Startup Launch Checklist: 47 Tasks Before, During & After Launch Day
After launching 30+ products (including getting #1 on Product Hunt multiple times), I've distilled everything into this battle-tested checklist.
No fluff. Just the tasks that actually matter.
📋 Phase 1: Pre-Launch (2-4 Weeks Before)
Product Readiness
| Task |
Priority |
Notes |
| Core features working and tested |
🔴 Critical |
Ship MVP, not perfection |
| Onboarding flow < 2 minutes |
🔴 Critical |
Test with 5 real users |
| Mobile responsive |
🟡 High |
60%+ traffic is mobile |
| Loading speed < 3 seconds |
🟡 High |
Use PageSpeed Insights |
| Error handling & 404 pages |
🟢 Medium |
Don't show ugly errors |
| Analytics installed |
🔴 Critical |
GA4, Mixpanel, or Posthog |
Content & Assets
| Task |
Priority |
Notes |
| One-line pitch (< 10 words) |
🔴 Critical |
"X for Y" or "X without Y" |
| Landing page copy done |
🔴 Critical |
Focus on benefits, not features |
| Demo video (< 90 seconds) |
🟡 High |
Show, don't tell |
| Screenshots (5-8 high-quality) |
🟡 High |
Include social proof |
| Logo & favicon |
🟢 Medium |
Consistent branding |
| Press kit / media assets |
🟢 Medium |
Logos, screenshots, founder bios |
Community Building
| Task |
Priority |
Notes |
| Build email waitlist |
🔴 Critical |
Aim for 500+ before launch |
| Create Discord/Slack community |
🟡 High |
For early adopters |
| Engage in relevant subreddits |
🟡 High |
Be helpful, not promotional |
| Connect with 10+ potential users |
🔴 Critical |
DMs, not cold emails |
| Find 3-5 micro-influencers |
🟡 High |
1K-10K followers, high engagement |
🚀 Phase 2: Launch Week
Launch Day Tasks
| Task |
Time |
Platform |
| Submit to Product Hunt |
12:01 AM PT |
producthunt.com |
| Post launch thread on Twitter/X |
+ 30 min |
twitter.com |
| Post on HackerNews (Show HN) |
+ 1 hour |
news.ycombinator.com |
| Send email to waitlist |
+ 2 hours |
Your ESP |
| Post in relevant subreddits |
+ 3 hours |
reddit.com |
| Notify Discord/Slack community |
+ 4 hours |
Your community |
| Reach out to influencers |
Throughout |
DMs |
Real-Time Monitoring
⏰ Every 2 Hours:
- Check Product Hunt ranking
- Respond to ALL comments within 30 min
- Monitor Twitter mentions
- Track signups/conversions
- Note feedback themes
Quick Win Actions
| Action |
Impact |
Effort |
| Reply to every PH comment |
🔥 High |
Low |
| Thank everyone who shares |
🔥 High |
Low |
| Post progress updates |
🔥 High |
Low |
| Share behind-the-scenes |
Medium |
Low |
| Go live on Twitter Spaces |
Medium |
Medium |
📊 Phase 3: Post-Launch (First 30 Days)
Week 1: Momentum
| Task |
Goal |
| Write launch retrospective |
Document learnings |
| Publish "how we built it" article |
SEO + credibility |
| Collect 10+ testimonials |
Social proof |
| Fix critical bugs reported |
User retention |
| Email launch results to waitlist |
Keep engaged |
Week 2-4: Sustain & Scale
| Task |
Goal |
| Submit to 20+ directories |
SEO backlinks |
| Start content marketing |
Organic growth |
| Set up referral program |
Viral growth |
| Implement top feature requests |
User satisfaction |
| Reach out to podcasts |
Authority building |
Directory Submission Checklist
| Directory |
Type |
DA |
| BetaList |
Startup |
60 |
| SaaSHub |
SaaS |
55 |
| AlternativeTo |
Alternative |
75 |
| G2 |
Software |
90 |
| Capterra |
Software |
85 |
| GetApp |
Software |
80 |
| StackShare |
Dev Tools |
70 |
| Awesome Lists |
Open Source |
Varies |
🎯 Launch Day Timeline Template
🌅 Day Before:
22:00 - Final checks, go to bed early
🚀 Launch Day:
00:01 PT - Submit to Product Hunt
00:30 PT - Post Twitter launch thread
01:00 PT - Show HN submission
03:00 PT - Send waitlist email
06:00 PT - First Reddit posts
08:00 PT - Morning engagement push
12:00 PT - Midday progress update
16:00 PT - Afternoon engagement push
20:00 PT - Evening thank you thread
23:00 PT - Day 1 recap post
📈 Day After:
- Write retrospective
- Thank supporters personally
- Plan week 1 content
💡 Pro Tips from 30+ Launches
What Actually Moves the Needle
-
Personal outreach > broadcast - DM 100 people, not 1 tweet to 10K
-
Launch when ready - Tuesday-Thursday, avoid holidays
-
Respond in < 30 min - Speed = perceived care
-
Show vulnerability - "We're small but passionate" works
-
Stack launches - PH + HN + Reddit on same day = compounding
Common Mistakes to Avoid
❌ Launching on Monday or Friday
❌ Not having a waitlist before launch
❌ Ignoring negative feedback
❌ Over-promising features
❌ Treating launch as the finish line (it's the start)
📚 Resources
Need deeper playbooks? Check out these battle-tested guides:
What's your launch checklist missing? Drop a comment below 👇
I've helped launch products that reached 60K+ GitHub stars and millions of users. Happy to answer questions!
Top comments (0)