Before launch day
The biggest mistake: thinking launch day is about launch day. The work happens in the 2 weeks before. Here's what to prep:
- Week -2: Start teasing on Twitter. Share building-in-public updates. Build anticipation.
- Week -1: Draft your Product Hunt page, prepare all assets (OG images, demo GIF, description). Pre-write all social posts.
- Day -1: Schedule your email blast in Loops (set to send at launch). DM 10-15 supporters asking them to check it out tomorrow. Load all scheduled tweets in Typefully.
Launch day timeline
12:01 AM PT. Product Hunt goes live
Product Hunt resets at midnight Pacific. Launch then for maximum voting time. Have your page ready to go. The first hour matters, early upvotes determine your ranking for the rest of the day.
Product Hunt7:00 AM. Twitter announcement thread
Your pre-scheduled Typefully thread goes live. Format: Hook → Problem → Solution → How it works (3-4 tweets) → CTA with Product Hunt link. Reply to your own thread throughout the day with updates and milestones.
Twitter/X8:00 AM. Email blast via Loops
Your pre-scheduled Loops email goes out. Keep it short: what you built, why it matters, one clear CTA. Don't bury the Product Hunt link. Subject line: "[Launch day] I built the thing."
10:00 AM. Reddit posts
Post in relevant subreddits. NOT "check out my product", instead, share a genuine story or insight. r/SideProject, r/startups, relevant niche subreddits. Be authentic, provide value, mention your product naturally.
RedditAll day. Engage and respond
This is where most people fail. Launch day is a full-time job. Reply to every Product Hunt comment. Respond to every tweet. Answer every Reddit question. Your engagement determines whether the algorithm amplifies you.
6:00 PM. Second wave
Post a "launch day update" thread on Twitter. Share metrics, reactions, surprises. People love seeing behind-the-scenes numbers. This catches the evening crowd who missed the morning posts.
💡 Pro tip: Launch on Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday. Avoid Mondays (people catching up on work) and Fridays (people checked out). Tuesday is statistically the best day for Product Hunt launches.
💡 Don't ask for upvotes: Product Hunt explicitly penalizes "upvote begging." Instead, say "I'd love your feedback on Product Hunt" with a link. The algorithm rewards genuine engagement over vote counts.
After launch day
- Day +1: Send a thank-you email via Loops to everyone who signed up
- Day +3: Write a "what I learned from launching" thread (these go viral)
- Week +1: Follow up with everyone who engaged. Turn commenters into users, users into advocates