Skill: ivangdavila/product-hunt (version 1.0.0)

--- name: Product Hunt slug: product-hunt version: 1.0.0 description: "Launch, hunt, and research products on Product Hunt with timing, assets, engagement, and anti-manipulation practices." metadata: {"clawdbot":{"emoji":"🚀","requires":{"bins":[]},"os":["linux","darwin","win32"]}} --- ## 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.

path: engagement.md
content: # Product Hunt Community Engagement

## The Unwritten Rules

1. **Day-of support matters most** — First 4-6 hours determine trajectory
2. **Comments > Upvotes for credibility** — Thoughtful comments build reputation
3. **Makers who reply to EVERY comment win** — Shows responsiveness
4. **Supporting others first = they support you later** — Strong reciprocity culture
5. **24-hour window is everything** — After that, products disappear
6. **12:01 AM PT launch** — Gives full 24 hours in US business day

## Comment Strategy

### DO:
- Reference something SPECIFIC ("The Notion integration handles X well because...")
- Ask genuine questions you want answered
- Share relevant personal experience
- Offer constructive feedback with kindness
- Engage in threaded discussions

### DON'T:
- Generic "Congrats!" or "Looks great!"
- Copy-paste comments across products
- Self-promote in others' threads
- Defensive responses to criticism
- Ask for upvotes anywhere

### Comment Template That Works
```
[Specific observation]: "I like how [feature] handles [problem]"
[Genuine question]: "Curious how you're thinking about [edge case]?"
[Personal context]: "I've been using [competitor] for this — what's the migration path?"
```

## Behaviors That Get Penalized

### Detected Automatically
| Behavior | Detection Method |
|----------|------------------|
| Same IP/device upvotes | Vote fingerprinting |
| Burst from new accounts | Astroturfing pattern |
| Upvote circles | Graph analysis (same 50 people) |
| External vote groups | PH monitors Slack/Discord |
| VPN voting | Sophisticated detection |

### Consequences
- **Shadowban:** Your upvotes don't count, you don't know
- **Reduced discoverability:** Product deprioritized
- **Account trust drop:** Future launches suffer
- **Permanent blacklist:** Extreme cases

## Building Authentic Presence

### Daily Habits
- Upvote 2-3 products you genuinely like
- Leave 1-2 thoughtful comments
- Reply to discussions you're in
- Follow makers building interesting things

### Before Your Launch
- Build presence 2-3 months in advance
- Support others' launches authentically
- Connect with hunters in your space
- Be known for helpful comments, not just upvotes

### Long-Term Reputation
- Consistent, authentic engagement > launch day blitz
- Help others without expecting return
- Be the person who gives useful feedback
- Quality of comments > quantity of upvotes


path: hunting.md
content: # Product Hunt Hunting Guide

## Finding Products Worth Hunting

### Sources to Monitor
- Twitter/X indie hacker communities (#buildinpublic)
- Reddit: r/SideProject, r/startups, r/InternetIsBeautiful
- Hacker News "Show HN" posts
- GitHub trending repos becoming products
- Discord/Slack communities (IndieHackers, WIP, etc.)

### Qualification Checklist
- [ ] Product actually works (not vaporware)
- [ ] Not already hunted (check PH search thoroughly)
- [ ] Maker is responsive and available on launch day
- [ ] Assets are prepared (video, gallery, logo)
- [ ] Maker understands they need to engage in comments

## Pre-Hunt Coordination

**Always coordinate with the maker:**
1. Confirm launch date/time
2. Request all assets in advance
3. Verify maker will be online for 24 hours
4. Agree on tagline and description
5. Set expectations on your role

**Red flags to avoid:**
- Maker wants to launch "whenever"
- No video or GIF available
- Maker doesn't respond quickly
- Product has obvious bugs

## Writing Great Hunt Copy

### Tagline (60 chars)
- Specific value prop, not generic
- What does it DO, not what it IS
- No "revolutionary", "AI-powered", "best"

**Good:** "Turn any screenshot into a Figma component"
**Bad:** "The revolutionary AI-powered design tool"

### First Comment Strategy
- Personal story: why YOU believe in this product
- What problem it solves that you care about
- Specific feature that impressed you
- Question for the maker to spark discussion

## Building Hunter Reputation

| Action | Reputation Impact |
|--------|------------------|
| Product of the Day | ++++ |
| Top 5 finish | +++ |
| Engaged maker, good comments | ++ |
| Product gets Featured | +++ |
| Product flopped, low engagement | -- |
| Hunted without coordination | --- |

**Quality over quantity:**
- 5 successful hunts > 20 mediocre ones
- Each flop makes your next hunt harder
- Build relationships with makers before hunting


path: launch.md
content: # Product Hunt Launch Execution

## Pre-Launch Checklist (2-4 weeks before)

### Assets
- [ ] Gallery images (1270x760px) — 5-8 images, first one is scroll-stopper
- [ ] GIF or video (<30 seconds) showing product in action
- [ ] Logo (240x240px)
- [ ] Tagline draft (60 chars, no buzzwords)
- [ ] Description with hook in first sentence

### Community Prep
- [ ] Ship page set up (free teaser to collect subscribers)
- [ ] Launch day tweet thread drafted
- [ ] Email blast prepared for existing users
- [ ] Slack/Discord communities identified for sharing
- [ ] Hunter identified (optional but valuable)

### Maker Comment Draft
```
Hey everyone! I'm [name], and I built [product] because [personal story].

The problem: [specific pain point you experienced]
The solution: [what makes your approach different]

What you can do today: [clear CTA]

I'll be here all day answering questions — ask me anything!
```

## Launch Day Timeline

| Time (PT) | Action |
|-----------|--------|
| 11:30 PM (day before) | Final asset check, everything ready |
| 12:01 AM | Product goes live — you or hunter submits |
| 12:15 AM | Post maker comment immediately |
| 12:30 AM | Launch tweets, email blast, community shares |
| 6:00 AM | Check ranking, respond to any comments |
| 9:00 AM | Peak US activity — amplify sharing |
| 12:00 PM | Update maker comment with new info |
| 6:00 PM | Thank top commenters |
| 11:59 PM | Day ends — ranking locked |

## Response Strategy

**Reply to every comment within 30 minutes:**
- Algorithm rewards engagement
- Builds comment count (visible metric)
- Creates goodwill for future support

**Question types to expect:**
- "How is this different from X?" → Be specific, don't dismiss
- "What's the pricing?" → Be transparent
- "Does it work with Y?" → If no, say "not yet" with timeline
- "I found a bug" → Thank them, fix if possible, update comment

## What NOT to Do

- Don't ask for upvotes anywhere
- Don't have team members post fake testimonials
- Don't get defensive about criticism
- Don't disappear after posting
- Don't launch and immediately go to sleep


path: research.md
content: # Product Hunt for Competitive Research

## What PH Data Actually Tells You

### Useful Signals
| Signal | What It Means |
|--------|---------------|
| Comment sentiment | Real user feedback (complaints = your opportunities) |
| "I wish it had..." patterns | Feature gaps to exploit |
| Maker response time | Team customer focus |
| Upvote velocity (not total) | Launch execution quality |
| Pricing in comments | Market positioning data |

### Misleading Signals
| Signal | Why It's Misleading |
|--------|---------------------|
| Total upvotes | Often gamed, doesn't correlate with revenue |
| "Product of the Day" | 80%+ dead within 2 years |
| High rank + low comments | Likely vote manipulation |
| Category leadership | PH audience ≠ your actual market |

## Research Tasks

### Competitor Launch Analysis
1. Find their last 5 launches
2. Note timing (day, time, how often)
3. Read all comments — what questions do users ask?
4. Identify complaints and feature requests
5. Analyze their maker comment structure

### Category Deep Dive
1. Search your category (last 6 months)
2. Sort by upvotes — what's the ceiling?
3. Read top 10 products' comments
4. Identify common patterns in successful taglines
5. Note what hunters cover this space

### Pre-Launch Reconnaissance
Before YOUR launch:
1. Last 20 products in category
2. What worked? (Good engagement, comments)
3. What flopped? (Low engagement despite upvotes)
4. Who are the top hunters for this space?
5. What day/time did successful ones launch?

## Limitations to Remember

**PH Audience Bias:**
- Heavily indie hackers, designers, early adopters
- NOT enterprise buyers, mass market consumers
- English-language, US-timezone skewed
- Tech bubble — what excites PH may bore the world

**Data You Won't Find:**
- Actual conversion rates (upvotes ≠ signups ≠ revenue)
- Churn rates post-launch
- Real business metrics
- Whether the maker has other revenue sources


Security scan verdicts — ClawScan: clean | static analysis: clean | VirusTotal: clean | SkillSpector: clean (LOW)