The launch week playbook from Seen Here First
Most of a good launch happens around the listing itself. Here is what to do, stage by stage, with Seen Here First.
Before launch day
Give the page everything
Read your page as a stranger would. If something is missing or vague, fix it, and complete the founder profile so the person behind the product is clear.
Get the images ready
Make the images match the product people will get. Up-to-date screenshots and a tidy logo set the tone, and a short demo video helps too.
Choose a good moment
Check your calendar first. A launch goes best when the founder can reply to comments the same day.
Let people know early
Prepare a short launch message you can adapt for each place. Give friends and users a heads-up about the date.
Launch day
Share it on social
Post on X, LinkedIn and Bluesky with your launch link and one screenshot. Pin the post and use the link in your profile.
Write to your users
Your mailing list knows you already. Email them the link on launch day, and mention the launch in your welcome email this week.
Respond to everyone
Keep an eye on comments all day and answer each one. Feedback you get now is useful for the next update.
Join the right communities
Post only where the rules allow it and the topic fits. Write in your own name, answer questions there too, and use Show HN for something people can try.
Ask real users for honest feedback, not for votes from several accounts. Each person gets one vote, and no one can buy votes.
Through the week
Refine your listing
Use the feedback from launch day: tighten the description, add missing answers to the FAQs and refresh any old screenshots.
Give people a second chance to see it
Repost on LinkedIn later in the week with a fresh angle, such as a question people asked or a fix you shipped.
Pick more places to launch
Look at other launch and startup directories that fit your category, and list there during or after the week.
Show the badge
A small badge on your website shows the launch and links to your listing. Add it once and it keeps working.
Afterwards
Measure what happened
Measure it yourself: add tracking tags to every link you share and check your analytics once the week ends.
Maintain your page
After launch, keep the details current: what it does, what it costs and what it looks like now.
Do it again
When you ship something substantial, relaunch. New features and milestones are good reasons to tell people again.
Launch directories worth a look
Not sure which directories to use? Best Launch Directories lists product launch platforms, startup directories and AI tool lists with Domain Rating, price and link type.
If you want more
If you would like extra help, Seen Here First sells the following, each at the price shown. All of them are optional.
- Featured launch $19
7 days as the homepage's Featured listing from your launch week, labelled Featured. It is never a vote.
- Multi-site bundle $99
Write your listing once and we put it live on the other 49 launch and discovery sites for you, reworded for each site, and every edit you make later flows to all of them automatically.
- Done-for-you listing $149.99
Done for you on 49 other launch and discovery sites. Each listing gets a description written for that site, and one email gives you all the links.
- Main page $49
Your company name, logo, tagline and a link to your website in the Sponsored slot on the homepage for 7 days.
- Category page $19
Your company leads your category page for 7 days, shown as Sponsored.
- Weekly newsletter $29
Sponsor one issue of the weekly newsletter: your company in its Sponsored place.
- Billboard from $5
A paid board where the company that has contributed the most sits at the top. Ranked by money only, and it never touches a vote.
- Product review $19
A structured review of your product built from your public website and your listing, shown on your listing and labelled as commissioned by the maker. It is never a vote or a rating.
- Editorial founder feature $29
An edited article about the founder, from their own story, profile and listing facts; our editors invent nothing.
Prices are in US dollars; VAT is added where it is due.
Questions
- When is the best time to post about my launch?
- Start on launch day itself. A second post during the week, built around something new, gives the launch a second chance.
- Which other launch directories should I use?
- Yes, if the directories fit your product. Shortlist by category, then compare pricing and link type before you submit.
- Is there anything to do after launch week?
- Review what worked, keep your page accurate, and relaunch when you have a new version or a milestone.
- Can friends and colleagues vote for my product?
- Yes, ask the people who know your product. They each have one vote; votes can never be bought and extra accounts are not allowed.
That is the playbook. Questions about launching on Seen Here First are answered in the help centre. Open the help centre