# Launch Playbooks

> Step-by-step launch playbooks for different channels and product types.

- Skill: `nickgallick/launch-playbooks` (Agent Skill)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds add nickgallick/launch-playbooks`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/nickgallick/launch-playbooks/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Coding & Dev Tools
- Author: nickgallick (https://skillmd.com/u/nickgallick)
- Updated: 2026-09-08
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/nickgallick/launch-playbooks

---


# Launch Playbooks

## ProductHunt Launch
### Timing
- Launch Tuesday-Thursday (best engagement)
- 12:01 AM PT (start of voting day)
- Have 10+ supporters ready to upvote and comment in first hour

### Assets Needed
- Logo (240×240)
- Gallery images (4-6 screenshots, 1270×760)
- Tagline (60 chars max)
- Description (260 chars)
- First comment (founder story)
- Video demo (optional but high impact)

### Day-of Playbook
1. **12:01 AM PT**: Post goes live
2. **First 30 min**: Share link with inner circle (10+ people), ask for upvotes + genuine comments
3. **First 2 hours**: Respond to EVERY comment personally (maker engagement is critical)
4. **Morning**: Share on Twitter/X, relevant Slack/Discord communities
5. **Midday**: Post update comment with any early traction stats
6. **Afternoon**: Continue responding, share on LinkedIn
7. **Evening**: Thank supporters, share final day stats
8. **Post-launch**: Follow up with everyone who commented, convert to users

### What NOT to Do
- Don't ask for upvotes explicitly (PH will penalize)
- Don't use upvote rings or paid services
- Don't launch on weekends
- Don't ignore comments

## Reddit Launch
### Where to Post
- r/SideProject — most welcoming for new products
- r/startups — for longer strategy posts
- r/webdev or r/reactjs — if technical audience
- r/[industry-specific] — targeted audience (highest conversion)

### Post Template
```
Title: I built [product] to solve [problem] — it's free to try

Body:
Hey everyone, I've been working on [product] for [time].

The problem: [describe pain point]

What it does: [2-3 bullet features]

Built with: [tech stack — Reddit loves technical details]

[Link]

Would love your feedback. Happy to answer questions.
```

### Reddit Rules
- 80% value, 20% pitch
- Never self-promote without providing value first
- Engage in comments for at least 24 hours
- Don't cross-post to too many subreddits simultaneously
- Account should have history (not brand new)

## Hacker News Launch
### Format
```
Show HN: [Product] – [plain English description]
```

### Comment (post immediately after)
Technical details, honest motivations, stack choices, challenges faced. HN values authenticity over polish.

### HN Rules
- No marketing language whatsoever
- Be honest about limitations
- Engage with criticism gracefully
- Technical depth wins respect
- Don't ask friends to upvote (HN detects and penalizes)

## Twitter/X Launch Thread
### Structure
1. Hook tweet: bold claim or surprising result
2. The problem: what's wrong today
3. The solution: what you built
4. Demo: GIF or video (auto-plays in feed)
5. Key features: 3 tweets, one feature each
6. Social proof: testimonial or stat
7. CTA: link + offer

### Tips
- Pin the thread to your profile
- Quote-tweet the hook with a personal angle
- Reply to every response in first 24 hours
- Schedule for 9-10 AM ET (peak engagement)

## Email Launch Sequence
### For waitlist / early access
1. **Welcome email (immediate)**: "You're in. Here's what's coming."
2. **Value email (day 2)**: "Here's the #1 thing [product] does for you"
3. **Launch email (launch day)**: "We're live. [CTA]"
4. **Social proof email (day 3 post-launch)**: "[X] people signed up. Here's what they're saying."
5. **Last chance email (day 7)**: "Have you tried [key feature]?"

## SEO Launch (Long-term, starts at launch)
### Day 1 Actions
- Verify site in Google Search Console
- Submit sitemap.xml
- Set meta titles + descriptions for every page
- Open Graph tags for social sharing
- Schema markup (Organization, Product, FAQ)
- robots.txt configured properly
- Canonical URLs set
- Confirm HTTPS active

### Week 1 Actions
- Create 2-3 blog posts targeting long-tail keywords
- Set up internal linking strategy
- Build backlink outreach list (10-20 relevant sites)
- Submit to directories relevant to your niche

## Reference Docs
- repos/launch-docs/julian-shapiro-intro.md

## Changelog
- 2026-03-20: Initial launch playbooks