---
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.

---

## Core Principle

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

---

## 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.**

---

## 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.**

---

## 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]?"

---

## 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
```

---

## 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."

---

## 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.

---

## 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.
