we hit #1 on product hunt… after completely breaking our last launch
3 months ago we launched Orange Slice on Product Hunt
and it should have been a huge moment for us
instead… it was honestly one of the worst days I’ve had building
not because people didn’t show up
they did
but because the product couldn’t handle it
it slowed down
then broke
then people just… left
imagine getting your biggest spike of attention
and not being able to show people what you built
that one hurt
we spent the next few months rebuilding almost everything
not adding flashy features
just fixing the fundamentals
making it faster
making it stable
making it actually usable at scale
today we launched again
and somehow… we’re sitting at #1
feels surreal, but also a bit ironic
because the biggest difference isn’t growth hacks or launch strategy
it’s just that the product works now
a few things I learned from this:
• distribution is a double-edged sword
if your product isn’t ready, it will expose everything instantly
• a “failed” launch isn’t actually wasted
it’s the best stress test you’ll ever get
• people will come back if you actually fix the problem
a lot of users from the first launch tried us again
• nothing beats a product that works
sounds obvious, but I underestimated how much that alone matters
curious for other founders here:
have you ever had a launch go wrong?
did you relaunch, or just move on?
also if you’re around today — would love any feedback or support 🙏
Replies
Hey man congrats on the launch and being nr 1!
Thank you for the analysis of the launch this will help a lot of founders get prepared.
I haven't launched yet, seriously thinking this if I should as I have lost all my network in the past 6-7 months and now I am have no social presence - at all :-)
However, I wanted to mention a few things, from a marketer's perspective:
The distribution is a very good thing whether your product is good or bad. Nearly no product is good so this leaves some area for constructive criticism. This also prepares you on how to launch your next product, perpare a readiness gude and also manage customer expectations.
My experience shows, by launching physical products for others - now first time I will alunch my own app - is that when a product has flaws and you deal with customer support with passion and integrity, then the customers come back and spread the word that you are a solid company. They become your most passionate advocates and "advertise" it everywhere.
Congrats again and hope this little comment helps a bit!