I m the co-founder of http://Vigilance.io - A shopify app for protecting DTC brands against coupon code leaks online, previously I was the co-founder of LiveRecover which we built and sold, and I also sold orderBump. Ask me anything about DTC (direct to consumer), paid acquisition, Shopify apps or selling a business. I ll be answering all questions on Wednesday the 13th of September
We often see launch posts, milestones, and success stories. What we don t see as much are honest breakdowns of products that quietly stalled or failed.
I feel there s a lot of learning hidden there about timing, assumptions, and trade-offs.
Our first Product Hunt launch didn t go well. We put something out there, pushed for votes, and hoped for the best. It didn t work.
For our relaunch, we took a completely different approach. Here s what changed:
Engage, don t just post. We spent weeks commenting on other launches, supporting makers, and building trust. This time, people recognized us, not just the product.
Conversations > upvotes. What made the difference were detailed comments and feedback. The algorithm rewards authentic engagement.
Storytelling > specs. Instead of listing features, we shared why we built it and the problem it solved.
Timing is everything. Launching at midnight PST gave us momentum when the U.S. audience woke up.
Expectation reset. PH is less a sales channel, more a credibility engine. The real ROI shows up later, in awareness, trust, and partnerships.
What stood out the most: The community. The honest feedback, encouragement, and tough questions shaped our roadmap more than any internal discussion could.
I've spent several hours building websites, and the energy source I depend on (except food, etc.) is MUSIC! What do you usually listen to when building your product? Fun question (If you have launched):
What were you listening to after launching your product?
This question is semi-philosophical, but I recall my ex-classmate she had quite rich parents and really didn't need to work. As an only child, she had everything first (all technology, all pricy vacations, they even bought her own flat in 18 + car). Since she had a lot of money from her parents and a lot of free time, she only enjoyed life (some dr*gs and other stuff). As a person, she didn't look like someone who would appreciate money or time at all because it was "normal" to have everything from all above mentioned.
(And I don't want to sound bad, but I honestly don't know what skill she would have that she could use to make a living - the only thing she was really good at was being sassy, which, oddly enough, earned some people's respect.)
But companies are still opening internships, which suggests something deeper than just skill-building still matters (like understanding systems, workflows, and how companies actually operate the management part).
Ten years ago, if a Facebook post didn t receive enough reactions, I would delete it immediately.
Yep, 18-year-old Nika was terrified that people would notice her failure. Reality check: when a post flops, almost nobody sees it anyway. The only person who actually suffers from the low engagement is the original poster.
