launch

Imported from whawkinsiv/solo-founder-skills (skills/launch/SKILL.md). Install upstream with npx skills add whawkinsiv/solo-founder-skills --skill launch. Copyright stays with the author.

Launch Strategy & Go-to-Market

A launch is not a moment — it's a 6-week campaign with a peak in the middle. This skill helps you build a waitlist, coordinate launch day across multiple channels, and sustain momentum for 30 days after.

Core Principles

• A launch without an audience is a tree falling in an empty forest. Build the audience first, even if it's small.
• Momentum is manufactured, not organic. Every "overnight success" launch had weeks of preparation.
• Launch once, but launch everywhere simultaneously. Coordinated beats sequential.
• The goal of launch day is not revenue — it is attention, feedback, and a base of early advocates.
• Post-launch matters more than launch day. Most founders celebrate and then go silent. The ones who win keep pushing for 30 days after.

Pre-Launch Phase (4-6 Weeks Before)

Build a Waitlist

Waitlist Setup Checklist:
- [ ] Landing page live with clear value prop (see landing-page)
- [ ] Email capture with incentive ("Get early access" or "Join 500+ founders")
- [ ] Confirmation email with share mechanic ("Move up the list by sharing")
- [ ] Weekly update email to keep waitlist warm
- [ ] Social proof counter ("1,247 founders waiting")

Tools: Waitlist-specific (LaunchList, GetWaitlist) or simple email capture (ConvertKit, Buttondown).

Tell AI:

Build a waitlist landing page for [product]. Include email capture,
a "why join" section with 3 bullets, social proof counter, and a
share-to-move-up mechanic. Use [framework/stack].

Seed Your Launch Audience

You need at least 100 people who will show up on launch day. Sources:

• Build in public — Share progress on Twitter/X, LinkedIn, Indie Hackers for 4-6 weeks before launch (see content)
• Direct outreach — Email 50 people who fit your ICP, offer early access in exchange for feedback
• Communities — Be active (not spammy) in 3-5 communities where your users hang out
• Personal network — Email everyone you know. Ask for shares, not signups
• Founder communities — Indie Hackers, r/SaaS, Hacker News, relevant Discord/Slack groups

Prepare Launch Assets

Launch Asset Checklist:
- [ ] Product demo video or GIF (60-90 seconds max)
- [ ] 5-8 screenshots showing key workflows
- [ ] Founder story (why you built this — 3 paragraphs)
- [ ] One-liner description (under 10 words)
- [ ] Short description (2-3 sentences)
- [ ] Long description (2-3 paragraphs)
- [ ] Launch-day pricing (consider a launch discount or extended trial)
- [ ] Social media post drafts (Twitter thread, LinkedIn post)
- [ ] Email to waitlist (announcement + special offer)
- [ ] Direct messages to 20 supporters asking them to engage on launch day

Tell AI:

Write launch copy for [product]. I need:
1. A one-liner under 10 words
2. A 2-sentence description
3. A 3-paragraph description with founder story
4. A Twitter/X launch thread (5-7 tweets)
5. A LinkedIn launch post
Target audience: [ICP description]

Product Hunt Launch

Product Hunt is optional but high-leverage for B2B SaaS. If you do it, do it right.

Timing

• Best days: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday
• Avoid: Monday (crowded), Friday-Sunday (low traffic)
• Post at: 12:01 AM PT (competition resets daily)
• Peak voting: 6 AM - 12 PM PT

Preparation (2 Weeks Before)

Product Hunt Prep:
- [ ] Hunter lined up (someone with followers, or self-hunt)
- [ ] Tagline written (60 chars max, no buzzwords)
- [ ] 5-8 gallery images (first image is most important)
- [ ] Maker comment drafted (authentic, tell your story)
- [ ] "Launching tomorrow" posts scheduled for social media
- [ ] Email to waitlist scheduled for launch morning
- [ ] 20+ supporters committed to upvote and comment on day 1
- [ ] Responses pre-drafted for common questions

Launch Day

Hour-by-hour:

1. 12:01 AM PT — Listing goes live. Post maker comment immediately.
2. 5-6 AM PT — Send waitlist email. Post on social media. DM your 20 supporters.
3. 8 AM - 12 PM PT — Actively respond to every comment. Engage on social media.
4. 12-6 PM PT — Share updates, user count milestones, interesting feedback.
5. Evening — Thank everyone publicly. Share results regardless of ranking.

What Matters More Than Upvotes

• Comments — Product Hunt's algorithm weighs comments heavily. Ask supporters to leave genuine comments, not just upvote.
• Engagement — Reply to every single comment within 30 minutes.
• Quality over quantity — 50 engaged comments beat 200 silent upvotes.

Non-Product-Hunt Launch

Product Hunt is one channel. A coordinated multi-channel launch works for any SaaS:

Launch Week Timeline

Day -7: Teaser post on social media. "Something's coming."

Day -3: Share a behind-the-scenes look. Screenshots or demo video.

Day -1: "Launching tomorrow" post. Email waitlist with exact time.

Day 0 (Launch Day):

• Morning: Email waitlist with link and launch offer
• Morning: Post on all social channels simultaneously
• Morning: Submit to communities (Indie Hackers, relevant subreddits, Hacker News)
• All day: Engage with every comment, reply, and mention
• Evening: Share day-one stats (signups, not revenue)

Day +1 to +3: Share user reactions, testimonials, quick wins.

Day +7: "One week later" post with learnings, stats, what's next.

Day +14: Feature update based on launch feedback. Shows you listen.

Day +30: "One month in" retrospective. Share real numbers.

Launch Channels Ranked for Bootstrapped Founders

Beta Program Design

If you're not ready for a public launch, run a beta:

Beta Program Checklist:
- [ ] Define beta size (10-50 users is ideal for solo founder)
- [ ] Set beta duration (2-4 weeks)
- [ ] Create feedback mechanism (Typeform, in-app widget, or just email)
- [ ] Write beta welcome email explaining what you need from them
- [ ] Schedule check-in emails at day 3, day 7, day 14
- [ ] Define "beta exit criteria" (what metrics/feedback mean you're ready)
- [ ] Plan beta-to-launch transition (discount for beta users, testimonials)

Beta users are not free users. They are partners. Treat them like advisors:

• Give them direct access to you (email, not a support form)
• Ask specific questions, not "any feedback?"
• Implement their top request visibly and tell them you did it
• Ask for a testimonial before the beta ends

Launch Pricing Strategies

• Launch discount — 30-50% off annual plans for first 100 customers. Creates urgency.
• Lifetime deal — One-time payment for lifetime access. Good for initial cash but be cautious (LTD buyers churn to free and demand support forever).
• Extended trial — 30-day trial instead of 14-day during launch. Reduces friction.
• Early adopter tier — Lock in a lower price forever. "This price disappears after launch."
• Free tier — Give away a generous free plan. Convert later. Best for PLG products.

Pick ONE. Don't stack discounts.

Post-Launch: The 30-Day Push

Most founders launch, celebrate, and go quiet. The winners keep pushing:

Week 1: Share user feedback, testimonials, day-one stats. Fix critical bugs immediately.

Week 2: Ship one feature that users asked for during launch. Announce it publicly.

Week 3: Write a "lessons learned" post. Share honest numbers. Build in public.

Week 4: Transition from "launch mode" to "growth mode." Set up ongoing acquisition channels (see growth-plg, content-marketing, paid-acquisition).

Common Mistakes

Success Looks Like

• 100+ signups in the first week (for a niche B2B SaaS)
• 10+ genuine testimonials or quotes from real users
• 3-5 pieces of user feedback that clarify your roadmap
• A repeatable channel identified (the one that worked best)
• Momentum that carries into month 2, not a spike that flatlines

Related Skills

• landing-page — Build the landing page your launch drives traffic to
• content — Build-in-public content to warm up your audience pre-launch
• social-media — Platform-specific strategies for launch day
• email — Welcome sequence for new signups from launch
• analytics — Track launch metrics and attribution