What do you expect from Product Hunt when you launch here? [motivation and reasoning]
I understand that everyone comes here with the hope of winning the Product of the Day award (at least one of the top three spots).
But so what does that mean for you?
– Are you going to sell more products/subscriptions?
– Are you going to publish a product for the first time in the hope that the world will learn about it en masse?
– Are you going to claim an investor here?
I perceive these 3 or 4 things as the most common motives. But I don't know if this is reality.
Because Product Hunt is a part of marketing strategy (I would say more like a medium/technique). But many have it like the whole strategy, and after not meeting the goal, they completely give it up.
What are your realistic expectations for this platform, and how do you adapt the launch to this goal?
+ What are your results? (aka will it come true)? [question for those who already launched]
Replies
I think the biggest mistake is treating Product Hunt like the goal instead of a distribution channel. Winning Product of the Day is great for visibility, but realistically it’s more about early traction, feedback, and credibility than instant revenue or investors.
For most builders, the real value is getting your product in front of early adopters who are willing to test, give feedback, and spread the word. If a few users convert or an investor notices, that’s a bonus but I wouldn’t build the whole strategy around that one day of exposure.
minimalist phone: creating folders
@emmanuel_afolabi Goal vs Distribution – this was framed really well!
This is a really good question and something me and the team have been thinking about a lot recently!
We’re launching on Product Hunt next week, so can’t answer the results part yet, but for us the motivation isn’t really about winning Product of the Day or expecting a huge spike straight away.
What we’re hoping to get out of it is more around exposure, early users, and honest feedback.
Product Hunt feels like one of the few places on the internet where people are actively looking to discover and try new products, so it seems like a great opportunity to see how people react to what we’re building and whether the value proposition makes sense to people outside our immediate network.
I also like the idea of it being a moment to start conversations with people who are interested in similar problems or spaces.
We're trying to keep expectations realistic though, viewing it more as one step in the journey rather than a defining moment for the product.
Will definitely be interesting to see how it actually plays out next week though! Would be great to hear from people who have launched already; did it meet your expectations or was the outcome different from what you thought going in?
minimalist phone: creating folders
@dan_johnson7 Hey Dan, I have fingers crossed for your product – when is the launch day? :)
@busmark_w_nika Thank you Nika, that certainly is appreciated!
The launch is scheduled for Saturday so it’s all hands on deck at the moment! We would really appreciate any insights / advice ahead of launch day, if you or other members of the community have anything to share it would be greatly received, thank you.
minimalist phone: creating folders
@dan_johnson7 For sure, ensure yourself and the people you want to support that they will be available during the weekend because it is more difficult to catch up with them.
For me it's not about the badge. It's validation from people who actually build things. Customers don't always tell you if something is a real problem or just a nice-to-have. Builders do.
The distribution is secondary. The signal is the point.