Cracking the Product Hunt Code: What Gets You Featured (and What Doesn't)
Learn what separates featured launches from ignored ones—and how to avoid the rookie mistakes that sink your debut
Product Hunt spotlights launches that are novel, polished, and community-driven, while ignoring copycats, buggy demos, and spammy tactics.
Will Get You Featured ✅
💡 Solve a clear pain point in an original way
🎯 Clear, unique value addressing a real pain
⚡ Craft a crystal-clear value proposition that hooks in 5 seconds
💎 Present a crisp tagline and demo video that tells the story fast
Will Not Get You Featured ❌
😅 Vague product positioning
👯 Ship a Me-too clone with zero differentiation
🐛 Launch with noticeable bugs or an unfinished interface
🚧 Launch unfinished or waitlisted products, vaporware, closed-betas
Pro tips:
Research Before You Launch. Search Product Hunt for similar products first. If 10+ clones already exist, you’re too late. Find the gap others missed. Identify similar products and understand what’s already in the market. Study their positioning, reception, and what made successful launches stand out.
Differentiate clearly and loudly. Don’t assume your uniqueness is obvious—spell it out in your tagline, description, and first comment. Show exactly how you solve the problem differently than existing solutions.
Show, don’t tell. Don’t just claim you’re “better” – show exactly HOW you’re better. Lead with your unique angle in your tagline and first screenshot.
Build in a defensible niche. The AI era has lowered barriers to product creation, but flooded markets with copycats. Focus on solutions that require deep expertise, unique data, proprietary technology, or specialized domain knowledge. Compete where the barrier to entry protects you from saturation. If someone can rebuild your product in a weekend, rethink your strategy.
Time your launch strategically. Don’t rush to market with an MVP that’s not ready for public scrutiny. A premature launch can hurt more than help—you only get one first impression. Wait until your product is polished enough to deliver on its promise.