How to Launch Your Product: A Launch Strategy for Indie Makers

Launching is a skill — and you get many attempts

Charlie Chapman, who built the Dark Noise app, treats launching as a skill worth studying, and the data agrees: the makers with the best launches are the ones who launch most. Thibault Louis-Lucas (Tibo) shipped 11 products in 11 weeks and was named Product Hunt’s Maker of the Year in 2022; Andrey Azimov won the same title in 2018 after launching product after product.

Treat each launch as a repeatable event you can improve, not a single bet. Daniel Nguyen even frames a launch as a celebration — a reason to reach out to everyone who has helped you.

Pre-launch: the two to four weeks before

The launch is won before launch day. Adam Wathan made about $400K on Tailwind UI’s first day because he had spent years teaching in public and building an audience. You do not need that scale, but you need someone waiting.

• Build in public. Post progress, screenshots and decisions on X and in communities. Marc Lou makes the build itself part of the marketing.
• Collect a waitlist. BetaList, run by Marc Köhlbrugge, exists to help founders get their first users before launch.
• Prepare assets. A one-sentence pitch, 3–5 screenshots, a 30–60 second demo video, a launch offer and a first comment that tells your story.
• Fix the landing page. One clear headline, one call to action, pricing visible. Copy should be concrete — Harry Dry’s rule is that good copy lets the reader picture it.
• Line up supporters. Tell friends and early users the date, but never ask for upvotes directly — ask them to try it and comment honestly.

Where to launch: the platforms that matter

We track 80 launch platforms, directories and communities on the launch page, 11 of which we have confirmed give do-follow links. For launch day itself, these seven matter most:

Then add niche channels that match your product:

• AI tools: AI directories such as There’s An AI For That and Futurepedia. See AI Builders.
• Mac and iOS apps: r/macapps, r/iosapps, Setapp and Indie Dev Monday. See Mac & Desktop App Makers.
• Browser extensions: the Chrome Web Store and r/chrome_extensions. See Browser Extension Makers.
• Open source: r/selfhosted, LibHunt and OpenSourceAlternative.to. See Open Source Makers.
• Directories and side projects: Directory Hunt and r/SideProject.

Launch-day playbook

1. Launch early in the platform’s day (Product Hunt resets at midnight Pacific time) so you have the full window.
2. Post a personal first comment: why you built it, who it is for, what is next, and a launch-only offer.
3. Stagger channels. Product Hunt first, Show HN a few hours later with a technical angle, then X, LinkedIn, your newsletter and relevant communities.
4. Reply to every comment within minutes. Engagement is what keeps you visible, and the questions become your FAQ.
5. Fix bugs live and say so publicly. A quick “fixed, thanks!” builds trust.
6. Share the story, including the numbers. Florin Pop launches straight from a tweet and validates with real sales; makers who share results get a second wave of attention.

After launch: turn a spike into steady traffic

A launch day spike fades within a week. What lasts is search traffic and backlinks — which is why John Rush’s playbook is to start SEO on day one, list the product on every relevant directory and cross-link it from your other projects.

• Submit to directories. Dozens of listings build domain rating and long-tail referral traffic. Read our guide to directory submissions and how ListingBott automates them.
• Write comparison and “alternative to” pages. People searching for alternatives are close to buying; list yourself on AlternativeTo and SaaSHub too.
• Relaunch every major update. Many platforms allow relaunches after significant changes.
• Consider a lifetime deal. AppSumo-style deals can fund development, as Damon Chen did early on — but price carefully.
• Get your profile listed. Makers with a public profile on IndieMakerList get another indexed page linking to their products.

Common launch mistakes

• Launching to nobody — no waitlist, no audience, no community presence.
• Asking for upvotes instead of feedback, which can get a launch penalised.
• Disappearing after posting instead of answering comments all day.
• Treating launch day as the whole strategy instead of the start of distribution.
• Waiting for perfect — ship the smallest version that works, then relaunch it better.