Hi! I’m Alex Cloudstar, founder of CoLaunchly.io, a launch co-pilot that helps indie makers and developers market their products better. CoLaunchly.io On May 13, 2025, I officially launched CoLaunchly on Product Hunt. In this post, I want to share how it went, what worked, what didn’t, and what I learned from the experience. May 13, 2025 The Goal Before launching, I told myself I’d be happy landing in the top 10. It was my first time launching anything on Product Hunt, so even making the list felt like a stretch. I ended up doing better than that. Prepping for Launch I started by asking for advice in the Product Hunt and Reddit communities. I got some great tips like: Have a working product.
Record a demo video.
Add an interactive demo. I used Arcade for that, and I believe it made a huge difference. People could try the product instantly, without creating an account. Have a working product. Record a demo video. Add an interactive demo. I used Arcade for that, and I believe it made a huge difference. People could try the product instantly, without creating an account. Arcade I scheduled the launch for May 13. Based on what I read, Tuesdays and Wednesdays tend to perform better. So I picked Tuesday and committed. A Rough Start I thought the launch would start at 10 PM in my timezone, but it actually started at 10 AM. I had no idea. About 20 minutes in, I got a notification. People were already upvoting and commenting on my product. I was confused at first, then I realized the launch had already gone live. I checked the page and saw I had over 50 upvotes. Not a bad way to start. The Battle for the Top For a while, I was in second place. That felt unreal. Then another product pushed me to third. Later, Notion launched a new module and eventually claimed the top spot. For part of the day, I was actually ahead of Notion, which still blows my mind. By the end of the day, I landed at #4. At first, I was a bit disappointed not to make the top 3, but then I reminded myself that my original goal was just to reach the top 10. I did this alone, with no team, no launch experience, just code, persistence, and a bit of marketing (thanks to my own product, CoLaunchly). #4 That’s a win. What Helped Here’s what I think made the biggest difference: I scheduled the launch early and picked the right day.
I built relationships with other makers. Some I had supported in the past returned the favor.
I promoted it everywhere. Twitter, Reddit (I got a 7-day ban for being too active), Slack groups, Discord, Indie Hackers, WhatsApp, LinkedIn, Facebook.
I emailed my small waitlist. Only a few opened the email, but it was still worth it.
I replied to every comment on the Product Hunt page and gave awards to the best ones. I scheduled the launch early and picked the right day. I built relationships with other makers. Some I had supported in the past returned the favor. I promoted it everywhere. Twitter, Reddit (I got a 7-day ban for being too active), Slack groups, Discord, Indie Hackers, WhatsApp, LinkedIn, Facebook. I emailed my small waitlist. Only a few opened the email, but it was still worth it. I replied to every comment on the Product Hunt page and gave awards to the best ones. What I Could Improve I didn’t realize how early the launch would start. Next time, I’ll be ready.
I should’ve pre-written more content and outreach messages.
And I’ll try not to get banned from Reddit. I didn’t realize how early the launch would start. Next time, I’ll be ready. I should’ve pre-written more content and outreach messages. And I’ll try not to get banned from Reddit. A Big Surprise Someone actually bought the Founder plan on launch day. That was the first sale. That felt amazing. If you’re that person, thank you. You gave me a huge boost of confidence. The Impact The launch brought more traffic, more feedback, and more visibility. People really liked the idea, and that still surprises me in the best way. What’s Next I’ll keep improving CoLaunchly. Better design, more features, fewer bugs, and more ways to help makers launch smarter. Thank You To everyone who upvoted, commented, or shared CoLaunchly, thank you. This was a big moment for me, and I appreciate every bit of support. Let’s keep building. - Alex

This story contains new, firsthand information uncovered by the writer.

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I Got #4 on Product Hunt: Here's How - My First Launch Story

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