<!--
ROBOTS ON PAYROLL / THE VAULT
What this is: every launch template in one file: PH maker comment, X thread, Show HN post, three emails, and a Reddit story post.
How to use it: download this file and give it to your AI (Claude, ChatGPT,
Cursor, Lovable chat) as a reference. Say: "Use this as my playbook for
drafting my launch posts."
Latest version + full guide: https://robotsonpayroll.com/resources/launch-week-kit
-->

# Launch Templates

Every template from the Launch Week Kit in one file. Fill the [SLOTS], then edit until it sounds like you typed it at 11 PM. That last step is not optional: as of 2026, HN flags LLM-flavored prose, Reddit builder subs filter it, and PH's algorithm rewards conversation quality over polish.

Contents:
1. Product Hunt maker first comment
2. X launch thread skeleton (3 hook patterns)
3. Show HN post
4. Waitlist warm email (D-3)
5. Launch day email (D0)
6. Follow-up email (D+3)
7. Reddit story post (r/SideProject shape)
8. Canned launch-day replies

---

## 1. Product Hunt maker first comment

60-80% of voters read this before deciding anything. End with a question; comments compound in the 2026 algorithm.

```
Hey Product Hunt, I'm [NAME]. I built [PRODUCT].

The short version: [ONE SENTENCE, PLAIN WORDS, WHAT IT DOES FOR WHOM].

Why I built it: [2-3 SENTENCES ON THE SPECIFIC PAIN. USE A NUMBER: "I was
spending 4 hours a week doing X by hand" beats "X was frustrating".]

What it does today:
- [OUTCOME 1, NOT FEATURE NAME]
- [OUTCOME 2]
- [OUTCOME 3]

What it doesn't do yet: [1-2 HONEST GAPS. THIS LINE BUYS MORE TRUST THAN
THE FEATURE LIST ABOVE IT.]

How it's built: [STACK IN ONE SENTENCE. PH READERS GENUINELY LIKE THIS.]

For launch day: [REAL OFFER IF YOU HAVE ONE, e.g. "50% off the first year
for the first 100 signups, code HUNT". Skip this line rather than fake it.
Never tie any offer to upvoting; that gets listings removed.]

I'll be here all day. To start us off: [SPECIFIC QUESTION TO THE COMMUNITY,
e.g. "what's the most annoying part of [PROBLEM AREA] for you right now?"]
```

## 2. X launch thread skeleton

Rule one: no link in tweet 1. A URL in the main post costs roughly 30-50% of initial reach as of early 2026. Link goes in your own first reply.

```
TWEET 1 (the hook, pick ONE pattern):

  NUMBER PATTERN:
  "[TIMEFRAME] ago I started building [PRODUCT] [CONTEXT: nights/weekends,
  with AI agents, after quitting X]. Today it's live. [ONE REAL NUMBER:
  waitlist size, revenue, hours saved, users in beta]."

  PAIN PATTERN:
  "[SPECIFIC TASK] used to take me [TIME/COST]. I got annoyed enough to
  build a tool. As of today anyone can use it."

  STORY PATTERN:
  "[N] weeks ago [INCITING INCIDENT: the bill, the bug, the client, the
  spreadsheet from hell]. Today I'm launching what came out of it."

TWEET 2: The problem as one concrete scene. Real numbers, real names of
  tools you replaced or glued together. No abstractions.

TWEET 3: How it works, part 1. [SCREENSHOT of the core flow.]

TWEET 4: How it works, part 2. [30-60s DEMO VIDEO or second screenshot.]

TWEET 5: The receipt. What it cost to build, how long, what stack, what
  broke. Build-in-public texture is why strangers trust tweet 1.

TWEET 6: What's next + the ask. "It's live on Product Hunt today. Link in
  the next tweet. If you try it, tell me what's broken."

FIRST REPLY (yours, immediately): [PRODUCT LINK with UTM] + [PH LINK]

THEN: answer every reply for at least the first hour. A reply weighs
roughly 13.5x a like; a back-and-forth conversation roughly 150x.
```

## 3. Show HN post

Read https://news.ycombinator.com/showhn.html the day you post. Non-negotiables: you built it, people can try it without a signup gate, no upvote solicitation of any kind, write every word yourself.

```
TITLE:
Show HN: [PRODUCT NAME] - [WHAT IT IS, PLAIN AND TECHNICAL, NO ADJECTIVES]

  Good:  "Show HN: Rowfill - CSV import API that fixes malformed files"
  Bad:   "Show HN: Rowfill - The blazing-fast way to supercharge imports"

URL: your product URL, clean, NO UTM parameters. HN readers notice
tracking junk and the submission URL should be canonical. Measure HN
traffic by referrer instead.

FIRST COMMENT (post it within minutes of submitting):

Hi HN, I built [PRODUCT], a [WHAT] for [WHO].

I built this because [SPECIFIC REASON: the technical itch, the job pain,
the tool that didn't exist. One short paragraph, first person, concrete].

How it works: [2-4 SENTENCES, TECHNICAL. NAME THE STACK, THE INTERESTING
DESIGN DECISION, AND ONE TRADEOFF YOU MADE AND WHY.]

Known limitations: [2-3 HONEST ONES. HN REWARDS THIS AND PUNISHES GLOSS.]

You can try it without signing up at [URL].

Happy to answer anything, especially about [THE TECHNICAL PART YOU MOST
WANT TO DISCUSS].
```

## 4. Waitlist warm email (send D-3)

```
Subject: we go live [DAY]

Hey,

Quick one. [PRODUCT] launches publicly on [DAY, DATE].

You signed up early, so two things:

1. You get [EARLY-BIRD SPECIFIC: locked-in price / extended trial / the
   thing you promised]. That's live for you now: [LINK with UTM].

2. On [DAY] we'll be on Product Hunt. If you've tried [PRODUCT] and have
   opinions, comments and honest feedback there genuinely help (the
   algorithm cares about real discussion, not vote counts). I'll send the
   link [DAY] morning.

One ask before then: reply with the #1 thing you'd want [PRODUCT] to do
that it doesn't. Launch week is when I ship fast.

[NAME]
```

## 5. Launch day email (send D0, your list's morning)

```
Subject: [PRODUCT] is live

It's live: [PRODUCT LINK with UTM]

[ONE SENTENCE: WHAT IT DOES.] [ONE SENTENCE: THE EARLY-USER OFFER AND ITS
REAL DEADLINE, IF ANY.]

We're also on Product Hunt today: [PH LINK]. If you have 2 minutes, try
the product and leave a comment with your honest take. I'm answering
everything there all day.

That's it. Short on purpose. Go break it and tell me what happened.

[NAME]
```

## 6. Follow-up email (send D+3)

```
Subject: launch week, the actual numbers

Launch week is done. Here's what happened, receipts included:

- [NUMBER] signups, [NUMBER] paying
- [PH RESULT: rank, upvotes, best comment]
- [ONE THING THAT FLOPPED, STATED PLAINLY]

The best part was the feedback. You asked, we shipped:
- [FEEDBACK ITEM 1] -> done
- [FEEDBACK ITEM 2] -> shipping [DATE]

[IF EARLY OFFER EXPIRING: "The launch price ends [REAL DATE]." OTHERWISE
DELETE THIS LINE. Fake urgency burns the list.]

One CTA: [THE SINGLE MOST USEFUL NEXT STEP: try the new feature / book a
15-min call / reply with X]. [LINK with UTM]

[NAME]
```

## 7. Reddit story post (r/SideProject shape)

Show-and-tell framing, working product only (no waitlist links there), written by hand. Post Tue-Thu, 8-11 AM ET. One promo post per sub per 3-4 weeks.

```
TITLE: [WHAT YOU DID + TIMEFRAME + HOOK NUMBER]
  e.g. "I launched my [CATEGORY] tool this week. [N] signups, [N] things
  that went wrong, and what I'd do differently"

BODY:
[PARAGRAPH 1: the story. What you built, why, how long it took, what
stack. First person, past tense, specific.]

[PARAGRAPH 2: the launch. Real numbers, including the bad ones. The
failure detail is what makes the post survive moderation and get comments.]

[PARAGRAPH 3: 3-5 lessons as a list. Each one concrete enough to steal.]

[FINAL LINE: link to the working product, named in context: "The tool is
[NAME] ([URL]) if you want to poke at it. Happy to answer anything about
the build."]
```

## 8. Canned launch-day replies (load these before D0)

Personalize the first line of each before sending, always.

```
PRICING QUESTION:
"[TIER SUMMARY IN ONE LINE]. The honest version: [WHO SHOULD PAY and WHO
SHOULD STAY FREE]. What would you use it for? That changes my answer."

HOW IS THIS DIFFERENT FROM [COMPETITOR]:
"Fair question, I used [COMPETITOR] for [TIME]. The difference: [ONE
CONCRETE DIFFERENCE]. If you need [THING COMPETITOR DOES BETTER],
honestly, use them."

ROADMAP QUESTION:
"Next 4 weeks: [ITEM 1], [ITEM 2]. Not planned: [THING], because [REASON].
Is [ASKED FEATURE] blocking you or nice-to-have?"

BUG REPORT:
"On it. Can you tell me [ONE DIAGNOSTIC QUESTION]? Fixing this today if
it's what I think it is." [THEN ACTUALLY FIX IT AND REPLY AGAIN WITH THE
FIX. A same-day public fix is the best marketing of the whole week.]
```