 4. Post on Twitter/X

Hours 1-4 (Critical Window): 1. Send individualized DMs starting with warm contacts 2. Message relevant Slack, WhatsApp, and Discord communities 3. Add Product Hunt widget to your website 4. Engage with EVERY comment immediately 5. Post across social media channels 6. Contact known influencers

Hours 5-12: 1. Continue responding to all comments 2. Share milestone updates on social media 3. Send reminder to supporters who haven't voted 4. Keep the momentum going with updates

Hours 13-24: 1. Final push on social media 2. Thank supporters publicly 3. Engage with late comments 4. Monitor rankings

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2.3 Engagement Strategy

Share your journey throughout the day:

• Tweet 10+ times documenting progress
• Share milestones (100 upvotes, 500 upvotes, etc.)
• Behind-the-scenes content
• React to comments publicly
• Show gratitude frequently

Comment Engagement:

• Reply to EVERY comment
• Ask follow-up questions
• Be genuinely helpful
• Thank people for feedback
• Turn critics into fans with thoughtful responses

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2.4 Monitoring Your Launch

Use analytics tools to track:

• Real-time upvote counts
• Ranking position
• Competitor performance
• Traffic sources
• Comment velocity

Tools:

• Hunted Space (tracks real-time upvotes)
• Your own analytics dashboard
• Product Hunt's maker dashboard

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2.5 Critical Don'ts

NEVER do these - they can get you disqualified:

• Avoid artificial vote manipulation or spam
• Never directly request upvotes publicly (say "check it out" not "upvote please")
• Don't aggressively push for votes from unfamiliar users
• Refrain from appearing overly promotional
• Don't use fake accounts
• Don't pay for upvotes
• Don't send mass automated messages

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PHASE 3: AFTER THE LAUNCH

3.1 Immediate Actions (Day 1-3)

1. Thank all supporters - Public thank you post on social media 2. Respond to remaining comments - Don't ghost after launch 3. Follow up with interested users - Convert interest to signups 4. Collect feedback - Document all suggestions

3.2 Capitalize on Results

If you ranked Top 5:

• You'll be featured in Product Hunt newsletter
• Add badges to your website
• Share the achievement on social media
• Reach out to press with your results
• Update your marketing with "Top 5 on Product Hunt"

Add to your website:

• Product Hunt badge/widget
• Social proof of your ranking
• Testimonials from comments

3.3 Long-term Value

• Implement user feedback for product improvements
• Convert incoming inquiries into users
• Build relationships with new connections
• Use the experience to iterate future launches

3.4 If Results Disappoint

Don't despair:

• Multiple launch attempts are normal
• Use insights to refine your approach
• Focus on long-term business goals
• Product Hunt is one channel, not your entire strategy

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HIDDEN GEMS & PRO TIPS

Tip 1: Warm Up Supporter Accounts

Accounts that are new or inactive carry less weight. Ask supporters to:

• Create PH account 2+ weeks before
• Upvote and comment on other products
• Complete their profile

Tip 2: The First Comment Strategy

Your maker comment can get upvoted too. A highly upvoted first comment shows engagement and attracts more attention.

Tip 3: Timing Your Outreach

Don't ask everyone to upvote at once. Spread it throughout the day to maintain steady momentum rather than a spike that dies.

Tip 4: The Reciprocity Play

In weeks before launch, genuinely support other makers' launches. They'll often return the favor.

Tip 5: Create FOMO Content

Share live updates creating fear of missing out:

• "Just hit 200 upvotes in 2 hours!"
• "Can't believe we're #2 right now!"

Tip 6: Leverage Time Zones

Coordinate supporters across time zones to maintain 24-hour momentum.

Tip 7: The Personal Touch

Personalized DMs convert 3-5x better than mass messages. Reference something specific about the person.

Tip 8: Comments > Upvotes

Engagement signals matter. A product with fewer upvotes but more comments often ranks higher.

Tip 9: Prepare for Success

Have your onboarding ready for a traffic surge. Nothing worse than winning PH and having your site crash.

Tip 10: The Relaunch Option

You can launch major updates as new products. Plan for version 2.0 launch if first attempt underperforms.

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SUCCESS PATTERNS FROM #1 PRODUCTS

Pattern 1: Community-Driven (Carrd)

Built anticipation through early user engagement long before launch.

Pattern 2: Marketing-Intensive (Visme)

Leveraged partnerships, email campaigns, and coordinated promotion.

Pattern 3: Product Excellence (Whereby)

Relied on superior user experience and word-of-mouth.

Best approach: Combine all three - great product + community + marketing.

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QUICK REFERENCE CHECKLIST

4 Weeks Before

• [ ] Set up Coming Soon page
• [ ] Start building support list spreadsheet
• [ ] Begin community engagement
• [ ] Grow Twitter/X presence

2 Weeks Before

• [ ] Finalize all visual assets
• [ ] Write tagline and description
• [ ] Draft maker's first comment
• [ ] Prepare social media posts
• [ ] Write email sequences
• [ ] Test product for launch traffic

1 Week Before

• [ ] Schedule product launch
• [ ] Send "save the date" to supporters
• [ ] Prepare DM templates
• [ ] Set up monitoring tools
• [ ] Add PH widget to website

Launch Day

• [ ] Launch at 12:01 AM PST
• [ ] Post maker comment immediately
• [ ] Send launch emails
• [ ] Start social media campaign
• [ ] Begin supporter outreach
• [ ] Respond to ALL comments
• [ ] Share updates throughout day
• [ ] Monitor rankings

Post-Launch

• [ ] Thank all supporters
• [ ] Respond to remaining comments
• [ ] Add PH badges to website
• [ ] Follow up with interested users
• [ ] Document learnings

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BONUS: 20+ ALTERNATIVE LAUNCH PLATFORMS

Launch on these platforms alongside or after Product Hunt:

Tier 1: High Impact

Tier 2: Solid Exposure

Tier 3: Niche & Community

Tier 4: AI-Specific (if applicable)

Submission Strategy

1. Launch on Product Hunt first 2. Same week: BetaList, Indie Hackers, DevHunt 3. Following week: Tier 2 platforms 4. Ongoing: Submit to all Tier 3 & 4 as time permits 5. For AI products: Prioritize AI-specific directories

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Remember: Product Hunt is a launchpad, not the destination. Use it to gain momentum, but build for the long term.