When you start prepping a launch on Product Hunt, you may read here and there stories, how-tos, step-by-step guides, and playbooks. This is another, different story.

I had the opportunity to work with the @Kilo Code team on their launch. We ranked #1 Product of the Day and #1 OSS Product of the Week although we didn't apply most of the pro tips you may read on the Internet.

TL,DR

• You don't need a 4-week plan

• You don't need to launch on a Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday

• You don't need to cold outreach people

You don't need a 4-week plan

At Kilo Code, the focus is on speed. We started working on the topic 5 days before the launch. 5 days. We posted a thread in /p/kilocode and hosted a X Space. 

You don't need to launch on a Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday

According to hunted.space, Product Hunt has the highest traffic/visibility on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays.

We launched on a Sunday. Why? Because of the target audience. Kilo Code is targeting developers, and many of them are developers in and out of work, with hobby projects to experiment with a new language, framework, or tool.

You don't need to cold outreach people

We didn't send any direct messages. We did post and repost on existing channels:

• Twitter/X

• LinkedIn

• Discord

Wrapping up

When launching Kilo Code on Product Hunt, we didn't check the lists you may find here and there. We didn't plan 4 weeks in advance. We didn't launch on a weekday or send direct messages. We kept it simple.

Results?

• 681 points

• 278 comments

• #1 Product of the Day

• #7 Product of the Week

• #1 OSS Product of the Week, #2 Developer Tool of the Week

You may wonder what my #1 lesson learned from this launch is. Here's the secret:

Keep it simple, and enjoy your launch day.

Oh and one more thing. @Kilo Code is currently #2 OSS Product of the Month. Join the launch →

Update 2025-10-01: @Kilo Code is the #1 OSS Product of the Month! Thank you!