Dos and don'ts before the Product Hunt launch
It’s almost here for me. In three days, I’ll be relaunching a major update for the app I have been collaborating with, and I’ve set clear boundaries for myself about what I will and won’t do before the launch. I guess these are some general, unwritten rules I try to follow…
❌ Definitely DON’T:
Accept offers from charlatans promising votes or engagement for money
Send unsolicited messages begging for votes or support
Spam other people’s posts with launch announcements
✅ Definitely DO:
Politely ask in advance via messages if it’s okay to request support on launch day. If they say no, or don’t respond, don’t spam them = consent is everything
Communicate about your launch on your own social profiles (especially effective if you’ve been building a community beforehand)
Give honest feedback and try out products that interest you – it puts your face out there in a meaningful way
Use internal company channels to announce the launch (e.g., include it in a newsletter, get support from coworkers in Slack, etc.)
Of course, this list could be longer, so you can help with this part too. 😄
Do you have your own personal rules for what to do – or not do – before a launch?
Replies
ProblemHunt
Nika, I’m really looking forward to the launch so I can support your product! I genuinely see real value in this product for people. 😊
minimalist phone: reduce your screentime
@gostroverhov Thank you, Boris, it means a lot. I am especially the example of what can happen when people spend way much time on social media :DDDD
vibecoder.date
I've gotten plenty of emails and dms promising upvotes for a fee. It bothers me because I know it's A) against the rules and B) not actually worth it.
I think my to do list is more about being active and commenting on launches I resonate with and products I would use.
There was one recently that had physics simulation for pixel art and I smiled the whole day. And this language learning app sadly still iphone only.
I think I would genuinely only share my product with people that either care about it already or about my journey in general. I'm not pushing anything, I'm sharing in good faith.
minimalist phone: reduce your screentime
@build_with_aj The worst thing about fake upvotes is that it will not help you to collect genuine feedback from potential (real and worth-paying) customers.
This is spot on. From my experience, launches work best when they’re built on trust before launch day, not tactics during it.
One thing I’d add: make sure your onboarding and first 5 minutes are rock solid — good traffic means nothing if people bounce confused.
Wishing you a smooth relaunch.
That point about 'charlatans' is spot on! ❌ We were actually approached by someone like that recently, and as Product Hunt newbies, we felt pretty uncertain about how to handle it. It’s so easy to be tempted by promises of a #1 spot when you’re still figuring out how the platform works.
I’m really glad you’re opening up this topic – it’s crucial to know that a transparent launch built on a real community is the only sustainable way to go. Do you have a reliable way to immediately tell the difference between a legitimate hunter/advisor and someone just selling bots? Or is it better to just ignore these types of messages entirely?
minimalist phone: reduce your screentime
@tereza_hurtova I was offered some kit for 50 bucks :D like wtf? :D what a cheap technique do you use guys :D I think that something like this shouldn't be taken seriously. We are not here for purchased upvotes :)
@busmark_w_nika Exactly! It's wild how fast these "offers" pop up. I actually have an email sitting in my inbox right now with the subject line: "Your best product launch ever!" and honestly, I wasn't even sure how to take it at first. It’s a bit overwhelming when you're just trying to be part of the community authentically. Glad we're on the same page about staying away from those shortcuts! :)
minimalist phone: reduce your screentime
@tereza_hurtova Product hunt launch should be fun, not something we are afraid of :D
Askflow AI
Unspoken one: don’t treat PH as distribution. Treat it as a stress test. If cold traffic doesn’t convert on launch day, that’s the signal.
minimalist phone: reduce your screentime
@volina I would say it is almost like a military training. :DDD
App Finder
Good list!
minimalist phone: reduce your screentime
@konrad_sx Thank you, Konrad :)
I am here to learn what not to do.
Never luanched before but I am planning on launching a tool I am working on soon
our tool definitely looks like something I'll love to have on my phone @busmark_w_nika
minimalist phone: reduce your screentime
@janefrances_christopher Thank you so much! BTW, what are you preparing?
@busmark_w_nika something to help with quick validation so we build MVPs faster without the stress of talking to users and running ads or building landing pages to guage interest
minimalist phone: reduce your screentime
@janefrances_christopher When it is live, feel free to share! :)
Triforce Todos
Saving this for my next launch. This should be required reading for first-time founders.
minimalist phone: reduce your screentime
@abod_rehman Thank you, hopefully, it will be helpful for many people.
Yeah, building our own follower list is more important before you launch. The fake upvote and likes will deceive the project goals.
minimalist phone: reduce your screentime
@imtiyazmohammed Plus – fake upvotes can trigger Product Hunt system and your launch can be disqualified.
Thanks for the advice! Looking forward to our first ever launch on Product Hunt later today :)
minimalist phone: reduce your screentime
@neilgerstenberg Is it live already?
@busmark_w_nika Yes we're live :-) Been having some issues with various ad platforms though... should be fixed soon! And sorry for taking so long to respond - my profile was restricted :/
minimalist phone: reduce your screentime
@neilgerstenberg Oh, sorry to hear that. What happened with your profile?
@busmark_w_nika I'm new here and didn't know the rules about pro/personal... I do now :-)