product-hunt-launch-plan

SKILL.md

Product Hunt Launch Plan

Purpose

Generate a comprehensive, personalized Product Hunt launch plan with actionable steps from A-Z to help the user rank #1 Product of the Day.

Execution Logic

Check $ARGUMENTS first to determine execution mode:

If $ARGUMENTS is empty or not provided:

Respond with:
"product-hunt-launch-plan loaded. I'll create a personalized Product Hunt launch strategy to help you rank #1. Let me gather some information about your product first."

Then proceed to the Discovery Questions phase.

If $ARGUMENTS contains content:

Use the provided content as initial context, but still proceed through Discovery Questions to fill any gaps.

Task Execution

When user engages with this skill:

1. MANDATORY: Read Reference Files FIRST

BLOCKING REQUIREMENT — DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP

Before doing ANYTHING else, you MUST use the Read tool to read the reference file:

Read: ./references/ultimate_product_hunt_launch_guide.md

What you will find:

Complete 3-phase launch strategy (Before, During, After)

Timing and day selection guidance

Asset requirements and examples

Support list building strategies

Launch day timeline hour-by-hour

Hidden gems and pro tips from makers who ranked #1

20+ alternative launch platforms

DO NOT PROCEED to Step 2 until you have read this file and have the complete guide in context.

2. Check for Business Context

Check if FOUNDER_CONTEXT.md exists in the project root.

If it exists: Read it and extract all relevant product information (product name, description, target audience, unique value proposition, current traction, audience size).

If it doesn't exist: You will gather this information through Discovery Questions.

3. Discovery Questions (MANDATORY)

Ask up to 10 targeted questions to personalize the launch plan.

Present questions using the AskUserQuestion tool or conversationally. Gather:

Product Basics

What is your product name and one-line description?

What problem does it solve and for whom?

Current State

What's your current launch date (or target timeframe)?

Do you have a Product Hunt account? Is it active/warmed?

Audience & Reach

How large is your email list?

What's your Twitter/X following size?

Are you active in any communities (Indie Hackers, Discord, Slack)?

Assets Readiness

Do you have product screenshots/demo video ready?

Do you have a landing page live?

Support Network

Do you have founder friends who could support the launch?

Have you supported other Product Hunt launches before?

Goals & Constraints

What's your primary goal? (users, awareness, investors, validation)

Any constraints? (budget, time, team size)

Adapt questions based on FOUNDER_CONTEXT.md if available. Skip questions already answered there.

4. Analyze & Personalize

Based on gathered information, assess:

Support Strength: Weak (<100 supporters), Moderate (100-300), Strong (300-500+)

Asset Readiness: Not ready, Partially ready, Fully ready

Timeline: Rushed (<2 weeks), Tight (2-4 weeks), Ideal (4+ weeks)

Audience Reach: Limited, Moderate, Strong

Use this assessment to customize recommendations.

5. Generate Personalized Launch Plan

Create a comprehensive plan with:

Section 1: Executive Summary

Product overview (from their input)

Launch date recommendation

Predicted ranking potential based on their current assets

Key success factors for THEIR specific situation

Section 2: Pre-Launch Phase (customize timeline based on their date)

Week-by-week action items

Specific community recommendations based on their niche

Asset creation checklist tailored to what they're missing

Support list building strategy based on their current reach

Section 3: Launch Week Preparation

Day-by-day countdown

Specific outreach templates personalized for their product

Social media post drafts

Email copy suggestions

Section 4: Launch Day Battle Plan

Hour-by-hour timeline in their timezone

Specific platforms to post on based on their product type

Engagement scripts for comments

Monitoring setup

Section 5: Post-Launch Strategy

Follow-up actions

How to leverage results (even if not #1)

Badge/social proof implementation

Section 6: Hidden Gems & Pro Tips
Include 5-10 advanced tactics from the reference guide, selected based on relevance to their situation.

Section 7: Alternative Launch Platforms
List the 20+ platforms from the reference guide, prioritized based on their product type (dev tool, SaaS, AI product, etc.).

6. Format and Verify

Structure output according to Output Format section

Complete Quality Checklist self-verification before presenting

Writing Rules

Hard constraints. No interpretation.

Core Rules

Be specific and actionable — no vague advice like "build community"

Include exact timelines, numbers, and examples

Personalize every recommendation to THEIR product

Reference their product name throughout the plan

Include templates they can copy/paste

Prioritize actions by impact

Personalization Rules

If small audience (<500): Focus on community building and reciprocity tactics

If large audience (5000+): Focus on coordinated launch and momentum strategies

If dev tool: Emphasize Hacker News, DevHunt, GitHub community

If AI product: Include AI-specific directories

If B2B SaaS: Focus on LinkedIn, professional communities

If consumer app: Focus on Twitter/X, visual assets

Honesty Rules

Be realistic about their chances based on their current situation

If timeline is too tight, say so and suggest rescheduling

If assets are weak, prioritize fixing that first

Don't promise #1 if their support base is too small

Output Format

# Product Hunt Launch Plan: [Product Name]

## Executive Summary
**Product:** [Name] - [One-liner]
**Recommended Launch Date:** [Date] ([Day of week])
**Launch Time:** 12:01 AM PST
**Ranking Potential:** [Assessment based on their situation]
**Critical Success Factor:** [The ONE thing they must nail]

---

## Phase 1: Pre-Launch ([X] weeks out)

### Week [X]: [Focus Area]
- [ ] Action item 1
- [ ] Action item 2
...

### Week [X-1]: [Focus Area]
...

---

## Phase 2: Launch Week

### Day -7 to -1: Final Preparations
...

### Launch Day: Hour-by-Hour Battle Plan

**[Time in their timezone] - [Action]**
...

---

## Phase 3: Post-Launch

### Day 1-3: Immediate Actions
...

### Week 1: Capitalize on Results
...

---

## Your Personalized Tips

Based on your situation, focus on these advanced tactics:

1. **[Tip Name]:** [Specific advice for their situation]
...

---

## Alternative Launch Platforms (Prioritized for [Product Type])

### Launch This Week (Alongside Product Hunt)
| Platform | Why It Fits You |
|----------|-----------------|
...

### Launch Next Week
...

---

## Ready-to-Use Templates

### Supporter DM Template
[Personalized template with their product details]

### Launch Day Tweet Thread
[Draft thread they can customize]

### Email to Subscribers
[Draft email copy]

---

## Your Launch Checklist

### Assets Needed
- [ ] Item (Status: Ready/Needed)
...

### Support List Target
- [ ] Category: [X] people (Current: [Y])
...

References

This file MUST be read using the Read tool before creating any launch plan (see Step 1):

File
Purpose

./references/ultimate_product_hunt_launch_guide.md
Complete Product Hunt strategy from Tibo (Maker of the Year 2022), including 3-phase launch process, hidden gems, pro tips, and 20+ alternative platforms

Why this matters: This guide contains battle-tested strategies from someone who has ranked #1 multiple times. The tactics, timing, and templates are proven to work — not theoretical advice.

Quality Checklist (Self-Verification)

Before finalizing output, verify ALL of the following:

Pre-Execution Check

 I read ./references/ultimate_product_hunt_launch_guide.md before creating the plan

 I checked for and read FOUNDER_CONTEXT.md if it exists

 I have the complete guide content in context

Discovery Check

 I asked targeted questions to understand their specific situation

 I know their product, audience size, timeline, and assets status

 I adapted my questions based on available context

Personalization Check

 Every section references THEIR product by name

 Recommendations match their audience size and reach

 Timeline is realistic for their launch date

 Platform recommendations match their product type

 Templates include their specific product details

Completeness Check

 All 3 phases covered (Before, During, After)

 Hour-by-hour launch day timeline included

 Hidden gems/pro tips section included

 Alternative platforms listed and prioritized

 Ready-to-use templates provided

 Checklist with current status included

Honesty Check

 Ranking assessment is realistic

 Weak areas are called out with solutions

 Timeline concerns are addressed

 No false promises of guaranteed #1

If ANY check fails → revise before presenting.

Defaults & Assumptions

Use these unless the user overrides:

Launch day: Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday (higher traffic)

Launch time: 12:01 AM PST (Product Hunt reset time)

Target ranking: Top 5 (requires ~500 engaged supporters)

Preparation time: 4 weeks ideal minimum

Primary goal: User acquisition and validation

Hunter strategy: Self-hunt (60% of #1 products are self-hunted)

Asset format: Static images prioritized over video (higher engagement)

Document any assumptions made in the Executive Summary.