2 weeks before the product launch. What am I doing in terms of preparation?
Not really much, and it annoys me a bit. In exactly 14 days (28. 1.) we will launch the product, and the only thing I do is talk about it.
But yes, there are points that I still want to master by then, e.g.:
Create an informational newsletter inviting people to follow our product page
Create a list of people who could support us and ask them for help
Announcements on social networks
Inform Kickstarter backers who supported us with updates – this is also an audience
Publishing a Product Hunt badge on the landing page
Continually grow and maintain a personal brand – which should be a long-term goal, not just for launch purposes.
The list should go on, and one additional thing I can recommend is:
MAKE A STRUCTURE:
– BEFORE the launch activities
– DURING the launch activities
– POST-launch activities
When are you launching, and what are you doing to do it?
Or how far in advance are you planning?
Replies
TinyCommand
One thing I would add from experience is to make sure you reach out to your existing customers at least three to four weeks before launch.
These are the people who already understand the product and the problem it solves. Ask them to create a Product Hunt account ahead of time if they do not already have one. When launch day comes, they are far more likely to vouch for the product, leave thoughtful comments, and share real use cases. That kind of engagement carries much more weight than generic support.
minimalist phone: creating folders
@priyanka_gosai1 We wanted to create the banner inside our app, but we already ran another campaign with this banner, and the app is about minimalism – we do not want to push notifications, because the app is about digital detox, and it would be against the purpose.
TinyCommand
@busmark_w_nika you can just email them one-on-one. that's what we did.
minimalist phone: creating folders
@priyanka_gosai1 I think that they would take it "invasively." But I already came up with something.
Great topic.
For me, the ideal preparation starts 3–4 weeks before the launch. That way you have enough time to prepare everything needed for a successful launch.
Everything you’re saying is absolutely right from a planning perspective
However I would add two ways to generate support that you didn’t mention.
Go and submit your product to all the smaller platforms - microlaunch, peerpush, peerlist, etc. The audience there is largely made up of founders/makers. This helps you become recognizable. These people have Product Hunt profiles. They launch products themselves. They're active here. And the chance that they will support you later becomes much higher, because your brand will say something about them too.
Regarding external audiences: I would tell them to create their profiles 2–3–4 weeks before the launch. Encourage them to log in for at least 3 days and support other projects on different days. Otherwise, there’s a chance their vote may be invalid if they don’t have a profile or have never voted before. Push them as much as possible to become active Product Hunt users.
minimalist phone: creating folders
@byalexai Hey Alex, these are fair points (to be honest, I already did point 2, point 1 is on my list as well, but not a priority because the founder wants to dedicate time solely to PH). I have my opinion on this but this is how he wished to do it :D
vibecoder.date
I yoloed the vibecoder.date launch because I figured it was whatever. It was a success, completely unexpected.
The product is its own thing but I'm deeply enjoying writing the blog for it. No SEO or ulterior motives for it.
I've noticed some things, this community loves a mix of quality, broad consumer appeal, and wow factor.
B2B products, especially indie ones don't garner as much attention from what I have observed. Well made apps with a unique approach seem to do a lot better.
I'm not sure what my next launch will be, but I will build social proof and momentum way before launching here. I will also have a newsletter and some other content as part of the strategy.
During, respond to every question and engage earnestly.
After, Thank everyone for the support and keep the product page updated.
minimalist phone: creating folders
@build_with_aj Congratulations! I can see you are staying active here, which is a good sign to have prospective launches in the future.
Evrybo
That’s a fair point, and I totally get the annoyance.
So far I’ve been more focused on building and shaping GeoNudge than structuring the launch properly, but you’re right that a clear before / during / after plan is essential.
I’m planning to start light with GeoNudge.com:
- prepare a simple newsletter
– line up a small support circle
– do initial social announcements
– then iterate fast post-launch based on feedback :)
This helps me put more structure around it, so thanks for calling it out.
minimalist phone: creating folders
@nykollam Where do you communicate these things about launch mostly? (in terms of social media?)
I'm so excited for you! Following! And learning from the best!
Quick comment/question: I absolutely love your profile pic LinkedIN-style launch announcement! Haven't seen one before! Did you make it yourself? May I ask what tool?
minimalist phone: creating folders
@felicitemoorman Thank you so much! :) It was really inspired by LinkedIn, I did it myself in Figma :)
@busmark_w_nika Thanks for sharing! Eager for your launch!
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@felicitemoorman Thank you, I am pretty curious as well, how things gonna be. :D
@busmark_w_nika 14 days out and you've got a solid list going! The structure breakdown (before/during/post) is honestly underrated - so many people just wing the launch day itself and then wonder why momentum dies immediately after.
A few things that stood out to me:
The Kickstarter backers angle is smart. They already believed in you once, so they're way more likely to support again. Have you thought about giving them early access or some kind of exclusive peek before the PH launch? Could turn them into your initial wave of upvoters.
Personal brand as a long-term play - yes. This is something I wish more founders understood. Building in public isn't just for one launch, it compounds over time. Even if this launch doesn't blow up, you're laying groundwork for the next thing.
One thing I'd add to your list: have a plan for responding to comments on launch day. PH can get chaotic fast, and being responsive in those first few hours seems to really matter for ranking. Maybe even draft some template responses for common questions so you're not scrambling?
Also curious - are you doing anything specific to prep your existing users (if you have any)? Sometimes they're the best evangelists but people forget to actually ask them for support.
We're planning to launch in a few weeks ourselves. Still figuring out the timing but leaning toward a Tuesday or Wednesday. How'd you land on the 28th - any particular reason or just felt right?
Good luck with the launch!
minimalist phone: creating folders
@dushyant_khinchi Thank you, things you mentioned have a place here, tho we need to be subtle with promo, because our users are in the "minimalist mode" and do not want to be disturbed :D
But we could somehow incorporate this into our CRM on the customer support :D
The date choice – I think that on Tue, Wed, Thu – is the best traffic and exposure (tho bigger competition! :)
But we aim for awareness.
Curatora
@busmark_w_nika Curious how you are building your list right now. Are you doing it through specific communities, groups, or mostly one to one conversations?
We are also planning to launch a pivoted version of Curatora soon, and I relate to this a lot. At the moment, I am mostly engaging with makers on Product Hunt and having real conversations, even though it still feels a bit blank day to day.
Would love to hear what has worked for you so far.
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@imtiyazmohammed Anytime who reach out to me to support them, I am asking whether I can do the same :) But probably will try to reach out to people who previously upvoted for similar products :)
@busmark_w_nika Hey Nika! About the reaching out to people individually, what are the ways to go about reaching out to people to ask for support and just to communicate in general. Is it really like this that someone reaches out to you with just ’’Hey, could you support me with my launch’’. It just feels very new to me to be honest.
Thanks for the advice! Honestly, the hardest part for me is actually reaching my target audience. My product is for people who get 'news anxiety' or suffer from FOMO. Theoretically, I found my crowd on Reddit. Luckily one of my posts actually blew up with 60k views! But Reddit’s rules are tough. I can’t post specific product updates or recruit alpha testers without getting banned, and I can't DM people directly either. I’m feeling a bit stuck, so I’m pivoting to Product Hunt now. I'm currently figuring out how to maximize our visibility for the launch.
I'm debating the timing: should I prioritize the launch, or focus on content marketing first to drum up more interest?
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@raetia Have you inserted your product into your Reddit bio? If your profile and contribution are significant, people will watch you.
Personally, I would try to create marketing around that and then launch.
Triforce Todos
I feel you on the prep stress. I’m in the same boat. Between crafting emails, updating my backers, and finalizing my product page, it’s a lot, but also super rewarding. Best of luck with the launch!
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@abod_rehman Thank you! When are you going to launch?
Lightfern for Email
We're planning about 4 weeks in advance, and have already reached out to supporters that we know. We also set up a slack group for supporters to coordinate all "pre-launch" activities and necessary updates for folks following us.
What are you planning to share in the informational newsletter to keep it interesting for subscribers? I'm also curious re the list of supporters - were you planning on cold reachouts? What worked in the past and what didn't?
I can't shake the annoying feeling that we're leaving something in the table, despite all the prep and coordination. You're a legend here and it's reassuring to hear that you also feel like that sometimes!
minimalist phone: creating folders
@dougli Hey Douglas, when it comes to the list of supporters, I will reach them out on LinkedIn as the main platform.
Re newsletter – my goal is to make them create an account here 3 weeks in advance, so they can support us with a profile that has some "history."