What makes you actually try a product on Product Hunt?
I’ve been browsing Product Hunt a lot lately, and honestly… it’s getting overwhelming.
There are so many launches every day that it’s impossible to sign up and try everything. At some point, you just run out of time.
So I’ve changed how I evaluate products:
I mostly rely on demos now.
If a demo clearly shows what the product does, how it works, and where it fits into my workflow, that’s usually enough for me to decide if it’s worth trying. If it clicks, I’ll sign up, sometimes even go straight to a paid plan.
But if the demo is vague, overly polished, or doesn’t show real usage… I skip.
I feel like this changes depending on experience level too:
Beginners might explore more and sign up freely
More experienced users become way more selective
How do you approach this?
When you see a new product on Product Hunt, what actually makes you take the next step?
Do you rely on demos?
Do you read comments/reviews?
Do you just sign up and explore?
Or something else entirely?
What’s the ONE thing that convinces you: “Yeah, I should try this” or even “I’ll pay for this”?
I would love to hear how you filter signal from noise. :)
Replies
For me personally, the demo video is the first filter. If there’s no demo video, I skip it in about 80% of cases, unless the product looks really exceptional.
Another thing that sometimes makes a difference is the first maker/hunter comment. When it’s well written and clearly explains the added value it can really convince me to take a closer look.
And there’s also a different situation:
when I’m actively looking for a specific tool and I see something on PH that matches exactly what I need. In that case, no hesitation: I go check the website and will probably test it.
@amraniyasser I do the same. And yes, maker / hunter comment gives that additional context about the product which the tagline and description cannot do. :)
@amraniyasser If the AI version doesn't look very sloppy, I would trust the AI one as much as the maker-led demo. How about you? :)
@rohanrecommends I used to trust real demos more.
But recently I discovered Naoma (launched on March 12), and it changed my mind.
Some AI-made demos are getting really convincing now.
@amraniyasser I remember they launching, I will check it out! :)
Honestly, for me requiring sign-up upfront is the real blocker or at least a strong filter. If I can’t immediately see the value, I’m unlikely to go through the effort of creating an account just to “try” something.
Although when the product demo is so clear, fast, and compelling it makes me want to sign up. Otherwise, it’s usually a no from me.
On the flip side, when there’s no sign-up required, I’m much more likely to give it a quick try. Lower friction makes a huge difference in that first interaction.
@saber_k Completely agree on signup walls, if I have to create an account before I see real value, I usually bounce.
Honestly, a clear and specific use case that I haven't seen before. Generic "AI tool" descriptions make me scroll past instantly. What got me to actually try something was when the product solved a frustration I personally had. Like — I kept wanting to read a specific type of story that didn't exist, so I ended up building zz-novel for it. Launched today actually 😅. So I guess: specificity + personal pain point = I'll try it.
@echosun Thanks for sharing. Congrats on zz-novel, love that it came from your own need. You got my support :)
@rohanrecommends Thank you so much — that means a lot, especially from someone who's been so active in the PH community! 🙏
Honestly for me it's the first 10 seconds of a landing page. Not the demo, not the comments - just whether I can immediately understand what this thing does and who it's for. If I have to scroll past three sections of vague copy to figure that out, I'm gone.
Demos help but only if they show a real use case, not a scripted walkthrough of features nobody asked about. The best ones I've seen are just a 30 second screen recording of someone solving an actual problem. No voiceover, no fancy editing. That tells me more than any polished explainer video.
Comments matter more than I expected though. Not the "congrats on the launch" ones - those are noise. But when someone in the comments asks a specific question and the maker gives a straight answer, that builds more trust than anything on the landing page. You can tell a lot about a product by how the founder handles the hard questions.
I'm prepping for my own launch soon and this is something I keep going back to. It's tempting to over-polish everything but the products I've actually signed up for on PH were the ones that felt honest about what they do and what they don't do yet.
@abdullah_mohamed14 yes, the landing page must say “what it is, who it’s for and why it is different” in a few seconds. Also sometimes the launch post and landing page are misaligned. The product positioning and messaging must always be consistent.
I recently signed up for Product Hunt, and I usually decide what to check out based on the features. Since I know which categories I’m interested in, I skip everything else and focus on the ones that look promising. If a product catches my eye, I'll dive into the features and give it a try.
@lazverry What categories usually interest you?
@rohanrecommends I'm a creator, so I spend a lot of time looking into Design & Creatives. Productivity is another one of my favorite categories.
@lazverry I see, thanks for sharing. Yes, productivity is my favorite category too!
For me it's usually when I can instantly pic where the product fits into something I already do. Do you think workflow fit matters more than novelty now?
If I can understand the product fast and feel a little curiosity right after, I'm much more likely to click through. Do you think curiosity is underrated in launch pages?
A lot of PH products lose me when they explain features before they explain why I should care. Do you think makers often overestimate feature first messaging?
I usually try products when they feel like they were built from a very real frustration, not just a clever idea. Do you think pain point clarity beats polished branding most of the time?
What gets me to try something is usually low friction plus one very clear promise I can test quickly. What's your personal "okay I'll try this" moment?