Why I think it's worth launching on Product Hunt

I've seen so many debates back and forth about whether launching on Product Hunt is even worth it. Many of these authors make good points, pointing out that your audience may not be Product Hunt users or that Product Hunt launches can be rigged with some people paying for fake upvotes. I'm not here to debate those points, as they are probably true. My point is that it still might be worth launching on Product Hunt even if those things are true.

I've launched 3 products on PH over the past 3 years. I was terrified before my first launch, but I decided it needed to happen, and the product needed to see the light of day. I debated how seriously to take that launch, but was glad I worked with a "Hunter", got advice pre-launch, and drummed up support that day from everyone I could across the web and IRL friends. My first launch got into the top five for the day, got thousands of visitors to my home page, and that product has gone on to earn hundreds of thousands of dollars over the years.

My second and third launches haven't had quite the same effect, but I still maintain that it can be a valuable exercise and will continue to launch on Product Hunt as long as I can say these things are still true:

It gives you a deadline

Preparing for a Product Hunt launch forces you to commit to a date and (generally) stick to it. All of a sudden your priorities quickly change. You realize that nobody is going to see those settings buried deep in your app, but that everyone is going to see the home page. This looming deadline can sometimes allow you to see your product again from a newcomer's point of view and realize what you are missing. It forces you to make priorities and finish some of those things that you weren't excited to do, but you now realize are necessary before there are so many eyes on it.

It makes you think about marketing

As a developer, I am too often caught in thinking about the features of the product and what it can (or can not yet) do. Launching on Product Hunt is one of those activities that forces you out of that side of your brain and into the "how do I talk about this with potential customers" side of your brain. As we all know, this is how we should all be thinking more often. No, a Product Hunt launch should NOT be your only marketing activity. If it is then you won't have much chance of success, but I still contend that it is a worthwhile one amongst many others.

It makes you take your project seriously

The days before a launch I generally vacillate between thoughts of "Oh crap, this is going to fail hard, what if no one cares at all?", and the complete opposite: "Oh crap, what if this does really well and I get a ton of people interested in the product, am I ready for that?". In my experience, neither of these polarities has been the actual result. You have to mentally prepare yourself for the feedback that you will get, the questions you will get, and the criticisms you may get. You steel yourself and realize "This is a real product that people can pay money for and will take seriously, and will have expectations of." And so you cannot think of it completely as a fun "side project" any more, and it cannot stay hidden on your computer forever.

It makes you announce it to your friends, family, and the world

Some people launch on Product Hunt and tell no one. This is the wrong way to approach it. I try to tell as many people as I can. Sure, it's easy to throw a post on Twitter and hope some people will click through. But what it really takes is asking people (like people that you actually have relationships with) if they will support it that day. I tend to talk about it in advance with friends and family, and then that day send out an email to all of them asking for support. Sometimes it can be so much more scary to ask real people you have real relationships with than posting out into the ether of the Internet, but it is well worth it! Not only will you find that they are more than willing, they also are genuinely interested in what you are working on!

It brings you some feedback and traffic that day

I'm sorry to tell you this, but your product won't be perfect on day 1. While I'm sure you have tested your app thoroughly before launch, there is no question that the launch will bring to light issues you didn't know about. People will mention it looking funny on some strange mobile device, or asking "does it have this feature?" that you never thought of. But depending on where your product places, it generally will get some clicks and attention on that day. And even if its not right away, if you caught someone's attention, they may revisit your site weeks later and ask a question or sign up. Interactions like that just aren't trackable, but they do happen. There really isn't a downside, a few upvotes and 1 sale is better than nothing!

It brings you some SEO value in the long run

I'm not an SEO guru, but I do think more links to your products around the web helps, and Product Hunt is a good link to have for a few reasons. First, because Product Hunt will put your product on a number of lists, such as the category keywords that you chose, and if your product does well they even have some "Alternative To..." kind of lists that they create. Secondly, by making your product more discoverable, you are more likely to earn links on other sites as well. Ideally they are good links like reviews, software lists, and how-to articles, but they can also be lower quality links. While I don't have exact evidence of this, it seems to me that a number of other websites scrape Product Hunt for content so you end up getting links across a number of these less important websites.

It's a catalyst

It may not be the only catalyst, but it is a catalyst. And when you are starting something from nothing, any sort of catalyst will help. My first product got around 1,000 visits the day of the launch, about 600 more the next day, and about 1,000 more from the end of week newsletter. I only made about $150 in sales between those days, which was disappointing. But ultimately after that week launching on PH, earning a spot in some valuable blog posts, and writing more content for the website, it started picking up and getting more organic visits and has generally kept growing since then.

Another Launch!?

Yes, it's true. My fourth Product Hunt launch is today! Even though I've done this before, I go through all of the same thoughts about whether it's worth it all over again. My new product Groundwork1 is like an email newsletter on steroids made for employee training. But unlike an email newsletter, when you assign an employee their training material it keeps track of who has finished their lessons, and automatically follows up with employees who have missed their deadlines.

I'm aware there are already a ton of "Learning Management Systems" out there! What sets this product apart is the twist of delivering the content directly in the email and removing the friction of logging in. It works especially well for busy (scrappy) HR departments, non-profits, churches with volunteers, and more.

Would highly value your feedback and support today!
Check out Groundwork1 on Product Hunt Today