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Most product launches fail quietly. Not because the product is bad, but because the launch strategy was "post it somewhere and hope." There's a better way, and it's less about luck than you think.
The launches that work have structure. They build momentum before launch day, they target the right communities with the right message, and they have a plan for what happens after the initial spike. Let's break down what actually works.
The Pre-Launch Phase (2-4 Weeks Before)
Build your launch list. These are people who'll check out your product on day one:
Twitter/X followers - Been sharing your journey, they're already interested Email list from beehiiv or ConvertKit - Collected via landing page or newsletter Product Hunt upcoming page - Free way to collect interested users before launch Communities you're active in on Indie Hackers, Reddit, Discord servers
Aim for 100-300 people who actually care. Better than 10,000 random emails.
Create launch assets before you need them:
Demo video (60-90 seconds) using Loom or Descript Screenshots showing key features using CleanShot X for Mac Social media graphics using Figma or Canva Templated responses for common questions you'll get
Product Hunt Launch Strategy
Product Hunt still drives meaningful traffic and backlinks. Here's what works now:
Launch Tuesday-Thursday for maximum visibility. Weekend launches get buried by Monday's new posts.
Post at 12:01 AM Pacific time. Your first few hours determine if you trend or disappear.
Your tagline (under the product name) needs to communicate value instantly. Not clever wordplay—clear benefit.
First comment should be from you as the maker. Tell your story: why you built this, what problem it solves, what you're hoping to learn from the community. Authentic beats polished.
Prepare your hunter (if using one) or make sure your maker profile is complete. Photos, bio, previous products—it all builds credibility.
Drive your existing audience to Product Hunt, not the other way around. Email your list, post on Twitter, message your Discord community. Early upvotes and comments determine ranking.
Product Hunt Launch Guide - Official comprehensive guide from the Product Hunt team
****** News Show HN Strategy
****** News traffic is technical, skeptical, and extremely valuable if you get it right:
Title format: "Show HN: [Product Name] – [Clear one-line description]"
Don't oversell. "We built a tool that..." beats "Revolutionary platform that will change..."
Post your Show HN during US work hours for maximum visibility, though great content rises regardless.
First comment (from you) should include:
Respond thoughtfully to every comment, especially criticism. HN users respect founders who engage authentically and can defend design decisions with reasoning.
****** News Show HN Guidelines - Read before posting
Reddit Launch Strategy
Reddit is tricky—communities hate self-promotion but love genuinely useful things:
Spend 2-3 weeks actively participating in target subreddits before promoting. Comment, help people, establish you're not just there to ****.
Read each subreddit's self-promotion rules carefully. Many have specific days or formats required.
Frame your post around the problem/learning, not the product:
Best subreddits for product launches: r/SideProject - Actively welcomes project shares r/IMadeThis - For showing off creations r/entrepreneur - Feedback Friday threads r/startups - Share Your Startup threads Niche subreddits for your specific category (always best if they allow it)
Twitter/X Launch Strategy
Twitter launches work when you've been building an audience while building the product:
Launch thread format that works:
Use visual assets—tweets with video get 10x more engagement than text-only.
Tag relevant people/companies who might care or who influenced your work. Don't ****, but thoughtful mentions get attention.
Time your tweet for 9-11 AM or 1-3 PM in your target audience's timezone.
Typefully - Write, schedule, and analyze Twitter threads Tweet Hunter - Tools and inspiration for better Twitter content
Launch Day Execution Checklist
Hour 1: Post on Product Hunt, HN, main social channels Hour 2-3: Email your launch list with personal message Hour 4-8: Monitor and respond to every comment/question everywhere Hour 12: Post in relevant subreddits and communities Hour 18: Share early results/metrics as follow-up post Day 2: Write post-launch summary with lessons learned
Post-Launch: What Happens After Day 1
The launch spike is temporary. What matters is what you do next:
Follow up with everyone who showed interest. Personal emails, not automated drips.
Create content from your launch learnings. "We launched on Product Hunt and here's what happened" posts perform well.
Convert launch traffic with email capture. EmailOctopus or Loops for simple affordable email.
Keep building in public. Share metrics, challenges, customer wins. Your launch is just the beginning of the story.
Track everything with Fathom Analytics or Plausible - see which channels drive engaged users, not just traffic.
Launch Multipliers
Some things amplify any launch strategy:
Having a co-founder or team means more networks to activate Existing audience (newsletter, Twitter, YouTube) = guaranteed initial traction Press coverage, but only if you have a compelling narrative beyond "we launched a product" Exclusive launch offers create urgency (lifetime deals, early-bird pricing) Genuine relationships with influencers in your space who'll share authentically
SparkToro - Find where your audience spends time online and who influences them
Common Launch Mistakes
Launching too early with buggy product. First impressions matter—you rarely get a second launch.
Launching too late when you've lost momentum and motivation. Ship when it's useful, not perfect.
Focusing only on launch day. The real work is the weeks before building interest and weeks after converting it.
Not having a clear next step for interested users. "Join waitlist" or "Try demo" should be obvious.
Expecting one launch to solve everything. Most successful products "launch" dozens of times with new features, milestones, or angles.
The best launch is one that starts a conversation, not ends one. You're looking for feedback, early users, and momentum—not a viral moment that disappears in 24 hours.
The launches that work have structure. They build momentum before launch day, they target the right communities with the right message, and they have a plan for what happens after the initial spike. Let's break down what actually works.
The Pre-Launch Phase (2-4 Weeks Before)
Build your launch list. These are people who'll check out your product on day one:
Twitter/X followers - Been sharing your journey, they're already interested Email list from beehiiv or ConvertKit - Collected via landing page or newsletter Product Hunt upcoming page - Free way to collect interested users before launch Communities you're active in on Indie Hackers, Reddit, Discord servers
Aim for 100-300 people who actually care. Better than 10,000 random emails.
Create launch assets before you need them:
Demo video (60-90 seconds) using Loom or Descript Screenshots showing key features using CleanShot X for Mac Social media graphics using Figma or Canva Templated responses for common questions you'll get
Product Hunt Launch Strategy
Product Hunt still drives meaningful traffic and backlinks. Here's what works now:
Launch Tuesday-Thursday for maximum visibility. Weekend launches get buried by Monday's new posts.
Post at 12:01 AM Pacific time. Your first few hours determine if you trend or disappear.
Your tagline (under the product name) needs to communicate value instantly. Not clever wordplay—clear benefit.
First comment should be from you as the maker. Tell your story: why you built this, what problem it solves, what you're hoping to learn from the community. Authentic beats polished.
Prepare your hunter (if using one) or make sure your maker profile is complete. Photos, bio, previous products—it all builds credibility.
Drive your existing audience to Product Hunt, not the other way around. Email your list, post on Twitter, message your Discord community. Early upvotes and comments determine ranking.
Product Hunt Launch Guide - Official comprehensive guide from the Product Hunt team
****** News Show HN Strategy
****** News traffic is technical, skeptical, and extremely valuable if you get it right:
Title format: "Show HN: [Product Name] – [Clear one-line description]"
Don't oversell. "We built a tool that..." beats "Revolutionary platform that will change..."
Post your Show HN during US work hours for maximum visibility, though great content rises regardless.
First comment (from you) should include:
- Direct link to try it (the HN link should go to your homepage, your comment can have signup/demo links)
- Tech stack if relevant to this audience
- What you're specifically looking for feedback on
- Honest statement about current stage and limitations
Respond thoughtfully to every comment, especially criticism. HN users respect founders who engage authentically and can defend design decisions with reasoning.
****** News Show HN Guidelines - Read before posting
Reddit Launch Strategy
Reddit is tricky—communities hate self-promotion but love genuinely useful things:
Spend 2-3 weeks actively participating in target subreddits before promoting. Comment, help people, establish you're not just there to ****.
Read each subreddit's self-promotion rules carefully. Many have specific days or formats required.
Frame your post around the problem/learning, not the product:
- Bad: "I built an invoicing tool!"
- Good: "After losing $3K to disorganized freelance invoicing, I built a tool to prevent this"
Best subreddits for product launches: r/SideProject - Actively welcomes project shares r/IMadeThis - For showing off creations r/entrepreneur - Feedback Friday threads r/startups - Share Your Startup threads Niche subreddits for your specific category (always best if they allow it)
Twitter/X Launch Strategy
Twitter launches work when you've been building an audience while building the product:
Launch thread format that works:
- Hook tweet with clear problem statement
- Your journey/why you built this
- What it does (with demo video or screenshots)
- Key features as benefits
- Call to action with link
- Ask for retweets at the end
Use visual assets—tweets with video get 10x more engagement than text-only.
Tag relevant people/companies who might care or who influenced your work. Don't ****, but thoughtful mentions get attention.
Time your tweet for 9-11 AM or 1-3 PM in your target audience's timezone.
Typefully - Write, schedule, and analyze Twitter threads Tweet Hunter - Tools and inspiration for better Twitter content
Launch Day Execution Checklist
Hour 1: Post on Product Hunt, HN, main social channels Hour 2-3: Email your launch list with personal message Hour 4-8: Monitor and respond to every comment/question everywhere Hour 12: Post in relevant subreddits and communities Hour 18: Share early results/metrics as follow-up post Day 2: Write post-launch summary with lessons learned
Post-Launch: What Happens After Day 1
The launch spike is temporary. What matters is what you do next:
Follow up with everyone who showed interest. Personal emails, not automated drips.
Create content from your launch learnings. "We launched on Product Hunt and here's what happened" posts perform well.
Convert launch traffic with email capture. EmailOctopus or Loops for simple affordable email.
Keep building in public. Share metrics, challenges, customer wins. Your launch is just the beginning of the story.
Track everything with Fathom Analytics or Plausible - see which channels drive engaged users, not just traffic.
Launch Multipliers
Some things amplify any launch strategy:
Having a co-founder or team means more networks to activate Existing audience (newsletter, Twitter, YouTube) = guaranteed initial traction Press coverage, but only if you have a compelling narrative beyond "we launched a product" Exclusive launch offers create urgency (lifetime deals, early-bird pricing) Genuine relationships with influencers in your space who'll share authentically
SparkToro - Find where your audience spends time online and who influences them
Common Launch Mistakes
Launching too early with buggy product. First impressions matter—you rarely get a second launch.
Launching too late when you've lost momentum and motivation. Ship when it's useful, not perfect.
Focusing only on launch day. The real work is the weeks before building interest and weeks after converting it.
Not having a clear next step for interested users. "Join waitlist" or "Try demo" should be obvious.
Expecting one launch to solve everything. Most successful products "launch" dozens of times with new features, milestones, or angles.
The best launch is one that starts a conversation, not ends one. You're looking for feedback, early users, and momentum—not a viral moment that disappears in 24 hours.