1. Product hunting refers to the practice of discovering, showcasing, and promoting new digital products, tools, startups, and innovations—often on specialized platforms that curate these launches.

It’s used by:

Founders to gain early traction

Makers to validate product ideas

Users to find new, useful tools and resources

The most popular and iconic platform for product hunting is Product Hunt.

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🚀 What is Product Hunt?

Product Hunt is a community-driven platform where makers launch new tech products daily. It features:

App

Websites

SaaS tools

AI tools

Developer tools

Books, podcasts, and more

Users can:

Upvote products they like

Comment and give feedback

Follow categories

Subscribe to daily/weekly updates

Launched in 2013, Product Hunt has become the go-to place for early adopters and startup enthusiasts.

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🎯 Why is Product Hunting Important?

Launch Exposure: A well-ranked launch can bring thousands of visits in a day

Validation: Public feedback helps refine your product

Early Adopters: Attract tech-savvy, supportive users

Press & Investor Attention: Top products often get media coverage or investor interest

SEO Boost: Product Hunt pages often rank well on Google

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🧰 Types of Products That Do Well

AI tools (text, image, video, chatbots, automation)

Productivity apps

Creator tools (Notion templates, design kits)

Chrome extensions

Developer utilities

Indie SaaS and micro-tools

No-code solutions

Launch checklists or startup toolkits

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🔑 How to Launch on Product Hunt

1. Prepare Your Product

Ensure your product is working, polished, and valuable.

Consider launching a MVP or free trial.

2. Create Your Assets

Product name + tagline

Product description (what, who it’s for, why it’s special)

Screenshots, videos, or demos

Maker comment introducing yourself

3. Set a Launch Date

Best days to launch: Tuesday to Thursday, starting at 12:01 AM PST

Launching early gives you 24 hours to gain upvotes

4. Build a Community Before Launch

Post on X (Twitter), LinkedIn, Reddit, Discord, Indie Hackers

Grow an email list or pre-launch waitlist

5. Use a Hunter (Optional)

A Hunter is someone trusted in the PH community who can post your product.

Helps, but not required—you can hunt your own product.

6. Engage During Launch

Reply to every comment

Share updates, behind-the-scenes

Ask your community to upvote directly on Product Hunt

> Tip: Don’t ask people to vote from DMs or force it—it’s against PH rules.

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📈 What Happens After a Successful Launch?

You might appear in daily or weekly newsletters

You could trend in your category (e.g., AI, productivity)

Top products of the day get a “Product of the Day” badge

Some products are featured in Product Hunt’s blog or social media

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🔍 Key Metrics to Watch

Upvotes (especially early in the day)

Comments and engagement

Signups or conversions from PH traffic

Follows, email list growth

Website traffic spike (use UTM tags)

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🔧 Tools to Help With Product Hunting

Ship by Product Hunt: Pre-launch page builder

Hypefury / Buffer / TweetHunter: Schedule social promo

Lemlist / Instantly: Cold email campaigns

SavvyCal / Calendly: Schedule demos with early users

Loom / Bubbles: Record short video pitches or walkthroughs

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📚 Resources & Communities

Product Hunt Makers Community

Indie Hackers

LaunchMBA

X (Twitter) communities around #buildinpublic

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🧠 Pro Tips

Be active in the PH community before launching (comment, upvote, follow)

Tell a story: People resonate with how you built it, your challenges, and your mission

Nail your thumbnail + tagline: It’s what people see first

Don’t just “drop and run”—engage, build relationships

After launch, gather feedback and iterate

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💡 Final Thoughts

Product hunting is not just about one viral launch, but a powerful way to:

Connect with early adopters

Get feedback quickly

Build in public

Grow your audience

Whether you’re a solo maker, startup founder, or content creator, mastering product hunting can give your digital product a huge head start.