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Launch guide

The practical launch playbook for indie founders

A single Product Hunt post is not a go-to-market strategy. This guide walks you through weekly launch competitions, multi-platform distribution, SEO and AI discovery (AEO), and exactly how to run your Sidehunt launch week—from two weeks before go-live through the day rankings lock.

Submit your launchRead the playbook90+ launch places

Why one launch is not enough

Buyers discover tools in different places—weekly hunts, AI answers, directories, and social threads. Stacking launches compounds backlinks, social proof, and referral traffic instead of betting everything on a single algorithm.

Reach buyers where they already are

Sidehunt, IndieHunt, and MakerHunt attract builders and early adopters. Directories capture long-tail Google and AI queries. Product Hunt spikes awareness. None replaces the others.

Build durable SEO, not just a spike

Each quality listing is a citation. Premium Sidehunt launches and top-3 wins add dofollow links. Evergreen directories keep sending traffic months after launch week ends.

Own how AI describes your product

Clear listings and structured pages shape ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity answers. AEO is the new distribution layer—optimize it before competitors fill the slot.

Launch timeline

Use this calendar from two weeks before your Sidehunt week through the follow-up phase. Adjust dates to your Monday 8:00 UTC go-live.

T−14 to T−7

Foundation

Lock positioning, assets, and tracking before you touch any launch form.

  • Write a one-line value prop and a 2-sentence elevator pitch
  • Prepare logo (square), hero screenshot, and 2–4 product screenshots
  • Draft a 400+ word product story (problem → solution → proof → CTA)
  • Set up analytics (Plausible, GA4, or PostHog) and UTM naming convention
  • Verify site speed, mobile layout, and a clear primary CTA on homepage
T−7 to T−1

Distribution prep

Queue submissions and warm your audience before go-live.

  • Submit to Sidehunt and pick your launch week (Mon 8:00 UTC start)
  • Schedule 3–5 complementary platforms from our launch places list
  • Prepare launch day posts (X, LinkedIn, Indie Hackers, newsletter)
  • Email waitlist or beta users with exact go-live time and link
  • Line up 5–10 peers to vote and comment in the first 24 hours
Launch day

Go live

Maximize visibility in the first 6–12 hours when algorithms and humans are watching.

  • Post your Sidehunt project link (not only your homepage)
  • Reply to every comment on launch platforms within 2 hours
  • Share in 2–3 communities where your ICP already hangs out
  • Pin launch post on X/LinkedIn for 24 hours
  • Monitor signups and note which referrer sent traffic
T+1 to T+7

Sustain momentum

The competition runs a full week—treat days 2–7 as active, not autopilot.

  • Daily check-in: votes, clicks, and top referrers in your dashboard
  • One follow-up post mid-week with a concrete update or metric
  • Submit to 2–3 evergreen directories you skipped pre-launch
  • Ask happy users for quotes you can add to your project page
  • Document learnings for your next launch or relaunch

5-phase launch playbook

Work through each phase in order. Skipping prep and jumping straight to submissions is the most common reason launch weeks underperform.

1

Build a launch-ready product page

Launch platforms send traffic to your listing first. If your Sidehunt page and website are vague, visitors bounce before they try the product.

Messaging that converts

  • •Lead with the outcome, not the tech stack (“Cut invoice chasing from 2 hours to 5 minutes”).
  • •Use your short description as ad copy—it appears on homepage cards and search snippets.
  • •End your full description with a single CTA: start free trial, book demo, or join waitlist.

Assets reviewers expect

  • •Logo: clear at 96×96px, no excessive padding.
  • •Screenshots: show the core workflow, not empty states.
  • •Optional video: under 90 seconds, captions on, problem-first hook in first 5 seconds.
2

Optimize for search and AI discovery

SEO brings Google traffic over months. AEO (Answer Engine Optimization) shapes how ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Claude describe your product when users ask for recommendations.

SEO basics that still matter

  • •Target one primary keyword in your H1 and first paragraph (e.g. “AI invoice reminder for freelancers”).
  • •Internal link from your blog to your product page with descriptive anchor text.
  • •Earn listings on directories—each quality backlink reinforces category relevance.

AEO: get cited by AI assistants

  • •Publish clear, factual copy: what it does, who it’s for, pricing, and how it differs from alternatives.
  • •Keep your Sidehunt project page updated—AI tools increasingly cite structured product pages.
  • •Use the “Ask AI about this project” links on your listing to seed accurate summaries in ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and Perplexity.
  • •Maintain a public llms.txt / about page so crawlers understand your positioning.
3

Stack weekly launches, not a single spike

One Product Hunt day is not a strategy. Founders who compound distribution submit to weekly hunts plus evergreen directories in the same cycle.

Recommended launch stack

  • •Anchor week: Sidehunt (homepage + votes + optional dofollow via Premium or top 3).
  • •Same week: Aura++, Earlyhunt, IndieHunt, or MakerHunt—aligned audience, extra backlinks.
  • •Evergreen: Uno Directory, SaaS directories, and AI tool lists from our 90+ places guide.
  • •Optional spike: Product Hunt or Hacker News Show when you have social proof ready.

Sidehunt launch types (pick intentionally)

  • •Free: best when you can add the Sidehunt badge and want a shot at top-3 dofollow.
  • •Nofollow: badge-free; still compete for winner badges and visibility.
  • •Premium ($19): guaranteed dofollow, launch blog post, homepage sidebar spotlight while live.
  • •Relaunch ($19, once): if you completed a week without top 3—upgrades to Premium, keeps votes.
4

Run launch week like a campaign

Sidehunt competitions run Monday 8:00 UTC through the following Monday 7:59 UTC. Traffic and votes in days 1–3 heavily influence final rankings.

First 24 hours

  • •Share your /project/[slug] URL—votes happen on Sidehunt, not your homepage.
  • •Ask your network to vote once (authentic accounts; no incentive spam).
  • •Respond to comments on your project page—engagement signals quality.

Channels that work for indie launches

  • •X / Twitter: thread with problem, demo GIF, and link to your Sidehunt listing.
  • •LinkedIn: founder story angle for B2B tools.
  • •Indie Hackers: milestone post with metrics, not a bare link drop.
  • •Newsletter swaps: offer a paragraph to complementary newsletters in your niche.
5

Measure, learn, and relaunch smarter

A launch is successful if you learn where buyers come from—not only if you hit #1. Track the full funnel and decide whether to iterate, relaunch, or double down on directories.

Metrics worth tracking

  • •Sidehunt: votes, website clicks, and total engagement (dashboard → Stats & performance).
  • •Site: signups, activations, and revenue by UTM source.
  • •SEO: indexed pages, referral domains, and branded search volume after 30 days.

After the week ends

  • •Your project page stays live permanently—continue driving links to it.
  • •Top 3 winners enter the Hall of Fame with badges and dofollow (Free/Premium).
  • •Eligible non-winners: one Premium relaunch from the dashboard.
  • •Queue the next directory batch from /places-to-launch for long-tail traffic.

Your Sidehunt launch week

Sidehunt runs a weekly competition: Monday 8:00 AM UTC → following Monday 7:59 AM UTC. Up to 15 Free/Nofollow slots per week; Premium is unlimited. Top 3 by votes win badges and dofollow upgrades (Free/Premium). Your project page stays live forever.

Free

$0

Badge required · dofollow if top 3

Nofollow

$0

No badge · always nofollow

Premium

$19

Dofollow now · blog · sidebar spotlight

Need the full rules? See pricing and FAQ. Didn’t place top 3? You may qualify for a one-time Premium relaunch from your dashboard.

Partner launch platforms

Stack these with Sidehunt in the same launch window. For 90+ additional directories and AI lists, use our launch places directory.

Sidehunt

Visit

Weekly hunt for side projects, indie SaaS, and digital tools with community voting.

Best for: Indie founders, side projects, and SaaS shipping weekly

Aura++

Visit

Launch platform with backlinks, badges, and launch blog coverage.

Best for: Products wanting launch badges and blog mentions

Earlyhunt

Visit

Early-stage discovery for products still finding product-market fit.

Best for: MVPs and teams validating before a big launch

IndieHunt

Visit

Weekly launches for AI tools and indie products with builder audience.

Best for: AI wrappers, dev tools, and indie SaaS

Uno Directory

Visit

Evergreen directory for productivity and creativity tools.

Best for: Productivity apps, design tools, and creative software

MakerHunt

Visit

Weekly spotlight for AI tools and maker-built products.

Best for: Technical products and AI-native tools

SEO and AEO: what to do this week

SEO (search engines)

  • Write for intent. Use the phrase people search when they have the problem you solve—not internal feature names.
  • Earn directory links. Each launch place is a relevant citation; vary anchor text naturally.
  • Keep pages fast. Core Web Vitals still affect rankings; compress images on your marketing site.
  • Publish once, distribute many. Turn your launch post into a blog article targeting a long-tail keyword.

AEO (AI assistants)

  • Be explicit. State product name, category, pricing model, and ideal customer in plain language on every listing.
  • Use Ask AI links. On each Sidehunt project page, open ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, or Perplexity with an accurate pre-filled summary.
  • Stay consistent. Same positioning across site, Sidehunt, and directories—conflicting descriptions confuse models.
  • Index for crawlers. Sidehunt exposes llms.txt and sitemaps so AI systems can map public product pages.

Pre-launch checklist

Complete every item before you hit submit. Missing assets are the #1 cause of delayed approvals.

  • Working product URL with HTTPS
  • Short description (10–200 characters) tested on mobile
  • Full description ≥400 words, structured with headings
  • Logo + preview image uploaded
  • At least one category selected (max 3)
  • Launch week chosen on Sidehunt
  • UTM parameters ready for social posts
  • Launch day content drafted (X, LinkedIn, email)
  • 3+ platforms queued from launch places list
  • Analytics confirming traffic and conversion events

Related resources

Submit your project90+ launch placesPricing & launch typesFAQsPremium launches

Launch FAQ

Ready to run your launch week?

Submit to Sidehunt, stack partner platforms, and work through the directory list—most founders start seeing traffic in the first 48 hours when prep is done right.

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