/community-outreach

Find relevant community threads (Reddit, Hacker News, ProductHunt) and draft contextual, value-first responses. NOT spam — genuine helpful answers that naturally mention the product.

MCP Tools (use if available)

• web_search(query, engines, include_raw_content) — search Reddit, HN, web
• kb_search(query) — find related methodology
• project_info(name) — get project details

If MCP tools are not available, use WebSearch/WebFetch as fallback.

Steps

1. Parse project from $ARGUMENTS.
2. Read PRD/README to understand: problem, solution, ICP, key features.

3. If empty: ask via AskUserQuestion.

4. Extract search keywords:

5. Problem keywords (what users complain about)
6. Solution keywords (what users search for)
7. Category keywords (the market/niche)

8. Competitor names (for "vs" and "alternative" threads)

9. Search communities (run searches in parallel):

### 3a. Reddit For each keyword group, search via MCP web_search(query) or WebSearch: - "{problem} reddit" — pain point threads - "{solution category} recommendations reddit" — recommendation requests - "{competitor} alternative reddit" — competitor frustration - "{competitor} vs reddit" — comparison threads

For each result, extract: subreddit, title, URL, post date, comment count. Filter: prefer threads < 6 months old, > 5 comments (active).

### 3b. Hacker News Search via site:news.ycombinator.com: - "Show HN: {similar product category}" — similar launches - "Ask HN: {problem domain}" — questions in the space - "{competitor name} site:news.ycombinator.com" — competitor mentions

Extract: title, URL, points, comment count.

### 3c. ProductHunt Search via site:producthunt.com: - "{product category} site:producthunt.com" — similar launches - "{competitor} site:producthunt.com" — competitor pages

Extract: product names, launch dates, upvote counts, taglines.

### 3d. Other Communities (optional) - site:indiehackers.com "{problem}" — Indie Hackers - site:dev.to "{solution category}" — Dev.to (if technical product)

1. Forced reasoning — outreach strategy: Before drafting, write out:
2. Best 5 threads to engage with (highest relevance + activity)
3. Tone per community: Reddit (casual, self-deprecating), HN (technical, data-driven), PH (enthusiastic, builder)
4. Value-first angle: What genuine help can we offer BEFORE mentioning the product?

5. Red lines: No astroturfing, no fake accounts, always disclose you're the builder

6. Draft responses for top 5 threads:

For each thread: ```markdown ### Thread: {title} URL: {url} Subreddit/Community: {community} Why relevant: {1 sentence}

Draft response: {2-4 paragraph response that: - Directly addresses the question/problem - Provides genuine value (tips, experience, data) - Mentions the product naturally (last paragraph) - Includes "disclaimer: I'm the developer" for transparency } ```

1. Generate ProductHunt launch checklist:

```markdown ## ProductHunt Launch Checklist

### Pre-Launch (1 week before) - [ ] Hunter identified (or self-hunting) - [ ] Tagline ready (< 60 chars): "{tagline}" - [ ] Description ready (< 260 chars) - [ ] 5+ screenshots/GIF prepared - [ ] Maker comment drafted (story + problem + solution) - [ ] Launch day scheduled (Tuesday-Thursday, 00:01 PST)

### Launch Day - [ ] Post live and verified - [ ] Maker comment posted immediately - [ ] Share in relevant communities (not vote-begging) - [ ] Respond to all comments within 1 hour - [ ] Share progress on Twitter/LinkedIn

### Post-Launch - [ ] Thank supporters - [ ] Collect feedback from comments - [ ] Update product based on feedback ```

1. Write outreach plan to docs/outreach-plan.md:

```markdown # Community Outreach Plan: {Project Name}

Generated: {YYYY-MM-DD} Product: {one-line description} ICP: {target persona}

## Target Communities

## Top Threads to Engage

{5 thread drafts from step 5}

## ProductHunt Launch Checklist

{checklist from step 6}

## Search Keywords Used - {keyword1}: N results - {keyword2}: N results

Generated by /community-outreach. Review all drafts before posting. ```

1. Output summary — communities found, top 3 threads to engage, PH readiness.

Critical Rules

1. Value first, product second — every response must genuinely help the person
2. Always disclose — "I'm the developer" or "disclaimer: I built this"
3. No vote manipulation — never ask for upvotes
4. No astroturfing — never pretend to be a user
5. Respect community rules — check subreddit rules before posting
6. Quality over quantity — 5 great responses > 50 generic ones

Common Issues

Web search not available

Cause: MCP web_search tool not configured or WebSearch not accessible. Fix: Use WebSearch/WebFetch as primary. For better results with engine routing (Reddit, HN), set up SearXNG (private, self-hosted, free) and configure solograph MCP.

No relevant threads found

Cause: Niche too small or wrong keywords. Fix: Broaden search terms. Try competitor names, problem descriptions, or adjacent categories.

Responses sound promotional

Cause: Product mention too prominent or lacks genuine value. Fix: Rewrite with value-first approach: 80% helpful answer, 20% product mention. Always include builder disclosure.