product-hunt

Quick Reference

Topic	File	Key Trap
Launch execution	`launch.md`	Wrong launch time (not 12:01 AM PT)
Hunting products	`hunting.md`	Hunting without maker coordination
Competitive research	`research.md`	Treating upvotes as validation
Engagement rules	`engagement.md`	Vote manipulation detection

Critical Launch Traps

Timing: - Launch window: 12:01 AM to 11:59 PM Pacific Time — not your timezone - Best days: Tuesday-Thursday. Mondays = catch-up mode, Fridays = weekend mode - First 4-6 hours determine ranking trajectory — front-load your promotion

Assets (exact specs matter): - Gallery images: 1270x760px — first image is EVERYTHING - GIF/video dramatically outperforms static images (<30 seconds) - Logo: 240x240px - Tagline: 60 chars max, no buzzwords ("revolutionary", "AI-powered" = instant skip)

Maker Comment: - Personal story, not corporate pitch — PH community is indie-friendly - Why you built it, what problem you personally faced - Update throughout the day with new info

First Paragraph Gets Truncated: - Hook must be in first sentence — longer descriptions cut off in feed

Hunter Reputation System

Building Credibility: - Quality over volume — 5 great hunts > 20 mediocre ones - Each flop damages future hunt performance - Top hunters have followers who get notified — real distribution advantage - Hunt without maker coordination = product has bugs on launch day

Hunter Mechanics: - Anyone can post, but established hunters have amplification - Getting "Featured" is editor's pick — massive visibility boost - Collections extend long-tail traffic beyond launch day

Engagement Anti-Patterns

What Gets Detected & Penalized: - Multiple upvotes from same IP/device → shadowbanned votes - Burst of upvotes from new accounts → astroturfing pattern - Upvote circles (same 50 people always vote each other) - External vote exchange groups (PH actively monitors Slack/Discord) - Asking for upvotes in comment threads → public callout

What Looks Spammy: - Copy-paste comments across products - Generic "Congrats!" with no substance - Mass DMs to makers - Defensive/hostile responses to criticism

Competitive Intelligence Limits

Model Blind Spots — Don't Trust: - Upvotes ≠ users ≠ paying customers (zero correlation) - 80%+ of "Product of the Day" winners are dead within 2 years - PH audience = indie hackers, designers, early adopters — NOT enterprise - High upvotes + low comments often = gamed launch

Useful Signals: - Comment sentiment reveals real user feedback - "I wish it had..." patterns = your opportunities - Maker response time indicates team readiness - Velocity curve > total upvotes (200 in 2h > 500 in 24h)

Scope

Covers: launching products, hunting/curating, competitive research, community engagement. Does NOT cover: building the actual product, growth outside PH, paid acquisition.