ph-community-outreach · diff
git:20250723.a654776 to git:20251113.b02ed5d
110 added, 0 removed. Audit A to A.
---
name: ph-community-outreach
description: Engage Reddit, Indie Hackers, Hacker News and other communities for Product Hunt launches. Use this skill to identify relevant communities, craft appropriate posts, and drive cross-platform engagement without appearing spammy.
---
# Product Hunt Community Outreach
This skill helps you leverage online communities to amplify your Product Hunt launch while maintaining authenticity and following community guidelines.
## When to Use This Skill
- Identifying communities relevant to your product
- Crafting community-appropriate posts
- Timing cross-platform promotion
- Building relationships before launch
- Avoiding spam flags and bans
## The Golden Rules
### Rule 1: Be a Member First
- Participate for 2-4 weeks before launch
- Add value through comments and discussions
- Build karma/reputation organically
- Never cold-post your launch
### Rule 2: Provide Value, Not Just Promotion
- Share learnings, not just links
- Answer questions in your domain
- Help others with their launches
- Make posts interesting standalone
### Rule 3: Follow Each Community's Rules
- Read sidebar/rules before posting
- Check if self-promotion is allowed
- Note any format requirements
- Respect moderators
## Platform-by-Platform Guide
### Reddit
#### Relevant Subreddits
**General Startup/Product:**
- r/SideProject (253k) - Very friendly to makers
- r/startups (960k) - Broader startup discussion
- r/Entrepreneur (2.4M) - Business-focused
- r/smallbusiness (1.3M) - SMB audience
- r/InternetIsBeautiful (17M) - Cool web things
**Tech/Development:**
- r/webdev (1.7M) - Web development
- r/programming (5.6M) - General programming
- r/learnprogramming (3.5M) - Beginners
- r/opensource (400k) - Open source projects
- r/selfhosted (280k) - Self-hosted solutions
**Specific Niches:**
- r/SaaS (44k) - SaaS products
- r/nocode (120k) - No-code tools
- r/artificial (1.4M) - AI products
- r/productivity (1.1M) - Productivity tools
- r/design (470k) - Design tools
**Product Hunt Specific:**
- r/ProductHunters (small but targeted)
#### Reddit Posting Strategy
**Pre-Launch (2-4 weeks before):**
1. Join relevant subreddits
2. Comment helpfully on 10-20 posts
3. Build karma organically
4. Observe what content works
**Launch Day Post Template:**
```
Title: I built [Product] to solve [specific problem] -
launching on Product Hunt today
Hey r/[subreddit]!
After [X months] of building, I'm finally launching
[Product] on Product Hunt today.
**The Problem:**
[2-3 sentences about the problem]
**What I Built:**
[2-3 sentences about your solution]
**What Makes It Different:**
[Your unique angle]
**Current Status:**
- [Key metric or milestone]
- [Another relevant detail]
**Looking For:**
- Honest feedback on the concept
- Suggestions for improvement
- [Specific question for community]
Product Hunt link: [URL]
Happy to answer any questions about the build,
the tech stack, or the journey!
```
#### Reddit Best Practices
- ✓ Post during active hours (9 AM - 5 PM local)
+ - ✓ Respond to every comment
+ - ✓ Be humble and open to criticism
+ - ✓ Share actual value/learnings
+ - ✓ Use authentic language
+
+ #### Reddit Avoid
+ - ❌ Posting in 10+ subreddits at once (spam)
+ - ❌ Using the same text everywhere
+ - ❌ Just dropping a link
+ - ❌ Ignoring negative feedback
+ - ❌ Posting in large subreddits without karma
+
+ ---
+
+ ### Indie Hackers
+
+ #### Why Indie Hackers Works
+ - Community of makers/founders
+ - Celebrate launches and milestones
+ - Value transparency and learning
+ - Often reciprocal support
+
+ #### Indie Hackers Post Template
+ ```
+ Title: Just launched [Product] on Product Hunt -
+ here's what I learned building it
+
+ Hey IH community!
+
+ Today I launched [Product] on Product Hunt and wanted
+ to share the journey.
+
+ **📝 The Backstory**
+ [How you got the idea, why you built it]
+
+ **🔨 What I Built**
+ [Product] is [description]. It helps [audience]
+ [achieve outcome].
+
+ **📊 Key Numbers**
+ - Time to build: [X months]
+ - Lines of code: [X] (or tech stack)
+ - Beta users before launch: [X]
+ - Current MRR: [X or "pre-revenue"]
+
+ **💡 Lessons Learned**
+ 1. [Key lesson]
+ 2. [Key lesson]
+ 3. [Key lesson]
+
+ **🎯 What's Next**
+ [Your roadmap or next steps]
+
+ **🙏 The Ask**
+ Would love feedback from this community:
+ - [Specific question]
+ - [Specific question]
+
+ Product Hunt: [Link]
+ Website: [Link]
+
+ AMA about the build!
+ ```
+
+ #### Indie Hackers Best Practices
+ - ✓ Share real numbers (transparency wins)
+ - ✓ Focus on the journey, not just the product
+ - ✓ Engage with other launches too
+ - ✓ Join relevant IH groups
+ - ✓ Follow up with results post
+
+ ---
+
+ ### Hacker News
+
+ #### Hacker News Reality Check
+ - Very high bar for quality
+ - Community can be harsh
+ - Not for every product
+ - Best for: Dev tools, technical products, novel tech
+
+ #### HN Post Strategy
+
+ **Show HN Format:**
+ ```
+ Title: Show HN: [Product Name] – [Brief description]
+
+ [Link to product]
+
+ Then in comments, add context:
+
+ Hey HN! I built [Product] because [reason].
+
+ Technical details:
+ - Built with [tech stack]
+ - [Interesting technical challenge]
+ - [Performance/scale info]
+
+ I'd appreciate any feedback, especially on:
+ - [Technical question]
+ - [UX question]
+
+ Happy to discuss the implementation!
+ ```
+
+ #### HN Best Practices
+ - ✓ Technical substance required
+ - ✓ Be ready for tough questions
+ - ✓ Respond thoughtfully to criticism
+ - ✓ Don't ask for upvotes (ever)