Show HN launch

Launch directories are a lottery. Buy the ticket, but show up with your message straight.

Show HN, Product Hunt and the rest are free and take an afternoon, so they're worth doing. But a launch rarely builds a business on its own. Plenty of products get a front-page spike and then nothing, because the post explained features instead of the problem, or the founder disappeared after posting. This skill makes sure the launch says clearly what it fixes, for whom, and why it's better than what they do now, and that the founder is ready to turn comments into conversations.

What you need

1. The product, a working link people can try, and who it's for.
2. Output from one-line-pitch if you have it. If you can't state the problem in one sentence, do that first.
3. The founder's honest backstory: why they built it.

Show HN basics

Show HN is for things people can try: a product, a tool, an open source project, something running. Blog posts, landing pages with only a signup form, and fundraising announcements don't belong there. The title starts with "Show HN:". Make it easy to try without a long signup. Never ask friends to upvote; Hacker News detects voting rings and penalises them. Be there to answer comments for the first few hours.

Steps

1. Write the title. "Show HN: <Name>, <what it does in plain words>". Under 80 characters. No superlatives, no exclamation marks, no "revolutionary". Concrete beats clever.
2. Write the first comment. Posted by the founder straight after submitting. Cover, in plain prose:
   • who you are and why you built it (the real reason)
   • the problem, in the customer's words
   • what it does and how, including anything technically interesting
   • what's rough or missing, honestly
   • what kind of feedback you'd like Keep it under 250 words.
3. Prepare for the hard questions. Hacker News readers ask how it works, what it costs, what happens to their data, why not just use an existing tool, and whether it's an AI wrapper. Draft short, honest answers.
4. Make trying it frictionless. A demo, a free tier, or a no-signup try-out. If people must create an account, say why.
5. Plan the first 48 hours. Who answers comments and when. A note of every person who says "I have this problem" or asks a specific question, so you can follow up properly. Where to post the launch next (Product Hunt, relevant communities, your newsletter), each written for that place.
6. Afterwards, study what worked. Which comments came from real potential customers? What words did they use? That's more valuable than the upvote count.

Output

Title: Show HN: ...
First comment:
<text>

Likely questions and answers:
- Q: ... A: ...

Before posting: <checklist of what must work>
First 48 hours: <who, when, what to note>
Follow-up list: <how you'll capture people who described the problem>

Product Hunt and other directories

Same principle, different format: a tagline in plain words, a first comment from the maker telling the real story, a few clear screenshots, and someone there all day to reply. Pick a day you can be present. The value is the conversations, not the badge.

Rules

• Never fake engagement, ask for upvotes, or use multiple accounts.
• Be honest about limitations. Hacker News readers respect it and punish spin.
• Answer criticism with information, not defensiveness.
• A launch is one day. Finding customers is every day after it. Don't pause everything else for it.

With MyPip (coming)

When the MyPip MCP is live, this skill will be able to check which of the people who commented on your launch are actually ready to buy, so your follow-ups go to the right few.