Are PH launches more about popularity & asking people for votes and less about merit for the product?

I would absolutely agree with this. All of the 'successful PH strategies' show that launches are about creating and riding the hype. Then it fades in 2 weeks. Did you launch yourself?

For the most part, yes. PH launches are more for vanity nowadays.

That's not to say that they're useless. Last time I launched on PH, I got around 50 signups with a crappy landing page and only 200 upvoted.

As long as you keep this thought in mind, you should be fine:

If you can't succeed without a PH launch, you probably won't succeed with one.

Potentially yes. But initial traction is often the hardest part. In order to build a sustainable business the product needs to speak for itself