# Product Hunt Launch Checklist This is a short checklist I've curated to help prepare [ProductHunt](https://producthunt.com) launches, taking info from various sources, as well as my experience launching the [[Obsidian Starter Kit]] over there. ## Before the launch - Evaluate previous launches - What went well? What could be improved? What did you learn? - Research examples and ask for advice - Reach out to people who have upvoted similar products - Product readiness - Conduct market research - Make sure you understand your prospects, their problems, questions, etc - Scan social media for similar products/communities - Scan Reddit for similar products/communities - Create a product positioning statement - Explain why you're launching - Define what the product does, what differentiates it from other offers, why it is special and unique - Clarify the target audience - Test the product - Make sure people in the target audience have tried it - Collect feedback - Iterate based on their feedback - Test the purchase steps - Ensure the checkout system works perfectly - Work on branding - Clarify the product's identity (name, images, packaging, color palette, typography, tagline, etc) - Write useful documentation - Build an audience - Build in public and share your progress - Create a community around the product - Capture stats before the launch (e.g., sales, followers, MRR, etc) - Join Product Hunt's communities - Telegram - WhatsApp - LinkedIn - Twitter - ... - Tease and build hype - Your existing customers - Your past customers - Your audience - Your communities - Your friends - Prepare social media posts and announcements - ... - Prepare a list of supporters (people who will vote for your product) - Find a Product Hunt Hunter (a super user on PH). Or not. They help with social proof - Prepare a special offer for the launch - Launch post - Prepare assets: cover image, thumbnail, screenshots, video, copywriting, testimonials, etc - Focus on benefits, the problems it solves, and who it's for - Make sure to mention special offers - Pick a launch day & time. - Time should be 12:01 PST to ensure the launch is up for 24 hours - Day: some are less competitive than others. From highest competition to lowest: Wednesday > Thursday > Tuesday > Monday > Friday > Saturday & Sunday - Research launched planned for the day you have in mind - Product’s name: just the name, nothing else - Tagline: Explain what the product does - Description: more info about the product, what it does, and who it's for - First comment: expand on the product, its benefits, and the special offer - Link from your website to the Product Hunt page ## During the launch - Set a day aside for this - Notify supporters - Promote the launch on social media, to your audience, newsletter, on your blog, etc - Keep an eye out for mentions on social media/Twitter and retweet/engage with them - Send an email to your audience to remind them - Share your progress on social media - Reply to all comments and keep the conversation going - Respond with custom videos - If you aren't featured after an hour get in touch with the PH team - Turn it into an event worth celebrating ## After the launch - Capture stats - How many visitors - How many extra users/subscribers - How much money did you make - How many followers did you gain - ... - Share your results with your audience, communities, on social media, etc - Draft a thank you to your supporters and post across your social media and email lists - Congratulate your competitors - Add your product to Product Hunt collections - Add your product as an alternative to similar products on Product Hunt ## Lessons learned from my past launches ### Obsidian Starter Kit - I should have prepared emails/social posts a few days before - I should have warned my community at least 3 times, not only the day before and on launch day - I should have prepared the correct link to the launch post - I should have planned a few threads discussing key ideas around the topic, using those to raise more awareness about the topic and the launch - I should have prepared a video specifically for the launch - I should have improved the landing page before the launch - I should have announced the associated discount earlier as a way to get more people to explore - I should have prepared posts to clearly explain the product and its benefits - I should have invested more time in finding additional places where to share the launch announcement ## References - https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/product-hunt-professional-launch-checklist-basic-guide-plan-4cw2f - https://www.shopify.com/blog/product-launch-checklist