| name | launch-strategy |
| description | Use when the user wants to plan a product launch, go-to-market campaign, or release strategy. Also use when the user mentions 'launch plan,' 'how do I launch,' 'Product Hunt,' 'launch checklist,' 'pre-launch,' 'go-to-market,' or 'how to announce my product.' |
Launch Strategy
Expertise in building launch campaigns that match the product's actual maturity stage.
Maturity Stage Adaptation
Prototype: HN Show HN and relevant subreddits. No paid ads or press. Goal: 10-20 honest user conversations.
Pilot: Product Hunt viable if building community for 90 days. Email list is your most reliable channel. Goal: 25-50 power users.
Candidate: Press, paid ads, and partner channels worth the effort now. Press requires 4 weeks lead time. Goal: measurable top-of-funnel with conversion to paid.
Production: Ongoing demand generation, not a launch event.
8-Week Launch Timeline
Weeks -8 to -4: Build the Audience
Pre-launch converts at 30-40%. Day-of cold traffic at 2-5%. Build the waitlist.
- Launch a waitlist landing page
- Post daily on LinkedIn and Twitter/X about the problem (not the product)
- Identify 20-30 potential "super users"
- If targeting Product Hunt: create account, engage before you need it
Weeks -4 to -2: Warm the Audience
- Send 2-3 teaser emails to waitlist
- Build social proof: beta user quotes, early metrics
- Brief 3-5 media contacts if Candidate stage (personal emails with embargo)
- Prepare Product Hunt assets if relevant
Week -1: Final Preparation
Launch Day
- Email blast to waitlist at 8am audience timezone
- Post on LinkedIn + Twitter/X with the story, not the pitch
- If Product Hunt: go live at 12:01am PST
- Post in relevant communities — only where you've been active
- Personal outreach to 10-20 contacts
Week +1: Capitalize on Momentum
- Send "thank you + results" email to waitlist
- Reach out to everyone who signed up but hasn't activated
- Write a "lessons learned from launch" post
Product Hunt Strategy
- 90 days of community building before launch day
- Hunter outreach 2 weeks before
- Target 200 upvotes in first 24 hours
- Go live at 12:01am PST
Assets: Tagline (60 chars, specific outcome), Description (260 chars), Gallery (4-6 screenshots), First comment (founder story), Demo video (60-90 seconds).
Channel Priority by Stage
| Channel | Prototype | Pilot | Candidate | Production |
|---|
| Personal outreach | Primary | Primary | Support | Support |
| Email list | Build | Primary | Primary | Primary |
| HN / Reddit | Primary | Support | Support | — |
| Social (organic) | Build | Primary | Primary | Primary |
| Product Hunt | — | If ready | Primary | — |
| Press / media | — | — | Primary | Support |
| Paid ads | — | — | Test | Scale |
Common Rationalizations
| Rationalization | Reality |
|---|
| "We'll launch when the product is perfect" | Perfect is a moving target. Launch at Pilot stage — users tell you what perfect actually means. |
| "We don't need press — our community is enough" | For Candidate stage, press provides the credibility signal that converts skeptics. |
| "Product Hunt is pay-to-win" | The teams that win PH spent 90 days building relationships on the platform. That's community. |
| "We can compress the pre-launch to 2 weeks" | At Candidate stage, press lead time alone is 4 weeks. |
