# Product hunt launch Human Guide

## What This Is For
Guides preparing and executing a Product Hunt launch. It gives the agent a clearer input/output frame for growth marketing: what context to ask for, what decisions to make, and what usable artifact to return.

Use this as a human-readable version of the Product hunt launch agent skill. It is meant for marketers, operators, founders, and other non-coders who want the workflow without reading agent-specific implementation instructions.

## When To Use This
- Use this when you need a repeatable process for product hunt launch.
- Use this when the task needs judgment, examples, constraints, or a clear output format rather than a one-off prompt.
- Use this when you want to hand an AI assistant enough context to produce a usable marketing artifact.

## When Not To Use This
- Do not use this when you only need a quick factual answer.
- Do not use this when the work depends on private data you cannot share with the assistant.
- Do not use this as a replacement for legal, compliance, financial, or medical review.

## What You Need Before Starting
- The goal or business outcome you want.
- The audience, customer segment, or market context.
- Any source material the assistant should respect, such as notes, briefs, examples, URLs, or brand guidance.
- Constraints such as tone, length, channel, deadline, region, or approval requirements.
- A clear definition of what a good final answer should look like.

## Step-By-Step Workflow
1. State the job clearly: "Use the Product hunt launch guide to help me with..."
2. Add context: audience, goal, offer, channel, source material, and constraints.
3. Ask the assistant to identify missing inputs before producing the final output.
4. Have the assistant follow the skill-specific guidance below.
5. Review the result against the final checklist and ask for revisions where needed.

## Skill-Specific Guidance
- **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)
- Continue engaging with new users
- Thank-you emails to supporters
- See **directory-submission** for other directories; **cold-start-strategy** for full launch plan
- **Readiness checklist** (tagline, gallery, first comment, topic tags)
- **First comment** draft (story-driven)
- **Tagline** options (≤60 chars)
- **30-day timeline** (if planning ahead)
- **directory-submission**: Taaft, G2, curated lists; Product Hunt is one directory—see for multi-platform submission
- **cold-start-strategy**: Full launch plan; Product Hunt as channel

## Decision Points And Nuance
The original skill emphasizes: Initial Assessment, 30-Day Preparation Plan, Product Hunt Fields, Launch Day Strategy, Realistic Expectations, Beyond Listing, Post-Launch, Output Format, Related Skills.

Use these questions to steer the work:
- What is the intended audience or buyer?
- What source material must be preserved?
- What should the assistant optimize for: clarity, persuasion, accuracy, speed, creativity, or conversion?
- What examples represent the desired quality bar?
- What should the assistant avoid?

## Common Mistakes
- | **Avoid** | Begging for upvotes (risk of shadowban) |

## Copy-And-Paste Prompt
```text
Use the Product hunt launch human guide.

My goal:
[Describe the business outcome]

Audience:
[Describe who this is for]

Context and source material:
[Paste notes, examples, links, or existing copy]

Constraints:
[Tone, length, channel, timeline, must-include items, must-avoid items]

Before producing the final output, ask me for any missing information that would materially improve the result.
```

## Final Checklist
- [ ] The output matches the original goal.
- [ ] The audience and context are reflected in the answer.
- [ ] Important constraints and source material were preserved.
- [ ] The assistant made the relevant decisions explicit.
- [ ] The final artifact is ready to use, review, or hand to the next person.

## Source
This guide was generated from the kostja94/marketing-skills skill entry for `product-hunt-launch`.

## Source Skill Notes
These notes preserve the nuance from the original skill. Use them as supporting reference when the workflow above feels too generic.

# Channels: Product Hunt Launch

Guides preparing and executing a Product Hunt launch. Product Hunt is a community-driven product discovery platform; only ~10% of submissions get featured on the homepage. Best for SaaS, developer tools, AI/ML products, and productivity software. Physical products and service businesses have limited success.

**When invoking**: On **first use**, if helpful, open with 1–2 sentences on what this skill covers and why it matters, then provide the main output. On **subsequent use** or when the user asks to skip, go directly to the main output.

## Initial Assessment

**Read project context first:** If `.claude/project-context.md` or `.cursor/project-context.md` exists, use Sections 1–4, 5, 6, 8, 9 for submission content.

Identify:
1. **Product type**: SaaS, AI tool, app, Chrome extension
2. **Launch readiness**: Landing page, screenshots, tagline, first comment
3. **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 (1270×760), 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** | 1270×760 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
- See **directory-submission** for other directories; **cold-start-strategy** for full launch plan

## 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

- **directory-submission**: Taaft, G2, curated lists; Product Hunt is one directory—see for multi-platform submission
- **cold-start-strategy**: Full launch plan; Product Hunt as channel