This episode: A step-by-step guide to launching on Product Hunt without burning yourself out or embarrassing your product.

If EP12 was about preparation, this episode is about execution.

Launch day on Product Hunt is not chaotic if you’ve done the prep — but it is very easy to mess up if you treat it casually or rely on myths. This guide walks through the day as it should actually happen, from the moment you wake up to what you do after the traffic slows down.

1. Understand How Product Hunt Launch Day Actually Works

Product Hunt days reset at 12:00 AM PT. That means your “day” starts and ends based on Pacific Time, not your local time.

This matters because:

• early momentum helps visibility
  
• late launches get buried
  
• timing affects who sees your product first
  

You don’t need to launch exactly at midnight, but launching early gives you more runway to gather feedback and engagement.

2. Decide Who Will Post the Product

You have two options:

• post it yourself as the maker
  
• coordinate with a hunter
  

For early-stage founders, posting it yourself is usually best. It keeps communication clean, lets you reply as the maker, and avoids dependency on someone else’s schedule.

A hunter doesn’t guarantee success. Clear messaging and active engagement matter far more.

3. Publish the Listing (Don’t Rush This Step)

Before clicking “Publish,” double-check:

• the product name
  
• the tagline (clear > clever)
  
• the first image or demo
  
• the website link
  

Once live, edits are possible but messy. Treat this moment like shipping code — slow down and verify.

4. Be Present in the Comments Immediately

The fastest way to kill momentum is silence.

Once the product is live:

• introduce yourself in the comments
  
• explain why you built it
  
• thank early supporters
  

Product Hunt is a conversation platform, not just a leaderboard. Active founders get more trust, more feedback, and more engagement.

5. Respond Thoughtfully, Not Defensively

You will get criticism. That’s normal.

When someone points out:

• a missing feature
  
• a confusing UX
  
• a pricing concern
  

Don’t argue. Ask follow-up questions. Clarify intent. Show that you’re listening.

People care less about the issue and more about how you respond to it.

6. Share the Launch (But Don’t Beg for Upvotes)

You should absolutely share your launch — just don’t make it weird.

Good places:

• your email list
  
• Slack groups you’re genuinely part of
  
• personal Twitter or LinkedIn
  

Bad approach:

“Please upvote my Product Hunt launch 🙏”

Instead, frame it as:

“We launched today and would love feedback.”

Feedback beats upvotes.

7. Watch Behavior, Not Just Votes

It’s tempting to obsess over rankings. Resist that.

Pay attention to:

• what people comment on
  
• what confuses them
  
• what they praise without prompting
  

These signals are more valuable than your final position on the leaderboard.

8. Capture Feedback While It’s Fresh

Have a doc open during the day.

Log:

• repeated questions
  
• feature requests
  
• positioning confusion
  

You’ll forget this stuff by tomorrow. Launch day gives you a compressed feedback window — don’t waste it.

9. Avoid Common Rookie Mistakes

Some mistakes show up every launch:

• launching without a working demo
  
• over-hyping features that don’t exist
  
• disappearing after the first few hours
  
• arguing with commenters
  

Product Hunt users are early adopters, not customers. Treat them with respect.

10. What to Do After the Day Ends

When the day wraps up:

• thank commenters publicly
  
• follow up with new signups
  
• review feedback calmly
  

The real value of Product Hunt often shows up after the launch, when you turn insight into improvements.

11. Reuse the Launch Assets

Don’t let the work disappear.

You can reuse:

• screenshots
  
• comments as testimonials
  
• feedback as copy inspiration
  

Product Hunt is a content and research opportunity, not just a launch event.

12. Measure the Right Outcome

The real question isn’t:

“How many upvotes did we get?”

It’s:

“What did we learn that changes the product?”

If you leave with clearer positioning and sharper copy, the launch did its job.

👉 Stay tuned for the upcoming episodes in this playbook—more actionable steps are on the way.