Product Hunt Launch Playbook: The 4-Week Maker Framework

After 4 successful launches and 2 that flopped, here's the framework that actually works.

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Week 1: Foundation (The Week Before Launch)#

Day 1-2: Community Building#

• Comment on 5 other launches daily
• Reply to 20 maker conversations
• Build genuine relationships, not "follow-for-follow"

Day 3-4: Hunter Preparation#

• Brief your hunter with: one-liner, screenshots, promo video, launch time
• Share your "maker story" — what problem did you solve?
• Confirm launch time: Tuesday-Thursday, 12:01 AM PST

Day 5-7: Pre-Launch Teasers#

• Twitter: "Launching Tuesday on @ProductHunt..."
• Email: Notify your existing users
• Slack: Share in relevant communities

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Week 2: Soft Launch#

Day 8-10: Alpha Users Only#

• Give 50-100 users early access
• Collect feedback, fix critical bugs
• Screenshot testimonials (with permission)

Day 11-14: Momentum Building#

• Post "launching soon" on social
• Prepare all launch assets:
  • Hero image (1740x840 px)
  • Video (60-90 seconds)
  • 3-5 screenshots with captions
  • Promo GIF (optional)

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Week 3: Launch Week#

Day 15: Launch Day!#

• 12:01 AM PST: Hunter posts go live
• Immediately: Post on Twitter, reply to every comment
• Morning: Check PH metrics, engage with all new comments
• Throughout: Thank every commenter by name

Day 16-17: Sustained Engagement#

• Keep replying to new comments
• Update listing based on feedback
• Screenshot and share ranking updates

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Week 4: Post-Launch#

Day 18-21: Capitalize on Momentum#

• Follow up with everyone who commented
• Send personalized emails to top commenters
• Publish post-launch retrospective

Day 22-28: Community Integration#

• Join the PH Slack
• Engage with other launches
• Consider becoming a hunter yourself

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The Numbers That Matter#

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Common Mistakes to Avoid#

1. Launching on Monday or Friday — Lowest traffic days
2. No hunter relationship — Hunters prefer advance notice
3. Generic video — Show actual product, not logo + tagline
4. Ignoring comments — PH algorithm rewards engagement
5. No email list — Your existing users = instant upvote base

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Tools I Use for Launch#

• Launchmeter — Track PH metrics in real-time
• Buffer — Schedule social posts
• Loom — Quick promo video
• Notion — Launch checklist template

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My Launch Checklist#

• Hunter briefed and confirmed
• All assets uploaded and tested
• Email list of 500+ potential upvotes ready
• Twitter thread drafted
• First-hour engagement plan written
• Post-launch follow-up sequence prepared

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What's your biggest PH launch challenge? Drop it below — I'll do an AMA in the comments.