Product Hunt launch checklist: the ten days before
Gallery, tagline and a briefed group of real commenters, ready before you pick a date.
Almost all of the outcome is decided before launch day. Ten days is enough if you spend them on the gallery and the comment plan rather than on the countdown.
Build the gallery in order of importance
The first image is the pitch. Following images show the product doing one job each. A 60-second demo video sits after them, not before.
Write the tagline under 60 characters
It is displayed truncated in most places. Say the category and the outcome; leave the cleverness out.
Brief eight to twelve real users
Ask for a specific comment about what they use it for, with a number in it where possible. Vague praise now reads as a negative signal, so tell them plainly not to write 'great product'.
Choose the day as a trade-off
Tuesday to Thursday carries the most traffic and the deepest field. Weekends have thinner competition and a more achievable Product of the Day. Monday and Friday sit in between.
- Asking for upvotes, anywhere, and joining vote-exchange groups both break the rules and are detectable. It is the fastest way to have a launch buried.
- Do not leave the video to the last two days. It is the asset most likely to need a second take.