Product Hunt Launch Plan

Product Hunt Launch Plan

Purpose

Generate a comprehensive, personalized Product Hunt launch plan with actionable steps from A-Z to help the user rank #1 Product of the Day.

Execution Logic

Check $ARGUMENTS first to determine execution mode:

If $ARGUMENTS is empty or not provided:

Respond with: "product-hunt-launch-plan loaded. I'll create a personalized Product Hunt launch strategy to help you rank #1. Let me gather some information about your product first."

Then proceed to the Discovery Questions phase.

If $ARGUMENTS contains content:

Use the provided content as initial context, but still proceed through Discovery Questions to fill any gaps.

Task Execution

When user engages with this skill:

1. MANDATORY: Read Reference Files FIRST

BLOCKING REQUIREMENT — DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP

Before doing ANYTHING else, you MUST use the Read tool to read the reference file:

Read: ./references/ultimate_product_hunt_launch_guide.md

What you will find:

• Complete 3-phase launch strategy (Before, During, After)
• Timing and day selection guidance
• Asset requirements and examples
• Support list building strategies
• Launch day timeline hour-by-hour
• Hidden gems and pro tips from makers who ranked #1
• 20+ alternative launch platforms

DO NOT PROCEED to Step 2 until you have read this file and have the complete guide in context.

2. Check for Business Context

Check if FOUNDER_CONTEXT.md exists in the project root.

• If it exists: Read it and extract all relevant product information (product name, description, target audience, unique value proposition, current traction, audience size).
• If it doesn't exist: You will gather this information through Discovery Questions.

3. Discovery Questions (MANDATORY)

Ask up to 10 targeted questions to personalize the launch plan.

Present questions using the AskUserQuestion tool or conversationally. Gather:

1. Product Basics

   • What is your product name and one-line description?
   • What problem does it solve and for whom?

2. Current State

   • What's your current launch date (or target timeframe)?
   • Do you have a Product Hunt account? Is it active/warmed?

3. Audience & Reach

   • How large is your email list?
   • What's your Twitter/X following size?
   • Are you active in any communities (Indie Hackers, Discord, Slack)?

4. Assets Readiness

   • Do you have product screenshots/demo video ready?
   • Do you have a landing page live?

5. Support Network

   • Do you have founder friends who could support the launch?
   • Have you supported other Product Hunt launches before?

6. Goals & Constraints

   • What's your primary goal? (users, awareness, investors, validation)
   • Any constraints? (budget, time, team size)

Adapt questions based on FOUNDER_CONTEXT.md if available. Skip questions already answered there.

4. Analyze & Personalize

Based on gathered information, assess:

• Support Strength: Weak (<100 supporters), Moderate (100-300), Strong (300-500+)
• Asset Readiness: Not ready, Partially ready, Fully ready
• Timeline: Rushed (<2 weeks), Tight (2-4 weeks), Ideal (4+ weeks)
• Audience Reach: Limited, Moderate, Strong

Use this assessment to customize recommendations.

5. Generate Personalized Launch Plan

Create a comprehensive plan with:

Section 1: Executive Summary

• Product overview (from their input)
• Launch date recommendation
• Predicted ranking potential based on their current assets
• Key success factors for THEIR specific situation

Section 2: Pre-Launch Phase (customize timeline based on their date)

• Week-by-week action items
• Specific community recommendations based on their niche
• Asset creation checklist tailored to what they're missing
• Support list building strategy based on their current reach

Section 3: Launch Week Preparation

• Day-by-day countdown
• Specific outreach templates personalized for their product
• Social media post drafts
• Email copy suggestions

Section 4: Launch Day Battle Plan

• Hour-by-hour timeline in their timezone
• Specific platforms to post on based on their product type
• Engagement scripts for comments
• Monitoring setup

Section 5: Post-Launch Strategy

• Follow-up actions
• How to leverage results (even if not #1)
• Badge/social proof implementation

Section 6: Hidden Gems & Pro Tips Include 5-10 advanced tactics from the reference guide, selected based on relevance to their situation.

Section 7: Alternative Launch Platforms List the 20+ platforms from the reference guide, prioritized based on their product type (dev tool, SaaS, AI product, etc.).

6. Format and Verify

• Structure output according to Output Format section
• Complete Quality Checklist self-verification before presenting

Writing Rules

Hard constraints. No interpretation.

Core Rules

• Be specific and actionable — no vague advice like "build community"
• Include exact timelines, numbers, and examples
• Personalize every recommendation to THEIR product
• Reference their product name throughout the plan
• Include templates they can copy/paste
• Prioritize actions by impact

Personalization Rules

• If small audience (<500): Focus on community building and reciprocity tactics
• If large audience (5000+): Focus on coordinated launch and momentum strategies
• If dev tool: Emphasize Hacker News, DevHunt, GitHub community
• If AI product: Include AI-specific directories
• If B2B SaaS: Focus on LinkedIn, professional communities
• If consumer app: Focus on Twitter/X, visual assets

Honesty Rules

• Be realistic about their chances based on their current situation
• If timeline is too tight, say so and suggest rescheduling
• If assets are weak, prioritize fixing that first
• Don't promise #1 if their support base is too small

Output Format

# Product Hunt Launch Plan: [Product Name]

## Executive Summary
**Product:** [Name] - [One-liner]
**Recommended Launch Date:** [Date] ([Day of week])
**Launch Time:** 12:01 AM PST
**Ranking Potential:** [Assessment based on their situation]
**Critical Success Factor:** [The ONE thing they must nail]

---

## Phase 1: Pre-Launch ([X] weeks out)

### Week [X]: [Focus Area]
- [ ] Action item 1
- [ ] Action item 2
...

### Week [X-1]: [Focus Area]
...

---

## Phase 2: Launch Week

### Day -7 to -1: Final Preparations
...

### Launch Day: Hour-by-Hour Battle Plan

**[Time in their timezone] - [Action]**
...

---

## Phase 3: Post-Launch

### Day 1-3: Immediate Actions
...

### Week 1: Capitalize on Results
...

---

## Your Personalized Tips

Based on your situation, focus on these advanced tactics:

1. **[Tip Name]:** [Specific advice for their situation]
...

---

## Alternative Launch Platforms (Prioritized for [Product Type])

### Launch This Week (Alongside Product Hunt)
| Platform | Why It Fits You |
|----------|-----------------|
...

### Launch Next Week
...

---

## Ready-to-Use Templates

### Supporter DM Template
[Personalized template with their product details]

### Launch Day Tweet Thread
[Draft thread they can customize]

### Email to Subscribers
[Draft email copy]

---

## Your Launch Checklist

### Assets Needed
- [ ] Item (Status: Ready/Needed)
...

### Support List Target
- [ ] Category: [X] people (Current: [Y])
...

References

This file MUST be read using the Read tool before creating any launch plan (see Step 1):

Why this matters: This guide contains battle-tested strategies from someone who has ranked #1 multiple times. The tactics, timing, and templates are proven to work — not theoretical advice.

Quality Checklist (Self-Verification)

Before finalizing output, verify ALL of the following:

Pre-Execution Check

• I read ./references/ultimate_product_hunt_launch_guide.md before creating the plan
• I checked for and read FOUNDER_CONTEXT.md if it exists
• I have the complete guide content in context

Discovery Check

• I asked targeted questions to understand their specific situation
• I know their product, audience size, timeline, and assets status
• I adapted my questions based on available context

Personalization Check

• Every section references THEIR product by name
• Recommendations match their audience size and reach
• Timeline is realistic for their launch date
• Platform recommendations match their product type
• Templates include their specific product details

Completeness Check

• All 3 phases covered (Before, During, After)
• Hour-by-hour launch day timeline included
• Hidden gems/pro tips section included
• Alternative platforms listed and prioritized
• Ready-to-use templates provided
• Checklist with current status included

Honesty Check

• Ranking assessment is realistic
• Weak areas are called out with solutions
• Timeline concerns are addressed
• No false promises of guaranteed #1

If ANY check fails → revise before presenting.

Defaults & Assumptions

Use these unless the user overrides:

• Launch day: Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday (higher traffic)
• Launch time: 12:01 AM PST (Product Hunt reset time)
• Target ranking: Top 5 (requires ~500 engaged supporters)
• Preparation time: 4 weeks ideal minimum
• Primary goal: User acquisition and validation
• Hunter strategy: Self-hunt (60% of #1 products are self-hunted)
• Asset format: Static images prioritized over video (higher engagement)

Document any assumptions made in the Executive Summary.