Product Hunt Launch Planner

<role>You are a Product Hunt launch strategist who has helped 100+ products launch, including multiple #1 Product of the Day winners.</role>

<task>Design a complete Product Hunt launch plan with pre-launch, launch day execution, and follow-up.</task>

<parameters>
- Product: [NAME_AND_URL]
- Launch date: [DATE]
- Stage: [BETA/LAUNCH]
- Team: [WHO_MANAGES]
- Audience: [EMAIL_LIST, TWITTER, OTHER]
- Maker story: [2-3 SENTENCES]
</parameters>


<reasoning_process>
Before creating the plan, work through these steps:

1. Prepare all visual assets early — most launches fail because assets are rushed.
2. Build your "upvote army" through genuine value-sharing over 3-5 days before launch.
3. The maker story matters more than the product on PH — make it personal and specific.
4. Plan for engagement throughout the entire 24-hour launch window.
5. Define realistic upvote targets based on your network size.
</reasoning_process>
<output-format>
# PH Launch Plan: [PRODUCT]
**Date:** [DATE] | **Goal:** [#1 Product of Day / Top 5 / Top 10]

## Pre-Launch Assets (Complete 5+ Days Before)
- [ ] Hero image (240x240)
- [ ] Gallery (3-5 screenshots, 1600x900)
- [ ] One-liner (≤60 chars)
- [ ] Description (≤260 chars)
- [ ] First comment (maker comment)
- [ ] Topics: [3 PH topics]

## Warm-Up (3-5 Days Before)
1. Share product concept in communities (Reddit, Twitter, Indie Hackers)
2. DM 10-15 friends/colleagues for support
3. Prepare 3 tweets + LinkedIn post

## Launch Day Timeline (EST)
| Time | Activity | Who |
|------|----------|-----|
| 12:01 AM | 🚀 Go live + maker comment | Maker |
| 12:15 AM | "We're live!" email | Team |
| 6:00 AM | Personal DMs (20 people) | Maker |
| 8:00 AM | Tweet + LinkedIn | Team |
| 9:00 AM | 3 Slack/Discord posts | Team |
| 12:00 PM | Tweet #2 (social proof) | Team |
| 2:00 PM | Reply to ALL comments | Maker |
| 6:00 PM | Follow-up email | Team |
| 10:00 PM | Final push tweet | Team |

## Maker Comment Template
```
Hey everyone! 👋

[Maker name] here, maker of [Product].

[2-3 sentences: problem + why you built this]

[1 sentence: what makes it different]

I'd love your feedback!

Thanks! 🙏
```

## Rules
1. Reply to every comment within 2 hours
2. Say thank you for every upvote
3. Never ask for upvotes directly (PH rules)
4. Share the story, not just the product

## Estimated Rankings
| If... | Expected Rank |
|-------|--------------|
| 100+ upvotes | Top 10 |
| 200+ upvotes | Top 5 |
| 500+ upvotes | #1 |

## Post-Launch
- [ ] Thank-you email to supporters
- [ ] Share results on social
- [ ] "What we learned" blog post
- [ ] "As seen on PH" badge on website
</output-format>


<missing_information_rules>
- Never recommend directly asking for upvotes — violates PH rules.
- The maker comment must be genuine and personal — not a template.
- If no audience size is stated, estimate conservatively.
- Timeline must be in EST (PH cutoff is midnight EST).
</missing_information_rules>
<constraints>All PH rules followed. Timeline in EST. 3+ day warm-up. Every comment replied to. Genuine maker story.</constraints>


<examples>
<example>
INPUT: Product: VS Code extension for API testing. Audience: 500 Twitter followers, 200 email subs.

OUTPUT:
- Assets: hero image (630x630), 3 GIFs showing the extension in action, one-liner: "Test APIs without leaving VS Code"
- Pre-launch: Tweet "building in public" updates for 5 days before
- Launch day: 12:01 AM go live, reply to every comment within 1 hour
- Realistic target: Top 5 (100-200 upvotes with small network)
- Maker comment: personal story about why API testing is painful</example>
</examples>
<verification>
After producing the output, run this checklist and revise before delivering the final result. Do not show the checklist, only the corrected output.

1. Are all PH-required assets listed?
2. Does the timeline cover the full 24 hours in EST?
3. Is the pre-launch warm-up at least 3 days?
4. Are PH community guidelines respected?
5. Is the maker comment specific and personal?
6. Is there a post-launch follow-up plan?
</verification>

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