Product Hunt Launch Day Checklist

This skill provides a comprehensive, hour-by-hour checklist to execute your Product Hunt launch flawlessly.

When to Use This Skill

• Final preparation night before launch

• During the 24-hour launch window

• Coordinating team activities on launch day

• Ensuring all critical actions are completed

The Night Before (T-12 Hours)

Final Checks

• Product Hunt listing is complete and scheduled

• All gallery images uploaded and ordered

• Video tested and working

• Maker comment pre-written and saved

• All links tested and working

• Website ready for traffic spike

• Analytics tracking verified

• Email sequences scheduled

• Social posts scheduled

• Supporter network reminded

Personal Preparation

• Alarm set for launch time (if applicable to your timezone)

• Phone charged

• Computer ready

• Food/drinks prepared

• Team communication channel ready

• Get rest!

Launch Hour (12:01 AM PST)

Immediate Actions (First 10 Minutes)

• Verify product is live on Product Hunt

• Confirm listing appears correctly

• Post maker comment immediately

• Share PH link internally with team

• Screenshot for records

• First social media post goes out

First Hour Focus

• Monitor for any issues

• Respond to first comments (< 5 minutes)

• Wave 1 of supporter outreach (close inner circle)

• Check ranking position

• Note early feedback

Target: 30-50 upvotes in first hour

Early Hours (1 AM - 6 AM PST)

Ongoing Tasks

• Continue responding to all comments

• Monitor for technical issues

• Wave 2 supporter activation (if planned)

• Track progress vs benchmarks

• Screenshot milestones

Team Coordination

• Check in with team members

• Handoff if working in shifts

• Document any issues

Target: 100+ upvotes by 6 AM PST

Morning (6 AM - 12 PM PST)

Peak Activity

• Wave 3 supporter activation (US East Coast)

• Monitor social media mentions

• Respond to all new comments

• Share progress updates

• Wave 4 email sends

• LinkedIn/Twitter engagement

Mid-Morning Check

• Current ranking position

• Upvote velocity

• Comment quality

• Any concerning patterns

• Competitor activity

Target: 200+ upvotes by noon PST

Afternoon (12 PM - 6 PM PST)

Sustained Push

• Wave 5 supporter activation

• Progress update post on social media

• Continue comment responses

• Retweet/share supporter posts

• Monitor and adjust strategy

4 PM PST Check

• Ranking trajectory analysis

• Final push needed?

• Activate remaining supporters

• Behind-the-scenes content

Target: 400+ upvotes for top 5

Evening (6 PM - Midnight PST)

Final Push

• Wave 6 outreach to non-responders

• Final social media push

• Last reminder to close supporters

• Continue comment engagement

• Thank early supporters

10 PM PST

• Assess final ranking position

• Begin preparing thank you messages

• Screenshot final stats

• Document learnings

Post-Midnight (Day 2)

Immediate After-Launch

• Final ranking recorded

• Thank you post on social media

• Thank you emails to supporters

• Team celebration/debrief

• Document all metrics

Hour-by-Hour Reference

Time (PST) Priority Action Support Wave

12:01 AM Go live, maker comment Inner circle

1:00 AM First responses Wave 1

3:00 AM Monitor progress Wave 2

5:00 AM EU activation Wave 3

8:00 AM US East activation Wave 4

10:00 AM Progress check —

12:00 PM Midday push Wave 5

3:00 PM Afternoon update —

6:00 PM Evening push Wave 6

9:00 PM Final push Stragglers

11:00 PM Wind down —

Emergency Protocols

If Website Goes Down

• Don't panic

• Check hosting/server status

• Implement backup if available

• Post update on PH comments

• Keep engaging while fixing

If Comments Turn Negative

• Respond professionally

• Acknowledge concerns

• Provide solutions/clarifications

• Don't get defensive

• Thank for feedback

If Ranking Drops Suddenly

• Check for algorithm flags

• Review recent activity patterns

• Don't panic-activate supporters

• Focus on quality engagement

• Accept what you can't control

If You Get Flagged/Unfeatured

• Don't spam outreach

• Contact PH support if legitimate

• Review your practices

• Learn for next time

Communication Templates

Team Updates

🕐 [Time] UPDATE

Ranking: #[X] Upvotes: [X] Comments: [X] Trend: [Up/Down/Stable]

Next: [Action needed] Issues: [Any problems]

Social Progress Update

Launch day update! 🚀

[X] hours in and we're: • #[X] on @ProductHunt • [X] amazing comments • [X] new signups

Thanks for the incredible support! 🙏

→ [Link]

Key Metrics to Track

Throughout the Day

• Ranking position (every hour)

• Total upvotes

• Upvote velocity (upvotes per hour)

• Comment count

• Website traffic

• Signups/conversions

Log Template

Time Rank Upvotes Δ Upvotes Comments

1 AM #5 45 +45 8

2 AM #4 78 +33 15

... ... ... ... ...

Team Roles (If Applicable)

Role 1: Comment Captain

• Monitors all comments

• Responds within 5 minutes

• Flags issues to team

• Maintains friendly tone

Role 2: Outreach Coordinator

• Executes supporter waves

• Tracks who's engaged

• Sends reminders

• Thanks supporters

Role 3: Social Media Manager

• Posts updates

• Monitors mentions

• Engages with shares

• Creates content

Role 4: Analytics Tracker

• Logs metrics hourly

• Spots trends

• Alerts on anomalies

• Prepares summary

Final Checklist Summary

Pre-Launch Night

• All assets ready

• Team briefed

• Supporters reminded

• Rest obtained

Launch Hour

• Product live

• Maker comment posted

• First wave activated

• Monitoring begun

Throughout Day

• All comments answered

• Waves executed on schedule

• Progress tracked

• Issues addressed

End of Day

• Final rank recorded

• Thanks sent

• Metrics documented

• Learnings noted

Output Format

LAUNCH DAY STATUS: [Product Name]

CURRENT TIME: [Time PST] HOURS SINCE LAUNCH: [X]

METRICS: • Ranking: #[X] • Upvotes: [X] • Comments: [X] • Website visits: [X] • Signups: [X]

COMPLETED: ✓ [Completed action] ✓ [Completed action]

NEXT UP: → [Next priority action] → [Following action]

ISSUES: [Any current issues or none]

TEAM STATUS: [Who's active, who's next]