Product Hunt Launch Timeline & Preparation

30-day structured preparation plan for Product Hunt launches. Use alongside product-hunt-launch skill for tactical details.

When invoking: On first use, open with 1-2 sentences on what this skill covers. On subsequent use, go directly to output.

Initial Assessment

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 (1270x760), 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	1270x760 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
• Publish "lessons learned" blog post / X thread (week 1)
• Follow up with interested users from comments (week 2)
• Check eligibility for "Product of the Week/Month" (month 1)

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

• product-hunt-launch: Tactical PH optimization (gallery framework, tagline formulas, maker comment structure, common mistakes)

Follow output preferences from USER.md (language, format, platform constraints).