# Product Hunt Launch > Plans Product Hunt launches with teaser strategy, maker comments, upvote coordination, and post-launch follow-up. Use when launching a product on Product Hunt. - Skill: `reaperinvest/product-hunt-launch` (Agent Skill) - Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add reaperinvest/product-hunt-launch` - Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/reaperinvest/product-hunt-launch/raw - Safety review: pending - Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex - Category: Coding & Dev Tools - Author: reaperinvest (https://skillmd.com/u/reaperinvest) - Updated: 2026-09-22 - Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/reaperinvest/product-hunt-launch --- # 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.