Joined Product Hunt few months ago, barely showed up. How do I earn trust here before launching?
I made my Product Hunt account a few months back. Apart from a quick intro post, I didn't really do much here.
I'm an early solo founder from India. I've built several products before, but I never felt confident enough in any of them to put them out properly. This one is different. I actually believe in it, and I want to launch it here in the coming weeks.
The honest problem: I don't have an audience. No big following, no newsletter, no crowd I can bring with me. So instead of showing up on launch day asking for support, I'd rather spend the time before being part of this community.
A few things I'd love to hear from you:
1. If you were starting from zero here, what would your first month look like?
2. What actually earns trust on PH? Comments, forum threads, trying other people's products, something else?
3. If you launched without an audience, what worked for you?
Happy to hear what worked, and also what didn't. Thanks in advance 🙏
Replies
I've been in almost exactly this spot, so here's what I'd do! For the first month, comment on a handful of threads you actually care about instead of chasing the big ones. Small thoughtful replies are what people remember, and makers notice who showed up before launch day. Trust here comes from trying other people's products and leaving feedback that is specific, like the one screen that confused you, rather than just "cool product, congrats!" When I launched without an audience, the people I had talked to beforehand were what carried the day for me. Forum threads like this one are honestly underrated compared to the front page. You are asking exactly the right questions, good luck with the launch! 🙏
@neerajnathany Thanks a lot, this is really helpful! I'll take your advice and try to give specific and valuable feedback on threads. Really appreciate you taking the time 🙏
@classicpsy You are welcome! Glad it helped — specific feedback on threads really does add up over time. Good luck earning that trust!
I was in your exact spot a month ago, so here is what I measured rather than what I believe. I spent about five weeks before my launch writing one forum comment a day here, then launched an invoicing tool on 29 September: 3 points, day rank 139, and the product page had 2 followers that morning.
On your second question: comments did earn something, a few makers here know my name and answer me. But it is reputation, not reach. A thread goes out to the followers of whoever started it. I started one and it got 6 views, while a well followed maker in the same forum on the same day got 56. So a fast, specific answer on a thread that is a few hours old is worth more than a thread of your own, until you have followers.
For your first month, the one thing I would do differently: ask the people you talk to here to follow your product page. That is allowed, unlike asking for upvotes, and it is the only number that turns into a crowd in the first hour. I never asked, and comments alone did not move it.
On the third question: with no audience, the launch still sent 44 real visitors by my server log the next day. Two opened the sign-up page and nobody signed up. So test the page people land on before the date, because a quiet launch still sends people, and you get one launch per domain every six months.
@alex_goldwyn Thank you for sharing such detailed numbers, this is really helpful! There are a few important things here that I would have missed without your breakdown. Reputation is not reach, got it. Comments alone don't do much unless they turn into something, and asking people to follow the product page was new for me. I think that will really help going forward. And no launch day is fully quiet here, so the product and landing page need to be ready. Really appreciate it.
Same boat here, launching in a couple of weeks with no audience either. What's worked so far is boring: a few real comments a day in threads where I actually have something to say, and answering everyone who replies, because the replies are where the conversations and the people are. Threads where founders share their own numbers or mistakes get much better conversations than general questions. The one thing I'd avoid is mentioning your product under other people's launches, it reads like a flyer. What are you building, and do you have a date yet?
@gbasovv Thanks George, this is really useful. Good point about threads with real numbers and mistakes, those do get better conversations. I'm building Spotlitely, a place for makers to share and discover products. No fixed date yet. What are you launching?
Pretty much the same spot as you. I joined in September. Some people know me in Japan but in the English-speaking world I'm nobody. I watched for about a month and the way I see it you can bring people in from outside, earn trust by being active here, or get a strong Hunter behind you. No audience, so I went with being active here. I comment where I actually have something to say and post my own questions. I don't like pitching myself to Hunters either, if it's good I think they'll find you.
@hisashispace Nice to meet you Hisashi! Same thinking here, no audience so being active is the only option for me too. I like how you split it into three paths, that makes it clear. Good luck with your launch, let me know when it goes live.
@classicpsy Nice to meet you too! Thanks, I'll let you know when it goes live. Good luck with yours too ☺️
@hisashispace Sure. Thanks!
I'm new here as well. Your message is actually similar to the one I wanted to write myself. So, I’m going to start following this thread and reading every comment, hoping to expand my knowledge about Product Hunt :)