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What is my Product Hunt launch plan for the tool I prepared? [And how do you approach launching?]

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I’m getting closer to launching my tool on Product Hunt, hopefully sometime in the second half of this year.

I currently have a 3-phase launch strategy in mind.

Phase 1 – Free version

This is the launch I’m preparing for now.

I mainly want to introduce SafeLimit to the Product Hunt community, get more traction, collect feedback, and learn what I should improve before moving to the next stage.

Phase 2 – Relaunch with the Pro paid features 

The second launch would be a relaunch with Pro features.

This is where I’d introduce paid functionality, so I expect this launch to be more significant.

By then, I should also have more users, feedback, and hopefully some social proof from the first version.

Phase 3 – The bigger vision

And somewhere further down the road, I have a third phase in mind.

A more advanced paid version with significantly more distinctive features designed to help LinkedIn users avoid restrictions.

———

But for now, I’m focusing entirely on Phase 1.

Before launching, I want to do this for Phase 1:

– build a proper landing website 
– create a video explainer + carousel onboarding 
– get the Chrome Web Store badge (nominate myself)
– reach my first 100 users
– grow social media a little bit
– grow followers on the Product Hunt page 
– prepare the launch page and assets 
– invite people to support the launch on launch day 
– actively use the SafeLimit discussion thread once it is launch done

The goal of this launch isn’t necessarily to make money in this phase. I want to have awareness. 
Possibly, I will launch in other directories after PH as well. 

  1. Do you have any questions regarding my PH launch plan? Feel free to ask. (It can be a mini AMA session.)

  2. Do you have any special preparation before launching on this platform?

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Hi Nika,

sounds like a great plan. We actually had ton of preparation before we launched (and reached #2 this past Sunday).
For us it wasn't just about the assets or the landing page but rallying up our existing users to support and provide helpful feedback and comments so other potential supporters can see how people are using our product. Inviting people to support on launch day can be a double edged sword, because you might spend a lot of time dming people and asking people to come and support but their accounts are newly created and their vote/comment might get flagged.

We wrote a whole blog about it here:

 "Congrats on #2 — that's a serious achievement. The point about new accounts getting flagged is one of the most overlooked risks in PH launches.

When you rallied your existing users, did you find that long-time users or recent users were more willing to engage on launch day? And did you give them specific prompts to comment, or leave it open-ended?"

 Congrats on taking #2! 🏆

Good call out on avoiding new account flags, that warning alone saves a lot of first-time makers from getting penalized by the algorithm.

Mind sharing a bit more about the engagement playbook that worked for you?

Specifically:

  • Where & Which Groups: Were specific communities (like Indie Hackers, Reddit, Slack/Discord groups, or X build-in-public circles) more effective for gathering authentic feedback?

  • Engagement Timeline: How many weeks before launch did you start warming up these groups to build genuine relationships?

  • Sustained Push: How far past launch day did you keep the momentum going to secure that top spot?

Nika sounds like a good plan. I do think that paid features should be part of initial launch as well. Figuring out how to make people pay for added features when they get hooked up on free version becomes very time consuming.

Is this phased approach mainly to validate demand first, or do you already have specific milestones that will trigger the Pro relaunch?

This is a genuinely well-though structure: phasing free → paid → advanced, with each launch backed by real proof from the one before.

The checklist before Phase 1 is solid too, especially the Chrome Web Store badge and getting to 100 users first, that's real social proof, not manufactured.

Thanks for the post, Nika, it actually made my job easier since I'm prepping my own VAPT product launch for next month.

Everything on your list is doable, but finding a hunter is the one piece I'm stuck on. Any tips on how you're approaching that part?

I guess you have a very structured plan! =)

But as I told you once, for me almost everything happens in a pretty spontaneous way. So from my experience, I can say it’s great to have a plan, BUT:

  1. After the first launch, the directions can mix up quite chaotically =) So you may have to change some tactics along the way.

  2. I guess growing social media, reaching 100 users, or even growing your followers on the PH page might not have such a big impact on the launch itself.

But the other points you mentioned are definitely necessary.

So, waiting for your first phase! <3