| name | sales-launchday |
| description | LaunchDay platform help — curated 24-hour product launch events for indie makers by Dagobert Renouf. Covers the paid submission process (pay only if selected), event model (1-2/month, max 20 products), deal requirements (>40% discount), 30-min podcast interview, influencer promotion (100K+ followers), Slack community access, and permanent archive. Use when unsure if LaunchDay is worth the paid submission fee, want more exposure for your indie product but free directories aren't enough, or wondering how LaunchDay compares to other paid options. Do NOT use for multi-directory launch strategy (use /sales-launch-directory). Do NOT use for Product Hunt launches (use /product-hunt-launch). |
| argument-hint | [describe what you need help with on LaunchDay] |
| license | MIT |
| version | 1.0.2 |
| tags | ["sales","product-launch","startup","directory","platform"] |
LaunchDay Platform Help
Helps the user submit to, evaluate, and get the most from LaunchDay — a curated 24-hour product launch event platform that features indie makers with exclusive deals, podcast interviews, and influencer promotion.
Step 1 — Gather context
If references/learnings.md exists, read it first for accumulated knowledge.
Ask the user:
-
What do you need help with?
- A) Submitting a product to LaunchDay
- B) Evaluating if LaunchDay is worth $99
- C) Preparing for the video interview / podcast
- D) Comparing LaunchDay with other launch platforms
- E) Something else — describe it
-
What's your product?
- A) SaaS / software tool
- B) Mobile app
- C) API / developer tool
- D) No-code / low-code tool
- E) Something else
-
Can you offer a >40% discount?
- A) Yes — easy, margins allow it
- B) Maybe — depends on the tier/plan
- C) No — high costs (e.g., AI inference) make deep discounts unsustainable
- D) Not sure — need to think about it
If the user's request already provides most of this context, skip directly to the relevant step. Lead with your best-effort answer using reasonable assumptions (stated explicitly), then ask only the most critical 1-2 clarifying questions at the end.
Step 2 — Route or answer directly
If the request maps to a different skill, route:
- Multi-directory launch strategy →
/sales-launch-directory
- Product Hunt launch →
/sales-producthunt
- Email marketing to subscribers →
/sales-email-marketing
- Landing page optimization →
/sales-checkout
- Audience growth strategy →
/sales-audience-growth
- Other specific directory platforms → hand off to that platform's skill
Otherwise, answer directly from the LaunchDay reference below.
Step 3 — LaunchDay platform reference
Read references/platform-guide.md for the full reference — the platform overview (pricing, founder, event model, backlink status), what you get when selected, submission requirements (indie-only, >40% discount, video interview), the LaunchDay-vs-directories comparison table, and the good-fit / not-ideal decision guide.
Answer using only the relevant section — don't dump the full reference.
Step 4 — Actionable guidance
Preparing your LaunchDay submission
- Check eligibility: Bootstrapped/indie? Can offer >40% discount? Willing to do video?
- Prepare your deal: Create a specific discount code or landing page with >40% off
- Submit at itslaunchday.com/submit-product — $99 fee is only charged if selected
- Prepare for the video interview:
- Have your product demo ready (working, not a prototype walkthrough)
- Prepare your founder story — why you built it, what problem it solves
- Keep it conversational — this becomes a podcast episode
- Add UTM tracking:
?utm_source=launchday&utm_medium=directory&utm_campaign=launch
Maximizing your LaunchDay event
- Promote the event yourself — share on your social channels that you're featured
- Engage during the 24-hour window — respond to comments, thank people who applaud
- Track deal unlocks — monitor how many people unlock your discount
- Follow up in Slack — connect with other makers in the LaunchDay community
Should you pay $99?
Compare with alternatives:
- $99 on LaunchDay = event featuring + podcast + influencer promo + Slack community + unknown backlink
- $99 on LaunchingNext = 1-business-day expedited review + DR51 dofollow backlink
- $99 split across directories = Open Launch Premium ($12) + CtrlAlt.cc ($39) + MicroLaunch Pro ($39) = 3 guaranteed dofollow backlinks + permanent listings
If your goal is backlinks: Split the budget across directories instead.
If your goal is exposure + podcast + community: LaunchDay offers unique value that directories don't.
If budget allows both: Do LaunchDay AND directory submissions.
Gotchas
Best-effort from research — review these, especially items about pricing and event model that may change.
-
Very early platform. Only 4 events held as of early 2026. Track record is limited, and the platform's longevity is unproven.
-
Backlink value unknown. No data on DR or dofollow/nofollow status. Don't count on LaunchDay for SEO value — treat any backlink as a bonus.
-
$99 is non-trivial for indie makers. Compare with free directories (SoloPush, ProductBurst) and cheaper paid options (OpenHunts $9.90, Open Launch $12) before committing.
-
>40% discount required. This can be a significant margin hit depending on your product. AI products with high inference costs get an exception, but SaaS products generally don't.
-
Video interview is mandatory. If you're camera-shy or time-constrained, factor in the 30-minute commitment. The video becomes a public podcast episode.
-
Limited availability. 1-2 events per month, max 20 products. Rejection is possible even after paying (payment is only processed if selected).
-
Event-based, not always-on. Your featuring lasts 24 hours. After that, you're in the archive — not on the homepage.
-
Self-improving: If you discover something not covered here, append it to references/learnings.md with today's date.
Related skills
/sales-launch-directory — Coordinates submissions across 10+ startup directories with sequencing, backlink stacking, and budget allocation/sales-openlaunch — Open Launch platform help (open-source PH alternative, DR65 backlinks)/sales-productburst — ProductBurst platform help (daily/weekly rankings, instant listing)/sales-solopush — SoloPush platform help (no-pressure indie maker community)/sales-openhunts — OpenHunts platform help (weekly launch cycle, DR50 backlinks)/sales-huzzler — Huzzler platform help (founder community, weekly Launch Arena)/sales-producthunt — Product Hunt platform help (largest launch platform, DR91 dofollow, 5M+ visits/mo)/sales-do — Not sure which skill to use? The router matches any sales objective to the right skill. Install:
npx skills add sales-skills/sales --skill sales-do
Examples
Example 1: Evaluate if LaunchDay is worth it
User says: "Is LaunchDay worth $99? I'm on a tight budget."
Skill does:
- Breaks down what $99 gets: event featuring, podcast interview, influencer promo, Slack community
- Compares with alternatives: $99 split across 3 directories gets 3 guaranteed dofollow backlinks
- Notes the unknown backlink value of LaunchDay
- Recommends: if backlinks are the priority, split the budget; if exposure/podcast is the priority, LaunchDay offers unique value
Result: Clear cost-benefit analysis with actionable recommendation
Example 2: Submit to LaunchDay
User says: "I want to submit my SaaS tool to LaunchDay"
Skill does:
- Checks eligibility: bootstrapped? Can offer >40% discount?
- Walks through the submission at itslaunchday.com/submit-product
- Prepares for the video interview — demo readiness, founder story talking points
- Recommends adding UTM tracking and promoting the event on social channels
Result: Submission prepared with interview prep and tracking in place
Example 3: Compare LaunchDay with free directories
User says: "Should I do LaunchDay or just submit to free directories?"
Skill does:
- Explains the fundamental difference: LaunchDay is an event with podcast/promo, directories are permanent listings with backlinks
- Notes that free directories (SoloPush, ProductBurst) deliver confirmed dofollow backlinks at $0
- LaunchDay's unique value is the podcast interview and influencer promotion — not available elsewhere
- Recommends doing both if budget allows, or prioritizing free directories if backlinks are the main goal
Result: Clear framework for deciding based on user's primary goal
Troubleshooting
Not selected after submitting
Symptom: Submitted and paid $99 but wasn't selected for an event
Cause: LaunchDay curates strictly — only 20 products per event, and they prioritize diverse product categories
Solution: Your $99 is only charged if selected, so no financial loss. Reach out to @dagorenouf on Twitter for feedback on why you weren't selected. Consider submitting again for a future event. Meanwhile, submit to free directories (SoloPush, ProductBurst) for immediate listings.
Not sure what discount to offer
Symptom: Required to offer >40% but unsure what's sustainable
Cause: Deep discounts can hurt margins, especially for early-stage products
Solution: Consider offering the discount on annual plans (higher LTV offsets the discount), limiting it to the first 50 users, or creating a special LaunchDay-only tier. If you have high infrastructure costs (AI inference, hosting), mention this in your submission — they make exceptions.
Low engagement during the event
Symptom: Featured on LaunchDay but few applauds or deal unlocks
Cause: LaunchDay events depend on community size, which is still growing (4 events so far)
Solution: Actively promote the event on your own channels — share the LaunchDay link on Twitter, your email list, and any communities you're part of. Engage in the LaunchDay Slack. The influencer promotion helps, but your own network amplifies it.
