Product Hunt Launch Timeline & Preparation
30-day structured preparation plan for Product Hunt launches. Use alongside product-hunt-launch skill for tactical details.
When invoking: On first use, open with 1-2 sentences on what this skill covers. On subsequent use, go directly to output.
Initial Assessment
Identify:
- Product type: SaaS, AI tool, app, Chrome extension
- Launch readiness: Landing page, screenshots, tagline, first comment
- Hunter: Self-hunt or Top Hunter (optional but helps)
30-Day Preparation Plan
| Phase |
Days |
Actions |
| Teaser |
30-21 |
Build "notify me" page; decide self-hunt vs hunter; engage in community |
| Supporters |
20-11 |
Build list of 200+ (makers, industry contacts, followers, users) |
| Assets |
10-3 |
Finalize tagline (<=60 chars), gallery images (1270x760), demo video (<2 min), maker comment, 3-5 topic tags; build awareness on X/LinkedIn 2-4 weeks before |
| Launch day |
2-1 |
Clear calendar for 16+ hours; Product Hunt runs midnight-midnight Pacific |
Product Hunt Fields
| Field |
Spec |
| Tagline |
<=60 chars; no emojis unless part of product name; catchy, benefit-focused |
| Gallery |
1270x760 px recommended; readable, show product value |
| Demo video |
<2 minutes; optional but recommended |
| First comment |
Post immediately; story-driven, not feature list; significantly impacts engagement |
| Topic tags |
3-5 relevant; match Product Hunt taxonomy |
Launch Day Strategy
| Practice |
Guideline |
| Timing |
Tuesday-Thursday; 12:01am Pacific works best |
| Narrative |
Create story (problem -> solution), not feature list |
| Engagement |
Reply to every comment; thank supporters; answer questions |
| Avoid |
Begging for upvotes (risk of shadowban) |
Principle: Product Hunt is a visibility amplifier and credibility boost -- not primarily a customer acquisition channel.
Realistic Expectations
| Outcome |
Upvotes |
Placement |
| Poor |
50-100 |
-- |
| Average |
200-400 |
Top 10 |
| Good |
500-800 |
Top 5 |
| Great |
800+ |
Product of the Day |
Beyond Listing
| Offering |
Use When |
| Product Hunt Daily |
Newsletter feature; high-intent audience |
| Social promotion |
PH shares on X, LinkedIn; launch-day amplification |
| Featured placement |
Paid promotion options |
Post-Launch
- Continue engaging with new users
- Thank-you emails to supporters
- Ask for feedback
- Publish "lessons learned" blog post / X thread (week 1)
- Follow up with interested users from comments (week 2)
- Check eligibility for "Product of the Week/Month" (month 1)
Output Format
- Readiness checklist (tagline, gallery, first comment, topic tags)
- First comment draft (story-driven)
- Tagline options (<=60 chars)
- 30-day timeline (if planning ahead)
Related Skills
- product-hunt-launch: Tactical PH optimization (gallery framework, tagline formulas, maker comment structure, common mistakes)
Follow output preferences from USER.md (language, format, platform constraints).
1---2name: ph-launch-timeline3description: When the user needs a 30-day Product Hunt preparation timeline, launch readiness checklist, or realistic outcome expectations. Also use when planning PH launch phases, building supporter lists, or assessing launch readiness.4---56# Product Hunt Launch Timeline & Preparation7830-day structured preparation plan for Product Hunt launches. Use alongside `product-hunt-launch` skill for tactical details.910**When invoking**: On **first use**, open with 1-2 sentences on what this skill covers. On **subsequent use**, go directly to output.1112## Initial Assessment1314Identify:151. **Product type**: SaaS, AI tool, app, Chrome extension162. **Launch readiness**: Landing page, screenshots, tagline, first comment173. **Hunter**: Self-hunt or Top Hunter (optional but helps)1819## 30-Day Preparation Plan2021| Phase | Days | Actions |22|-------|------|---------|23| **Teaser** | 30-21 | Build "notify me" page; decide self-hunt vs hunter; engage in community |24| **Supporters** | 20-11 | Build list of 200+ (makers, industry contacts, followers, users) |25| **Assets** | 10-3 | Finalize tagline (<=60 chars), gallery images (1270x760), demo video (<2 min), maker comment, 3-5 topic tags; build awareness on X/LinkedIn 2-4 weeks before |26| **Launch day** | 2-1 | Clear calendar for 16+ hours; Product Hunt runs midnight-midnight Pacific |2728## Product Hunt Fields2930| Field | Spec |31|-------|------|32| **Tagline** | <=60 chars; no emojis unless part of product name; catchy, benefit-focused |33| **Gallery** | 1270x760 px recommended; readable, show product value |34| **Demo video** | <2 minutes; optional but recommended |35| **First comment** | Post immediately; story-driven, not feature list; significantly impacts engagement |36| **Topic tags** | 3-5 relevant; match Product Hunt taxonomy |3738## Launch Day Strategy3940| Practice | Guideline |41|----------|-----------|42| **Timing** | Tuesday-Thursday; 12:01am Pacific works best |43| **Narrative** | Create story (problem -> solution), not feature list |44| **Engagement** | Reply to every comment; thank supporters; answer questions |45| **Avoid** | Begging for upvotes (risk of shadowban) |4647**Principle**: Product Hunt is a visibility amplifier and credibility boost -- not primarily a customer acquisition channel.4849## Realistic Expectations5051| Outcome | Upvotes | Placement |52|---------|---------|-----------|53| Poor | 50-100 | -- |54| Average | 200-400 | Top 10 |55| Good | 500-800 | Top 5 |56| Great | 800+ | Product of the Day |5758## Beyond Listing5960| Offering | Use When |61|----------|----------|62| **Product Hunt Daily** | Newsletter feature; high-intent audience |63| **Social promotion** | PH shares on X, LinkedIn; launch-day amplification |64| **Featured placement** | Paid promotion options |6566## Post-Launch6768- Continue engaging with new users69- Thank-you emails to supporters70- Ask for feedback71- Publish "lessons learned" blog post / X thread (week 1)72- Follow up with interested users from comments (week 2)73- Check eligibility for "Product of the Week/Month" (month 1)7475## Output Format7677- **Readiness checklist** (tagline, gallery, first comment, topic tags)78- **First comment** draft (story-driven)79- **Tagline** options (<=60 chars)80- **30-day timeline** (if planning ahead)8182## Related Skills8384- **product-hunt-launch**: Tactical PH optimization (gallery framework, tagline formulas, maker comment structure, common mistakes)8586Follow output preferences from USER.md (language, format, platform constraints).
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