Where to launch a startup: a practical order
Where to launch a startup without burning your one shot: a sensible order for directories, Show HN, Product Hunt and communities, with prep steps for each.
Don't launch everywhere on the same day. Start small with directories and friendly communities, fix what breaks, then spend your big moments (Show HN, Product Hunt) once the product holds up under strangers. Here is the order we would use.
What should you prepare before any launch?
Four things, and none are optional:
- A one-line promise. "Invoices for freelancers in 2 clicks" beats "a platform for modern work".
- A page that explains the product in under a minute. Screenshot, one short demo, clear pricing or a free trial.
- A way to catch feedback. A form, an email address, a visible chat. Launch traffic is wasted if nobody can tell you what confused them.
- Analytics that work. You want to know which channel brought which signup.
Step 1: Which directories first?
Product directories are the low-risk start. They give you a public listing, a backlink from a page built for products, and a chance to be found by people comparing tools. Submit to a handful that match your category rather than fifty random ones.
Start with Woodander Discover, which is free, and check Outreach opportunities for curated places to submit a startup. Write a different description for each, and keep the facts identical.
Step 2: How do you test the pitch on communities?
Before a big launch, share what you built where your users already hang out: a relevant subreddit, a Slack group, an Indie Hackers post. Read each community's rules first. Many ban self-promotion outside designated threads, and being told off in public is a poor opening.
Ask a question rather than announcing: "Here is what we built for X. What would stop you from using it?"
Step 3: When is Show HN the right move?
Show HN works for things people can try. Hacker News publishes its own Show HN guidelines: it should be something you made that readers can run or play with, not a landing page or a signup wall. Don't ask friends to upvote. Post a plain title, add a short first comment explaining why you built it, and stay online to answer questions.
Step 4: What about Product Hunt?
Product Hunt gives you a one-day spotlight and a lasting listing. Read the makers' guidance on the site before you schedule, as rules about what counts as a launch and how to ask for support get updated. Prepare your gallery, tagline and a first comment, and pick a day when you can respond to every comment.
Treat it as a spike, not a strategy. Plan what happens after: an email to the people who showed up, a follow-up post and one improvement shipped that week.
Step 5: How do you keep discovery going?
- Update your directory listings when you ship big features.
- Write a launch retrospective with real numbers from your analytics.
- Pitch a founder story or guest post to a publication in your niche.
Read the Directories, Launch & Discovery hub for more playbooks.
FAQ
How many places should I launch on?
Quality beats count. Five to ten relevant directories and communities beat fifty generic ones.
Should I launch before the product is ready?
Launch when a stranger can use it end to end. Rough is fine. Broken is not.
Can I launch more than once?
Yes. Major new versions or features can earn a second round, as long as there is something genuinely new to show.
Do launches guarantee traffic?
No. They give you visibility and feedback. What you do with them decides the result.
Your next step: write your one-line promise, then submit to three directories this week.
