How We Ranked #1 Product of the day on Product Hunt
On April 6th, we launched Flexprice on Product Hunt. We had no existing community, were launching for the very first time, and were up against some incredibly polished products. Despite all that, we ended the day as the #1 Product of the Day, with 500+ upvotes, 50+ sign-ups, and we got featured in the Product Hunt daily newsletter within 48 hours of launch. The traffic was real, and the intent was high.
It wasn’t a fluke. And it wasn’t about gaming the system.
But getting here wasn’t easy.
When I started planning our launch, I struggled to find reliable sources that can explain how to approach Product Hunt based on where you are as a company. Every blog seemed to either offer high-level fluff or scattered “hacks” that didn’t feel relevant for a first-time, no-audience launch. I had to piece things together through dozens of conversations, personal trial and error, and a whole lot of guesswork.
That’s why I’m writing this blog. This isn’t another “how to get upvotes” thread. It’s a step-by-step playbook for early-stage startups, solo makers, B2B SaaS teams, and anyone else trying to make a meaningful launch on Product Hunt without wasting weeks in confusion.
When should a company launch on Product Hunt
Product Hunt is a platform full of tech enthusiasts & early adopters. It is a perfect place to build awareness, gather feedback, and gain credibility. A successful launch can bring a surge of traffic, signups, and valuable user feedback. It can also serve as social proof like a badge that looks great to future investors or customers. It can even boost your SEO via a high-authority backlink.
In short, Product Hunt is great for startups that want to:
Get in front of tech-savvy users who love to test new products.
Catch the eye of tech bloggers or even investors
Drive a short-term spike in users or signups.
Validate an idea and collect early feedback from a community of makers.
However, a hard truth is that Product Hunt is not a magic bullet. Without preparation or if your product isn’t a good fit, you might launch to crickets. Top launches often invest dozens of hours in preparation (50–120 hours is common). So,when should you consider launching?
Make sure you have something valuable and working to show. If your product is just a waiting list or very rough beta with no real users yet, it’s usually better not to launch it on Product Hunt. Don’t launch an entirely unfinished idea that no one can actually use. Instead, wait until you have a functional beta or a solid feature set that can deliver value on day one.
That said, don’t wait forever to launch. You don’t need to be perfect or have every feature built. In fact, it is recommend to launch earlier than you might think. Product Hunt can be a great way to validate your idea and see what the market thinks.
You can even launch multiple times on Product Hunt as your product evolves (e.g. for major new features or pivots). So view a launch not as a one-time shot at fame, but as part of an iterative learning process.
Finally, set realistic expectations based on your product type and stage. A business (B2B) SaaS product might not get thousands of signups from Product Hunt, and that’s okay – a few dozen to a few hundred signups could be a big success for B2B. Broad consumer (B2C) apps or tools, on the other hand, might attract many more users (500–1500 signups on average for a good launch). The key is to aim for quality engagement (people who will actually use your product) over vanity metrics. In fact, a good mindset is to focus on conversions and user adoption, not just upvotes.
Choosing the right “day” to launch
One of the most commonly asked questions is “What is the best day to launch on Product Hunt?” The honest answer is: it depends on your goals and your situation. There are significantly different traffic and competition patterns by day of week – and even by time of month – that you should consider when scheduling your launch.
Monthly timing: An interesting insight is that the first half of a month tends to have more launches and stiffer competition than the latter half.
Many startups try to launch early in the month, possibly aiming to qualify for "Product of the Month" or simply due to fresh momentum at the start of a month. If you want Product of the Month title, launching in the first week or two makes sense. But if your main goal is simply to be Product of the Day in a less crowded field, you might find late-month launch dates a bit calmer.
Fewer competing launches in the second half could mean more visibility for you (though keep in mind this is a general trend, not a guarantee).
Now let’s talk days of the week, because this has a huge impact on your Product Hunt strategy.
Different days have different levels of user activity on Product Hunt, as well as different numbers of other products launching. Here’s a breakdown:
Monday to Thursday: These days see the highest traffic and engagement on Product Hunt. You are likely to get more eyeballs overall, which can translate to more absolute signups and comments. However, ranking #1 will be harder because you’ll be up against more contenders (often serious ones). In fact, data analyses have found Tuesday to have the highest average upvotes. If you’re eyeing Product of the Week, launching on Monday gives you the full week cycle (Mon–Sun) to be in that consideration.
Friday and Saturday: These days typically have lower competition than 1st half of the week. The trade-off is fewer total users will see your product.The upside is very few products launch on the weekend, so the competition is extremely low. If you launch on a Saturday or Sunday, you have an excellent shot at ranking #1 for that day. Another important drawback: Product Hunt does not send their “Top products” email newsletter for Friday and Saturday. This means even if you win, you won’t be featured in an email blast to all subscribers. You’ll still be listed on the site and in the history, of course, but you miss that extra exposure.
Sunday : Traffic is generally lowest on Sundays, as many users are offline or not checking Product Hunt actively. But that can actually work in your favor. Sunday launches are ideal if you're aiming for early social proof, product feedback, or get featured in newsletter. Since Product Hunt's newsletter goes out on Monday, being #1 on a Sunday gives you prime visibility to users starting their week. You also attract early adopters who are calm, curious, and more likely to leave thoughtful feedback.
Also, be mindful of external events. Try not to launch on major holidays when your audience is offline, and keep an eye out for big tech events or product launches. If a tech giant (like Google or Apple) or a highly anticipated product is launching the same day, it can dominate Product Hunt and overshadow everyone else
Early-stage/B2C/B2B considerations: What if you’re an early-stage startup with no followers, or a B2B product versus a B2C product? The day-of-week guidance above still applies, but here are some nuances:
If you have a big community or following already (lucky you!), you can afford to launch on a high-competition day because your supporters will give you a strong early boost. In fact, having a built-in crowd might require a high-traffic day to fully leverage their support (otherwise you might “overkill” a quiet day). Don’t be afraid of Tuesday–Thursday in this case. Your community can help carry you despite the competition.
If you have zero community (brand new product, no audience), it may be smarter to choose a day with less competition so that the smaller number of votes you expect will still rank well.
In short, pick your launch day strategically. There’s no one “best” day for everyone – it’s about matching the day to your goals (high rank vs high traffic) and your own ability to drum up support. Once you’ve chosen the date, commit to it and plan backwards to make sure you’re fully prepared.
Understanding the role of “Hunters” in 2025
You might have heard the term “hunter” in Product Hunt lore. Originally, hunters were the one who started building the PH community. In the early days of Product Hunt, having a famous hunter post your product could give you a big advantage because that hunter’s followers would all get notified of the launch. However, in 2025, the landscape has changed.
According to Product Hunt’s team, having a big-name hunter isn’t as critical anymore. You can absolutely hunt (submit) your own product as the maker and not be at a disadvantage.
That said, hunters still exist and can play a role. Top hunters are often people who have deep Product Hunt experience and a following, and many are open to hunting cool products (some even make a business of it). A hunter with a good reputation might bring a few benefits:
They might personally rally some of their network to support your launch.
If they are knowledgeable in your domain, they could leave a valuable comment to kick off your discussion.
It could lend a bit of credibility in the eyes of the community (i.e., “Oh, X hunted this – they usually hunt quality products.”).
However, beware of myths around hunters. Some folks claim that if a famous hunter hunts your product, you’re more likely to be featured by Product Hunt’s team – but this isn’t necessarily true. PH’s own algorithm and curators focus more on the product quality and engagement metrics (upvotes, comments) than the name of the hunter. In fact, many successful launches nowadays are self-hunted. The official word is: “Securing support from a well-known hunter can still be helpful for feedback and reach, but it’s not a silver bullet”.
So, our advice: don’t stress too much about finding a hunter. If you happen to know a respected PH community member who loves your product and offers to hunt it, great! If not, it’s perfectly fine to post it yourself.
Lastly, do not pay random people to hunt your product. There are rumors of hunters charging fees – aside from ethical issues, it’s unlikely to guarantee any real benefit and could connect you with shady practices. You don’t want anything that looks like vote manipulation or spam. Keep it authentic: Product Hunt rewards genuine community effort over hacks.
3–4 weeks before launch: Laying the groundwork
A successful Product Hunt launch begins weeks before launch day. Especially if you’re “starting from zero” with no existing community, you’ll want to take a few weeks to lay the groundwork. Here’s a breakdown of what to do before that fateful launch date:
Create a Product Hunt account (and be an active user): If you or your team haven’t done so, sign up on Product Hunt ASAP. Spend a bit of time filling out your profile. Use your real name or brand, add a photo/logo, and link your Twitter or other socials. This makes you look legitimate (and you are!). If you already have an old account, dust it off and get active. Start exploring the site daily.
Set up a “Coming Soon” (Teaser) page: Product Hunt allows makers to create a teaser page for upcoming launches. Use this! It’s a free way to start collecting interested followers before you launch. Coming Soon page includes your product name, a tagline or brief description, and maybe a sneak-peek image. Visitors can click “Notify me” to subscribe for your launch. This is golden: all those who subscribe will be notified by PH when you go live.
Engage with the Product Hunt community: Start being genuinely active on PH. This means commenting and upvoting on other products that interest you, and participating in discussions. Product Hunt has a “Discussions” section where founders and community members talk about various startup topics – join those chats, ask questions, answer questions, share your journey (without blatantly plugging your product yet). By doing this, you’re warming up the community. People might start recognizing your name.
You’ll also accumulate a small history of activity which the PH algorithm likes to see (brand-new accounts that only log in to post their own product can be viewed with suspicion). Engaging with others is also just a good way to give before you ask – support others and some will support you back. For instance, if you meaningfully comment on someone’s launch this week, they might remember and happily return the favor when you launch.
Join communities of makers: Outside of PH, get involved in maker communities like Indie Hackers, Hacker News, Reddit, Slack, Discord etc. Be helpful and let people know you’re building something. Many founders announce upcoming PH launches on Twitter using #BuildInPublic. Just avoid anything too spammy or rule-breaking. The idea is to authentically network with fellow makers so you can help each other.
Start a list of potential supporters: Begin compiling a list (Excel/Google sheet or whatever) of people who could support your launch. This list will be your go-to on launch day for outreach. Include:
Friends, family, or colleagues who have followed your journey
Early users or customers who’ve seen the product evolve
People who responded positively on social media about your product.
Fellow founders you’ve supported or shared communities with
Those Product Hunt users you’ve interacted with who might remember you.
1–2 Weeks Before Launch: Build buzz and finalize assets
Announce your launch date: As you get closer, pick a launch date (if you haven’t already) and let your community know. For example, one week out you might tweet or post: “Excited to announce we’re launching [ProductName] on Product Hunt next Tuesday! 🚀”.
Don’t beg for votes — just inform your network and share your excitement. This puts the launch on people’s radar in a genuine way. You can also reach out to close contacts with a quick note like:“We’re planning to launch on Product Hunt on the 12th. Would love for you to check it out when it’s live!”
This keeps things low-pressure while building early awareness and visibility.
Help potential supporters get familiar with Product Hunt: It’s tempting to ask your friends to quickly make PH accounts the night before — but that’s not the goal here. Instead, think about people who would actually enjoy using Product Hunt: fellow builders, early adopters, curious friends. Invite them to explore the platform ahead of time — follow a few products, leave a comment or two — so they’re warmed up and comfortable when your launch goes live. This isn’t about gaming the system; it’s about helping your future supporters show up authentically.
Hype up your upcoming launch and build early followers: Check your Product Hunt upcoming page dashboard to see how many people have subscribed. You can see the names of people who have subscied on the PH app.
Prepare your Product Hunt listing assets: You’ll want everything polished and ready to go before launch. Key items include:
Product name and tagline: On PH, the tagline is super important – it’s the 60 characters tagline that appears in listings. Make it clear and enticing (e.g., “AcmeCo – The easiest way to manage your personal finances in one app”).
Description: You get 260 characters to elaborate on the product page. Keep it scannable – what does your product do, what problem does it solve, and what’s special about it? Avoid super long walls of text; a couple of short paragraphs or bullet points work well.
Media (images/video): Product Hunt allows multiple images and/or a video. Use high-quality screenshots that showcase your UI or outcome. If you have a promo video or demo GIF, include it. Make sure the first thumbnail is attractive – it might be seen in previews. Also prepare a good thumbnail/icon. It should be clear and not too text-heavy, as it’s small.
First comment (Maker’s comment): Plan what you, as the maker, will comment once the product is live. This is often a "Hey PH, I’m the maker..." post. Common formula: introduce yourself, thank everyone, briefly share why you built this and what problem it solves, and invite feedback. This comment can be a bit longer and more personal than the description. It sets the tone and is your chance to speak directly to the community.
Special launch offer (optional): Many makers offer a little perk to the PH community – e.g., an extended free trial, a discount code, or exclusive access. If it makes sense for your product, prepare that. It can boost engagement because people feel they’re getting something special for being early.
Shoutouts: Share the tools that helped you bring your product to life. Mention the product name and one sentence about why you recommend / like them over the alternatives. When giving shoutouts for your product, consider highlighting not only the tools you've used directly in its development but also those that have supported other aspects of your business.
Refine your outreach list and plan: The idea is to not hit everyone at exactly the same moment, but to spread your outreach in waves (we will detail this in the Launch Day section). Also decide how you will reach each group (some via WhatsApp, some via email, some via Twitter DMs, etc.). Draft some message templates to save time on the day.
Technical prep: Ensure your servers and analytics are ready. It’s common to see a traffic spike, so be sure your website can handle it. Set up Google Analytics or other tracking to see the impact. And double-check any signup flows or referral codes so you can count signups from PH users. Basically, fix any glaring bugs that would sour a bunch of first-time users coming in on launch day.
You have a smooth self-serve signup or demo ready. Product Hunters are impatient and won’t wait for a sales call. If they can’t immediately try your B2B product, many will bounce. So have a free trial or live demo accessible to capture any interest you get.
By the end of this phase, you should have a date locked in, a fully prepared Product Hunt listing (perhaps even scheduled), and a small army of supporters who know what’s coming. You’ve done the groundwork – now the real fun begins!
The day before launch: Final prep
Your product is to launch at 12:01 AM PT on the chosen date. Double-check all info and media are correctly uploaded. Send a friendly reminder to your core supporters that “Tomorrow is the big day!” You’ve got a 24-hour marathon ahead. Try to get a good night’s sleep so you can be attentive and responsive during launch day.
Launch day playbook
It’s launch day – time to execute all your plans. The key today is momentum and engagement. Product Hunt’s ranking algorithm looks not just at total upvotes, but also the rate of upvotes, the timing, and the engagement (comments, etc.). You want a strong start and then a steady stream of activity throughout the day. Here’s a step-by-step checklist for the big day:
Launch at 12:01 AM PT. Timing is everything: Product Hunt operates on a Pacific Time 24-hour cycle. If you’ve already scheduled your launch, it will show at 12:01 AM PT and you will get to know whether your product will get featured (appear on the 1st page of product hunt or not). Getting featured is decided by Product Hunt moderators. Don't worry if you didn't get featured, focus on your action items and you still have chances to win.
In the 1st 4 hours: rally your closest supporters (Wave 1). Typically, the first few hours of a launch are the most critical. There’s a lot of shuffling early in the day, and initially Product Hunt doesn’t show the exact upvote counts publicly, to reduce herd mentality.
After a few hours, the vote counts appear and things might stabilize, but you’ll usually know by noon or early afternoon if you’re in contention for the top spots. Use those early hours well – that’s when your immediate network can have the biggest impact before others swoop in. After that, it’s about maintaining a lead.
Start with posting on LinkedIn that you’ve launched your product and reaching out to your supporters – the people who promised to be there at launch (your team, best friends, etc.). Send personalized messages with your Product Hunt link. Something like: “We’re live! 🎉 .Come check out what we’ve built Product Hunt: [link]!” These folks hopefully will act fast.
Engage with every comment and thank voters. Keep a browser tab open on your PH page and respond to people promptly. If someone says “Looks cool!”, reply with a thank you. If they ask a question, answer it thoroughly. Show that you’re present and listening. High engagement can boost your ranking, as PH values discussion that shows genuine interest. Also, others seeing a responsive maker might be more inclined to comment or support.
Staggered outreach – maintain momentum in waves. Rather than blasting everyone at once, it’s often better to spread out your calls to action over the course of the day. For example:. If you send everyone at once and you get, say, 100 votes in an hour and then nothing, it might look fishy (and PH could even freeze your count if they suspect vote rings). And (2) you want to keep climbing throughout the day; new products will launch and contend with you, so consistent support prevents you from losing momentum. Plan at least three major pushes in different time zones to maximize coverage.
Midnight–2 AM PT: You hit up the closest circle (Wave 1, done). Also, this time is morning in Europe/Asia – if you have any international friends or users, you might message them now too, since they’re starting their day.
Around 7–9 AM PT: This is when U.S. folks wake up and check Product Hunt. Now send out Wave 2: a larger group of friends, colleagues, and subscribers. Also consider making your social media posts around now: tweet about your PH launch, post on LinkedIn, etc., because a lot of people check social in the morning. In those posts, do include the PH link, but don’t explicitly beg for upvotes (PH actually discourages asking for votes outright). Instead, say something like “We just launched on Product Hunt! [One-liner about the product]. Would love your support and feedback 🙏 [PH link].” This invites people to check it out and support if they like it, which is within the rules.
Afternoon (12–3 PM PT): Time for Wave 3. By early afternoon Pacific, Europe is off work and U.S. is midday. Send reminders or reach out to any stragglers who haven’t reacted yet, and share in any relevant online communities now. For instance, post in a Slack group or Facebook group for startups (if allowed) mentioning your launch, or a follow-up tweet (“Halfway through our Product Hunt launch day, we’re at #2! 😮 Thanks for the support, let’s keep it going [link]”). According to some strategies, a push around 2 PM PT helps maintain the momentum into the late afternoon.
Evening (after 5 PM PT): By this time, you’ll likely see where you stand. If you’re neck-and-neck for the top spot, you might do one more gentle outreach to folks in other time zones (e.g., Asia Pacific who are in morning again) or any friends who said “I’ll do it later” but haven’t. But be cautious not to force anything unnatural.
The reason for this staggered approach is the Product Hunt algorithm prefers a steady flow of upvotes over a single huge spike.
Avoid any cheating or spammy behavior (seriously!). It can be tempting to think “How will PH know if I just get 20 friends to sign up new accounts today and vote?” But PH is quite smart about this. They will notice a burst of votes from brand-new accounts and likely remove them or penalize your product. The same goes for buying votes on Fiverr or setting up VPNs to vote multiple times – don’t do it. Also, remind any enthusiastic friends not to create multiple accounts or spam on your behalf. One often-cited example: hosting a “launch party” where everyone is on the same Wi-Fi voting together can look like a bot farm to PH’s system (lots of votes from one IP). So distribute your voting activity naturally. The bottom line: win on merit and community, not on black-hat tactics. Product Hunt explicitly penalizes sudden unnatural vote spikes. Keep things organic – if your product is good and you followed the steps, you’ll do fine with honest methods.
Monitor your ranking and keep engaging. Throughout the day, periodically check the PH homepage. If you see someone overtaking you or a new contender rising, don’t panic. Stick to your plan. If you have more outreach left to do (people you haven’t pinged yet), you can do a final wave in the evening to try to cement your position. But avoid the urge to, say, ask the same person twice – don’t annoy people. Focus on engaging any new commenters on your post – a genuine discussion in your comments can sometimes sway undecided visitors to upvote. Also, if you have users coming in from PH and giving feedback or bug reports, acknowledge them. This shows good founder behavior, which the community loves.
Aiming for the #1 spot: If your goal is to finish #1 Product of the Day, you’ll likely be keeping a close eye on any close competitors. It’s okay to do a final push in the last few hours if needed – maybe a late-night tweet like “Almost there: we’re neck and neck for #1 on Product Hunt, any support is appreciated before the day ends!” Some folks will rally behind an underdog story. Just remain courteous and don’t disparage any competing product. Product Hunt is community-driven, so goodwill matters.
Celebrate and wrap up: By 11:59 PM PT, the scores lock in. Congratulations, you’ve made it through launch day! Take screenshots of your Product Hunt page showing your rank and votes – you’ll want those for social proof later. Post a thank you note on your PH comment thread and maybe on Twitter, acknowledging everyone’s help and the outcome. Regardless of rank, thank your supporters sincerely.
Throughout the day, remember: it’s not just about upvotes, it’s about making meaningful connections. Some of the people you interact with could become users, partners, or friends. Enjoy the process – launching can actually be fun when you see people excited about what you built!
Guide to launch: https://brief-bow-0a9.notion.site/Product-Hunt-Launch-guide-Flexprice-1c99b3a59a688000b78acf55f1f28d4a?pvs=4
Aftermath: results and takeaways from the launch
So, you made it to #1 – what now? A Product Hunt launch, especially one that tops the charts, can have some fantastic outcomes. Here’s what you might expect (with some placeholders for our own results):
Surge in new users: The immediate impact is a flood of traffic to your website and sign-ups for your product.
Community feedback and buzz: We ended the day with 488 upvotes and 81 comments on our Product Hunt page. But beyond the numbers, the comments included invaluable feedback, feature requests, and even a few bug reports that we jumped on fixing.
Credibility boost: Being the #1 Product of the Day is a stamp of approval in the startup world. We proudly added the “#1 Product of the Day on Product Hunt” badge to our website. This kind of social proof helps in conversations with potential customers, partners, and even investors.
Newsletter and continued exposure: The following day, our product was featured in the official Product Hunt daily newsletter (sent to hundreds of thousands of subscribers) as the #1 of the day. This gave us a second bump in traffic.
New connections: Perhaps one of the best outcomes: we built relationships with many people through this process. Other makers who launched around the same time have stayed in touch (we now have a small peer network to cross-promote future updates). The supporters from our own network felt like part of our story, and we made sure to thank them individually. These human connections can lead to partnerships, hiring, or just a supportive founder community for the future.
Key takeaways: A Product Hunt launch is a lot of work, but if done right, it’s totally worth it. We learned that preparation and timing make a huge difference – our choice of launch day and the 3-week warm-up were critical to reaching #1. Also, being genuine wins: we didn’t do anything spammy, we focused on engaging honestly with everyone, and the community rewarded us. Finally, we treated the launch as the beginning of our product’s public journey, not an end. The feedback and users we got are now helping shape our next steps.
Thank you for reading this far! If you’re planning your own Product Hunt launch, I hope this playbook helps you go from zero to hero. Remember, every product and situation is different, but the principles of community, timing, and preparation are universal. Good luck, and maybe we’ll see you at the top of Product Hunt soon! 🎉
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