First Customers (GTM)

What's the best channel to launch on, Product Hunt, Reddit, Hacker News, or LinkedIn?

A starting point

Whichever one your customers actually use, don't launch on Product Hunt just because everyone does. Match the channel to your audience: developers on Hacker News, niche communities on Reddit, B2B on LinkedIn, indie/tech on Product Hunt. Better still, launch on several in sequence over weeks so each becomes its own event.

Go deeper

Watch

▶️ Video
Free Beginner

How to Launch (Again and Again)

On YC Startup Library by Kat Manalac (Y Combinator) ~25 min

Why we picked it

The definitive talk that reframes launching from a one-shot event into a repeatable tactic, exactly this category's thesis. YC partner Kat Manalac gives concrete relaunch strategies.

  • Launching is a continuous process, not a single moment you get one shot at.
  • Most first launches get ignored, that's normal, so relaunch repeatedly.
  • Relaunch around new features, audiences, milestones, and channels.
  • Use tactics like pre-orders and outreach to bloggers without big sponsorships.
Open ycombinator.com →

Read

📄 Article
Free Beginner

Product Hunt Launch Guide

From Product Hunt by Product Hunt guide / multi-page

Why we picked it

The official, primary-source guide straight from Product Hunt, it dispels myths and sets realistic expectations, unlike the sea of SEO 'PH hack' blogspam.

  • Launching is 100% free; company accounts are not allowed.
  • 12:01am Pacific Time is the standard best time to launch.
  • Prepare assets and warm up your community well in advance.
  • Use the launch to fuel organic community growth beyond launch day.
Open producthunt.com →
📄 Article
Freemium Intermediate

How to win your first 10 B2B customers

From Lenny's Newsletter by Lenny Rachitsky ~15 min read

Why we picked it

A tactical follow-on covering the channels and motions top B2B startups scale after the first ten. Grounds distribution strategy in real company examples.

  • Content/SEO is a surprisingly dominant B2B channel (Vanta, Amplitude, Figma, HubSpot).
  • The core B2B channels: self-serve inbound, sales-assist inbound, outbound, content, paid, partnerships.
  • Pick and systematize the one channel that compounds for you.
  • Distribution strategy should follow evidence, not fashion.
Open lennysnewsletter.com →

People also ask

When is my product 'ready' to launch? Sooner than you think, a launch is not one perfect moment, it's something you'll do again and again. Ship as soon as it solves one real problem for... Beginner 2 resources → My launch flopped and nobody cared, did I mess it up? Probably not, and definitely not fatally. Most first launches get ignored, that's normal, which is exactly why you should treat launching as a repe... Beginner 2 resources → How do I actually launch on Product Hunt and not embarrass myself? Read Product Hunt's own official launch guide first, it kills the common myths. Prepare weeks ahead: line up your assets, warm up an audience, laun... Intermediate 2 resources → How do I build up an audience before I launch so it's not just crickets? Start building in public months before you ship, share the journey, post progress, and collect an email list and community you can rally on launch ... Intermediate 2 resources → How often should I be launching, is once a quarter too much? There's almost no such thing as too often. Every meaningful feature, integration, milestone, case study, or new segment is an excuse to relaunch. T... Intermediate 1 resource → Why does everyone say 'distribution is more important than product'? Because a great product nobody can find dies quietly, while an average product with a strong channel wins the market. Most founders overspend on bu... Intermediate 2 resources →