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Rohan Chaubey

Product Hunt 101: Launching on Product Hunt is like being on a reality TV show

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A lot of new makers get confused about how PH works, so let me explain it in the simplest way possible through reality TV.

Think of American Idol / Indian Idol / The Voice.

First, you audition.

Lots of people show up.

But not everyone makes it to the main stage.

Similarly on Product Hunt, this first "selection" is the PH mods deciding which products get featured on the homepage. That’s like the judges picking who makes it through the auditions.

Then comes the big stage. Once you’re featured, it’s not about the judges anymore. It’s the PH community that votes and comments just like how the TV audience votes for their favorite contestants.

Please note, everyone is on the homepage, however, the featured products appear on top of all the other products. Even if you're not featured, you must still continue sharing your launch with the PH community. The best way to do it is by using PH Forums that will nudge your PH followers.

Now here’s the fun twist:

On shows like American's Got Talent, there’s a Golden Buzzer. If a judge hits it, the contestant gets fast-tracked to the finals.

On PH, the closest equivalent is when the Product Hunt team (or a Hunter) gives your product some extra love (feedback, guidance or positioning tips). It doesn’t guarantee you’ll win the day, but it’s a strong signal and can really help you shine on launch day.

If you want me to give you feedback on your landing page, product positioning and messaging, hit me up via the social URLs mentioned on my PH profile. :)

So, in short:

  • Round 1 = Judges (PH mods decides if you’re featured)

  • Round 2 = Audience (the PH community votes, comments, supports)

  • Golden Buzzer = A few tips from seasoned hunters to help you optimize before launch

If you think of it this way, PH feels a lot less like a mysterious black box and a lot more like… a fun competition show for products.

This is the simplest analogy I could think of. I hope this helps new makers understand what Product Hunt is.

Over to you!

New Makers, if you still have any questions, please ask in the comments.

Seasoned Makers, how would you explain PH to new members? Let me know in the comments.

P.S. If you're going to use this analogy on your blog, social media or in your conversations on the internet, please backlink to credit this PH forum post. Thank you! :D

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Nitin Joshi

This is well explain the product launch on PH.

Rohan Chaubey

@nitin_joshi Indeed :D

Kate Ramakaieva
I love the analogy, also all contestants are so nervous before going to the stage 😅 but it’s much more easier with Golden Buzzers like you 🙌🏻
Rohan Chaubey

@kate_ramakaieva Awh, thank you! You're equally helpful to the PH community :)

Thorin

Thanks! As a new maker, this helps me understand things.

Rohan Chaubey

@tmtabor Glad you found it helpful :)

Rajesh Cherukuri

Is maker comment analogous to the backstory video explaining the ‘why’, ‘who’ behind the performance making the audience truly root for the founder? 🙂

Rohan Chaubey

@rajesh_cherukuri Haha, exactly! Thanks for adding further to the analogy :D

Dan Bulteel
Need an analogy for the bots and fake engagement that some makers buy too 🫠
Rohan Chaubey

@dbul Do you have any suggestions? lol

I think the PH team cleans up the engineered engagement quite well.

Dan Bulteel

@rohanrecommends Fake queues around the block is the only one that comes to mind 🤣

Still a lot of fake reviews left on launch day, comments by zombie accounts and unnatural engagement spikes in upvotes - even on a top launch a few days ago, I saw all the reviews were bots

Difficult to manage for all platforms (LinkedIn also terrible these days), but defeats the purpose of the talent show mechanic here :)

Shahzaib Abid

Hi,

I am launching Khayr - A Personal AI Health Companion today. Currently it sits at rank #29. How can I make it to top 20? Can you share any tips or key findings from the launch?

Rohan Chaubey

@engrshahzaibabid Hey Shahzaib, technically, you didn't make past the Round 1.

Saboor Ahmad

This analogy makes Product Hunt way less intimidating.

I especially like how you broke it into “judges vs audience”, it really captures the dynamic between PH mods and the community. The “Golden Buzzer” part also clicked for me, because a little pre-launch guidance can make all the difference.

As someone preparing for an upcoming launch, this framing makes it feel more like a game I can learn and play, instead of a black box. Thanks for simplifying it!