1 Launch, 2 Co-Founders, 3 Awards: How we prepared for Product Hunt

We launched on Product Hunt on April 9, 2026. From this launch, we ended up with:

But the real work started weeks before launch day.

With @bengeekly , we spent weeks trying to understand how @producthunt actually works. Not by reading random “launch guides”, but by being active on the platform:

• We connected with founders

• We observed launches every day

• We looked at what strong launches had in common

• We paid attention to the comments, the timing, the way makers talked about their products, and how the community reacted

At some point, Product Hunt stopped feeling like just a place to post a product. It started feeling more like a community you need to understand if you want to have a successful launch. (Of course, a good product matters first.).

👉 Here are the main things we did:

1. A Product Hunt launch does not start on launch day
It starts around 4 weeks before. If you only show up on launch day asking for support, it feels wrong. You need to be part of the community before you need the community.

2. Quality content matters
Your tagline, images, video, and maker comment need to explain the product fast. People don’t spend minutes trying to understand what you do. If it’s not clear quickly, they move on.

3. Momentum matters during the full day
One big push is not enough. You need different waves during the day, across different time zones, so the launch does not go silent after the first few hours.

4. Bring value to the community first
Support other founders. Leave real comments. Give feedback. Start conversations. Product Hunt works better when you treat it like a community, not just a place to collect upvotes.

5. Avoid shortcuts
Avoid fake engagement, AI-generated comments, and buying upvotes.

It may look tempting, but it can hurt your launch and your reputation. Genuine support is slower to build, but it’s much stronger.

And many other learnings too, like how to reply to comments, how to keep the launch page alive, why it matters to stay active after launch day, and how to keep pushing for Product of the Week or Product of the Month.

Also, we want to thank @rajiv_ayyangar and the @producthunt team for all the new things we’ve seen recently: YC Application Day, Alpha Day, Ask Product Hunt AI, Vercel Day, Wispr Flow Days… These kinds of moments make Product Hunt feel more alive.

For us, the biggest learning was simple:

A good Product Hunt launch is not just about launching a product. It’s about understanding the community and bringing value to it.

For those who launched before:
What was the biggest thing you learned about launching on Product Hunt?