How to Launch Your Product | Martijn Verbove's process

Start

Find users to test your product before you launch on product hunt.

Cold messaging is okay, so long as you make sure that:

• the message is personable
• and is geared towards someone who you really think is interested.

Being in contact with users makes sure you get your story right.

A list of Facebook groups where online product people hang out:

• SaaS Growth Hacks
• Saas Mantra
• Startup Product Launches
• Product Hunt
• SaaS Product & Marketing

Other groups

• Pushstart
• Indiehackers

Story

The right time to launch is not when your product is done, but when YOU are ready. Ready to talk to a whole bunch of (potential) users. Prepared to onboard users.

Make sure your story is clear, correct, and understandable.

• Make clear what your product IS.
• Make clear what your product DOES.
• Your first launch is more about your story than about your product.
• Market fit = Vision & People who believe your vision. Find people that believe in your vision.

Get ready for launch

Use a clear message as your tagline

• Upvotes based on tagline is only helpful when it's from people that want your product.
• Conversions because the tagline was funny means lots of churn after a short while.

Have an existing userbase before launch

You need their feedback.

You need their support.

Find support

Before launch (over a month or maybe even years), build up enough goodwill so that people will support you and share your launch. It's needed to get the reach.

Get press

Startups don't get much press coverage if the story is boring.

Steps to reach out to press:

1. When reaching out to a journalist, it's not about you. It's about the story.
2. Create an extensive and highly curated list of people you want to reach out to.
3. Don't send a press release, but a pressroom.
4. Send the story and press info in an email ~4 days before launch.
5. If they don't respond, send a follow-up at the end of the launch day with the (hopefully) amazing results).
6. (Also, some won't respond but will still write about your product(launch))

What to write in an email to the press?

1. Give an intro on where you and the product started and what it is.
2. Talk about the effort you took to bring you where you are now with your product.
3. Talk about the problem you have solved with your product.
4. Give a clear call to action. (What do you need help with?)

Be genuine

Launch plan

Your listing on product hunt

• Use thumbnail GIF to show how the product works.
• Align Product name and tagline.
• Set up the first tag as the most important and relevant.
• Create GIF's for the slides to show use cases.
• Keep slides a small file size to help with loading.
• If you want to add a video, do so in the comments.
• Make the first image easy to load. It is the OG image for sharing.

Launch day structure

Make sure to structure your day. Use a schedule (see example image).

In the schedule plan:

• Activities
• Content
• Messaging
• Support

Launch day

Don't look at your ranking. It will only distract.

Engage with your audience.

Launch day is not about giving something; it is an opportunity to talk to people and get feedback.

Especially talk to the people who are not interested.

Tips

1. Go live in the morning
2. Wait an hour after the day starts to see if there isn't a huge product starting too (like a Stripe or Apple).
3. Don't expect much from Reddit or Hackernews unless you specifically built a strategy for this.
4. Engage, really engage with the people that talk with you.
5. Don't link dump. Traction on content matters most.

Bonus tip: Launch day isn't just one day. It's more like five (from preparation and the days after launch).

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