Our first Product Hunt launch didn t go well. We put something out there, pushed for votes, and hoped for the best. It didn t work.
For our relaunch, we took a completely different approach. Here s what changed:
Engage, don t just post. We spent weeks commenting on other launches, supporting makers, and building trust. This time, people recognized us, not just the product.
Conversations > upvotes. What made the difference were detailed comments and feedback. The algorithm rewards authentic engagement.
Storytelling > specs. Instead of listing features, we shared why we built it and the problem it solved.
Timing is everything. Launching at midnight PST gave us momentum when the U.S. audience woke up.
Expectation reset. PH is less a sales channel, more a credibility engine. The real ROI shows up later, in awareness, trust, and partnerships.
What stood out the most: The community. The honest feedback, encouragement, and tough questions shaped our roadmap more than any internal discussion could.
Today, I read a TechCrunch article about what investors are no longer looking for in SaaS, or rather, what to avoid if you don't want to lose their interest.
The red flags were:
Too easy to replicate light AI wrappers, generic horizontal tools, basic CRM clones, generic productivity or project management tools.
No real depth products where differentiation is mostly UI and automation, anything without proprietary data, surface-level analytics.
Becoming obsolete workflow automation tools that coordinate human work (agents are taking over), integrations as a moat (MCP is making connectors a commodity), and "workflow stickiness" products trying to keep humans inside their software.
I don't know about you, but I feel like I've been working non-stop for years now, and I don't know how I'm able to do it. And it's often because I include activities in my daily life that make my work more enjoyable or break up the monotony.
For example:
I exercise every day (and listen to video casts about tech, business, and marketing in the background)
I ve noticed that the purpose of people on Product Hunt is always different. Of course, the vast majority want to become the Product of the Day, Week, Month, or Year (or win Kitty Awards).
However, some are there for the community and their success metrics may lie in something else (e.g. the number of discussions created and rated).
Hey guys, some of us build a significant audience after launching a product, mainly because we are limited in workforce and finances. Indeed, having an audience before the launch is critical. How do you handle this issue, especially if you are into marketing?
As founders, we wear many hats. We all have to learn a bunch of new things DAILY. On any given topic, there is an overwhelming quantity of content. You have to search - vet - learn; rinse and repeat x 100 a day... What's the most effective learning method for you?
