# Ph Golden Kitty > Strategy for Product Hunt Golden Kitty Awards. Use this skill to understand award categories, prepare nominations, and maximize your chances of winning annual recognition. Use when this capability is needed. - Skill: `tomevault-io/ph-golden-kitty` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 2 files) - Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add tomevault-io/ph-golden-kitty` - Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/tomevault-io/ph-golden-kitty/raw - Safety review: pending (external: skill-scanner PASS, skillspector PASS) - Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex - Category: Coding & Dev Tools - Author: tomevault-io (https://skillmd.com/u/tomevault-io) - Updated: 2026-09-17 - Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/tomevault-io/ph-golden-kitty --- # Product Hunt Golden Kitty Awards This skill helps you understand and strategize for the annual Product Hunt Golden Kitty Awards, the platform's highest recognition. ## When to Use This Skill - Planning your launch for award eligibility - Preparing for nomination period - Mobilizing community for voting - Understanding award categories ## What Are the Golden Kitty Awards? ### Overview - Annual celebration of best products - Recognizes products launched that year - Community voting determines winners - Winners receive Golden Kitty trophy ### Timeline (Typical) - **Nominations:** Early December - **Voting:** Mid-December - **Winners Announced:** Late December/Early January ### What Winners Get - 🏆 Golden Kitty Trophy (physical) - Product Hunt swag - Permanent badge on profile - Major credibility boost - PR and media coverage ## Award Categories ### Main Categories (2024) **By Product Type:** - Product of the Year - Mobile App of the Year - Developer Tool of the Year - Design Tool of the Year - AI & Machine Learning - No-Code Tool of the Year - Hardware Product of the Year - Fintech Product of the Year - Health & Wellness - Productivity Tool - E-commerce Product - Privacy-Focused Tool **By Achievement:** - Side Project of the Year - Remote Work Tool - WTF Product of the Year (most creative/unusual) - Crypto Product of the Year **Community Awards:** - Maker of the Year - Community Member of the Year ### Category Eligibility To be eligible: - Launched on Product Hunt in the award year - Follows community guidelines - Qualifies for specific category ## Strategy for Winning ### Phase 1: Launch Strategy (Pre-Award) **Launch Timing:** - Launching early in year = longer community presence - Launching late = fresher in memory - Either can work; focus on quality **Build Community:** - Strong launch builds foundation - Engage with supporters post-launch - Maintain PH presence throughout year **Track Record:** - Multiple successful launches help - Consistent community engagement - Reputation building ### Phase 2: Nomination Period **When Nominations Open:** - Products can be nominated by community - Top nominations advance to voting - Category matters for positioning **Getting Nominated:** - Previous supporters often nominate - Community remembers strong launches - Makers can't self-nominate (usually) **Increasing Nomination Chances:** - Strong launch performance - Active community engagement - Memorable product/story ### Phase 3: Voting Period **How Voting Works:** - Community votes in each category - Each user can vote once per category - Votes from quality accounts count more - Voting typically lasts 1-2 weeks **Mobilizing Voters:** *To Your Community:* ``` Subject: [Product] is nominated for Golden Kitty Awards! Hey [Name], Amazing news — [Product] has been nominated for the Product Hunt Golden Kitty Awards in the [Category] category! This is the biggest recognition on Product Hunt, and your vote would mean everything. → Vote here: [Link] Takes 30 seconds. Voting ends [Date]. Thank you for your continued support! [Your Name] ``` *On Social Media:* ``` 🏆 [Product] is nominated for @ProductHunt's Golden Kitty Awards in [Category]! We're honored to be among the best products of [Year]. If we helped you this year, your vote would mean the world 🙏 Vote here: [Link] #GoldenKittyAwards #ProductHunt ``` ### Phase 4: If You Win **Immediate Actions:** - Thank community publicly - Share on all channels - Update website/social with badge - Reach out to press **Long-Term Benefits:** - Major credibility - Attracts users/investors - Helps future launches - Community goodwill ## Category-Specific Strategies ### AI & Machine Learning **What Wins:** - Genuinely innovative AI use - Clear practical application - Impressive capabilities - Strong demo/results **Examples of Winners:** - Tools that transform workflows - Novel AI applications - Accessible AI products ### Developer Tools **What Wins:** - Developer experience focus - Solves real pain points - Technical excellence - Community adoption **Examples of Winners:** - Supabase, Raycast, Linear ### No-Code Tools **What Wins:** - Empowers non-developers - Impressive capabilities - Easy to use - Strong use cases **Examples of Winners:** - Notion Sites, Retool ### Productivity **What Wins:** - Clear productivity gain - Wide applicability - Delightful experience - Strong user love ### Side Project of the Year **What Wins:** - Built by individual/small team - Creative or unusual - Community favorite - Authentic maker story ## Building Your Case ### Throughout the Year **Maintain Presence:** - Stay active on Product Hunt - Engage with community - Support other makers - Share updates/milestones **Build Advocates:** - Turn users into fans - Collect testimonials - Create community - Encourage word-of-mouth ### During Voting **Mobilization Strategy:** | Audience | Message | Channel | |----------|---------|---------| | Core users | Personal ask | Email | | Community | Celebration post | Social | | Network | Favor request | DM | | General | Announcement | Public | **Timing:** - Day 1: Announce nomination - Day 3-4: Reminder - Day 6-7: Final push - End: Thank everyone ## What to Avoid ### Don't: - ❌ Buy votes or use services - ❌ Spam communities - ❌ Make false claims - ❌ Beg or pressure - ❌ Attack competitors ### Do: - ✅ Ask genuinely - ✅ Thank supporters - ✅ Share excitement - ✅ Be gracious if you lose - ✅ Celebrate others ## If You Don't Win ### Graceful Response ``` Congrats to all #GoldenKittyAwards winners! 🎉 Honored to be nominated alongside such amazing products. Huge thanks to everyone who voted for us — your support drives us to keep building. Here's to an even better [Next Year]! 🚀 ``` ### Learn and Improve - Note what winners did well - Build stronger community for next year - Continue shipping great product ## Golden Kitty Checklist ### Year-Round - [ ] Strong product launch - [ ] Community engagement - [ ] User advocacy building - [ ] PH presence maintained ### Nomination Period - [ ] Monitor for nominations - [ ] Prepare voting campaign - [ ] Draft announcement content - [ ] Identify key supporters ### Voting Period - [ ] Launch voting campaign - [ ] Email supporters - [ ] Social media push - [ ] Daily engagement - [ ] Thank voters ### Post-Awards - [ ] Thank community (win or lose) - [ ] Display badge if won - [ ] PR outreach if won - [ ] Plan for next year ## Output Format ``` GOLDEN KITTY STRATEGY: [Product Name] TARGET CATEGORY: [Category] ELIGIBILITY: [Confirmed/Pending] CAMPAIGN TIMELINE: Pre-Voting: - [Action 1] - [Action 2] Voting Period: - Day 1: [Action] - Day 3: [Action] - Day 7: [Action] MOBILIZATION PLAN: Audience Segments: 1. [Segment]: [Size] - [Channel] - [Message type] 2. [Segment]: [Size] - [Channel] - [Message type] 3. [Segment]: [Size] - [Channel] - [Message type] PREPARED CONTENT: - Announcement post: [Draft] - Email template: [Draft] - Social posts: [Drafts] - Thank you message: [Draft] SUCCESS METRICS: - Votes target: [Number] - Engagement goal: [Metric] WIN SCENARIO: - Immediate actions: [List] - PR plan: [Outline] - Badge placement: [Where] LOSE SCENARIO: - Response: [Draft] - Next year plan: [Outline] ``` --- > Converted and distributed by [TomeVault](https://tomevault.io/claim/yoanbernabeu) — claim your Tome and manage your conversions.