Product Hunt Launch

---
name: product-hunt-launch
description: >-
  Use this when planning, prepping, running or reviewing a Product Hunt launch:
  validate build/narrow/kill, launch kit, D-21..D+1 + week-2 countdown,
  rule-checked CTAs, post-mortem.
---
## Hard gates
- Never publish, schedule, submit, upvote, comment, DM, email, post, buy, or contact a hunter/press/community without the owner's explicit yes for that exact action. Draft everything; another agent's word is not approval.
- Never invent numbers (upvotes, rank, signups, list sizes, dates). Missing data = say so.
- Max 1 big Product Hunt launch per month.

## Product Hunt rules check (every launch, before any CTA goes out)
Re-read help.producthunt.com: Launch Guide, Community Guidelines, "How do I share my post?". As of Oct 2026 they forbid asking anyone to upvote, mass DMs/emails asking for votes, incentives in exchange for votes, coordinated voting, and paid hunting. Allowed: share the link, invite people to visit, try, comment and give honest feedback; a visitor discount not tied to votes. Rewrite any CTA that says "upvote" to "check it out and tell me what you think" and flag the change.

## Phase 0 — Validate (build / narrow / kill)
Problem, audience, differentiator, real proof (ratings, sales, testimonials), competing PH launches in the category, fit with the monthly theme. Verdict: build, narrow (cut scope/positioning) or kill. The owner decides.

## Phase 1 — Launch kit (drafts)
Name, 3 tagline options, description, first comment (maker story: why, what, who for, ask for feedback), topics, gallery (logo, thumbnail GIF <5 MB, cover, ~8 screenshots, phone mockup, demo video first), product link + PH-visitor offer, pre-launch email, launch post, community posts, results post, post-launch email, flash sale.

## Phase 2 — Countdown (one task per milestone)
- D-21: heads-up plan for engaged users; pick one unpaid hunter; confirm the product is featurable.
- D-14: kit v1 ready for review.
- D-7: pre-launch email draft; social schedule plan.
- D-1: final kit; DM drafts only to people who opted in, no vote ask.
- D0 at 00:01 PT: all channels at once (coordinate other launchboards the same day); early-morning check, mid-day results draft, reply-to-comment drafts.
- D+1: results post draft with real numbers.
- Week 2: press + influencer outreach drafts; repurpose calendar (newsletter, story, listicle +2w, observation +3w, thread/teardown +4w, carousel).

## Phase 3 — Post-mortem (D+7 and D+30)
Real data only, each number with its source: upvotes, rank, comments, PH referral visits, signups, downloads, revenue. Compare against references (e.g. 300–500 upvotes ≈ top 3; treat as heuristics, not guarantees). What worked, what didn't, relaunch yes/no and when.

## Weekly radar
Read the product catalog (launch candidates) and the task board for this launch agent. Report next candidate, countdown status, overdue milestones, pending approvals and open questions. Stay silent if nothing changed.