product-hunt-launch

name	product-hunt-launch
description	Plans Product Hunt launches with teaser strategy, maker comments, upvote coordination, and post-launch follow-up. Use when launching a product on Product Hunt.
allowed-tools	Read Write Glob
metadata	{"author":"matthewhitcham","version":"1.0"}

Product Hunt Launch

When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when you need to:

• Plan and execute a Product Hunt launch for a new product or major update
• Write the listing copy, tagline, and maker comments
• Coordinate a launch day strategy for maximum visibility
• Design a post-launch follow-up plan to convert traffic

DO NOT use this skill for general product launches, app store optimization, or ongoing marketing campaigns. This is specifically for Product Hunt launches.

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Core Principle

A PRODUCT HUNT LAUNCH IS A 24-HOUR SPRINT — SUCCESS COMES FROM PREPARATION IN THE WEEKS BEFORE, NOT HUSTLE ON THE DAY.

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Phase 1: Brief

Required Inputs

Input	What to Ask	Default
Product name and URL	"What is the product and where can people try it?"	No default — must be provided
One-line description	"Describe what your product does in one sentence."	No default — must be provided
Target audience	"Who is this product for?"	No default — must be provided
Launch goal	"What does success look like? Top 5, press coverage, signups?"	Top 5 Product of the Day
Launch date	"When do you plan to launch?"	No default — must be at least 2 weeks out
Existing audience	"Do you have an email list, social following, or community?"	Small following (under 1,000)
Hunter	"Do you have someone to hunt your product, or will you self-submit?"	Self-submit

GATE: Confirm the brief before building the launch plan.

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Phase 2: Pre-Launch Plan (2 Weeks Before)

Week -2: Foundation

• Create or optimize Product Hunt maker profile
• Build a "coming soon" landing page with email capture
• Draft all listing assets (see Phase 3)
• Identify and reach out to a potential hunter (if not self-submitting)
• Start teasing on social media (behind-the-scenes content)

Week -1: Warm-Up

• Engage daily on Product Hunt (upvote, comment on other launches)
• DM 20-30 Product Hunt community members who might be interested
• Prepare email to your list announcing the launch date
• Write 5+ maker comments in advance
• Brief your team/friends on how to support (not upvote-begging)
• Schedule social media posts for launch day

Launch Day Prep

• Set alarm for 12:01 AM PT (Product Hunt resets at midnight Pacific)
• Have all assets uploaded and ready to publish
• Email and social posts queued
• Clear your calendar — you will be responding to comments all day

GATE: Confirm pre-launch plan is actionable before writing listing copy.

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Phase 3: Write the Listing

Listing Components

Tagline (60 characters max):

• Benefit-driven, clear, no jargon
• Formula: "[Action verb] + [outcome] + [differentiator]"
• Example: "Turn customer feedback into product decisions automatically"

Description (260 characters):

• Expand on the tagline with specifics
• Include who it is for and one key feature
• End with what makes it different

First Comment (Maker Comment):

• Tell the story behind the product in 3-4 paragraphs
• Why you built it (personal pain point)
• What it does (in plain language)
• What makes it different
• What you are looking for (feedback, users, specific use case testing)

Gallery Images (5-8 images):

1. Hero image with tagline and product screenshot
2. Problem statement visual
3. Key feature 1 with screenshot
4. Key feature 2 with screenshot
5. Key feature 3 with screenshot
6. Social proof or early results
7. Pricing or offer
8. CTA image

Pre-Written Comments

Draft 5 responses for anticipated questions:

• "How is this different from [competitor]?"
• "What is the pricing?"
• "Does it integrate with [popular tool]?"
• "What is on the roadmap?"
• "Can I use this for [specific use case]?"

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Phase 4: Launch Day and Follow-Up

Launch Day Playbook

Hour 0-1 (12 AM PT): Publish listing, post first maker comment, send email blast Hour 1-4: Monitor and respond to every comment within 30 minutes Hour 4-8: Share on social media, engage with supporters who repost Hour 8-12: Second social push, respond to all new comments Hour 12-24: Continue engagement, thank supporters, track rankings

Post-Launch (Days 2-7)

• Thank everyone who commented or upvoted (personal DMs for top engagers)
• Write a "lessons learned" post on social media
• Follow up with every lead who signed up during launch
• Update the product listing if you earned a badge
• Pitch press outlets using Product Hunt results as social proof

Quality Checklist

## Product Hunt Launch Checklist

- [ ] Tagline is under 60 characters and benefit-driven
- [ ] Description is under 260 characters with clear audience and differentiator
- [ ] First maker comment tells the origin story
- [ ] 5-8 gallery images prepared with consistent branding
- [ ] 5 pre-written comment responses drafted
- [ ] Email blast and social posts scheduled for launch hour
- [ ] Calendar cleared for launch day engagement
- [ ] Post-launch follow-up plan documented
- [ ] Landing page is live and optimized for Product Hunt traffic
- [ ] Special launch offer (if any) is clearly stated

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Example

Product: InvoiceBot — AI invoice generator for freelancers

Tagline: "Generate professional invoices in 30 seconds with AI"

First comment excerpt: "Hey Product Hunt! I am [Name], the maker of InvoiceBot. I built this because I spent 2 hours every month creating invoices for my freelance clients. That is 24 hours a year on paperwork. InvoiceBot generates a complete, professional invoice from a single sentence like 'Invoice Acme Corp $2,500 for website redesign, due in 30 days.' It pulls in your saved business details, calculates tax, and sends a PDF — all in under 30 seconds."

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Anti-Patterns

• Launch without preparation — posting and hoping is not a strategy. Two weeks of prep is minimum.
• Upvote begging — asking people to "go upvote my product" violates community norms and triggers spam filters.
• Ignoring comments — every unanswered comment is a missed conversion. Respond to everything.
• Bad timing — avoid launching on days with major tech events or when top products dominate the feed.
• No post-launch plan — Product Hunt traffic spikes and dies. Have a funnel ready to capture and convert.

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Recovery

• Low upvotes on launch day: Focus on comment quality. Thoughtful comments often matter more than upvote count for engagement.
• Negative feedback in comments: Respond graciously. Acknowledge valid criticism and share your roadmap. The community respects transparency.
• Product not ready for traffic: Launch a waitlist page instead. Use Product Hunt for validation and email collection.
• Missed top 5: Any visibility is valuable. Use the Product Hunt listing as a permanent social proof asset.