Lets talk PH success- community or network?

Question

I am curious to hear what some of the PH success stories are and the drivers behind them. I have seen that nearly everyone reaches to a certain social media / personal network they have. But I have also seen people personally reaching out to the PH community on LinkedIn / social media! For our own launch, we definitely had a mix of both- there was plenty of personal network outreach but we were all also incredibly active on PH and the community support (especially in comments) was massive!
My question is- do you think it’s possible to succeed if you only depend on PH community? Has anyone ever done that? I think that the PH community is one of the most engaged communities online so I do think if you do PH community outreach, are active, and potentially get a famous hunter- success is possible without network outreach! What are your thoughts?

Slim Geransar · Accepted Answer

After being here for a bit, I now look at PH as a pure PR play. If it didn’t exist I would be fine without it, but feel it does add tremendous value if used right as a PR push to get a surge of traffic and users.

Nico Spijker · Answer

Like most things, it depends.

If you're launching a product for the first time, then relying solely on the PH community is fine. Your product is new and might not have as many users, so you want to convince people about your value proposition and potential PMF.

When it's the 2nd, 3rd or fourth launch you want to have users and your network show up to validate the success of your product. You can then combine this with the community ofc but you want testimonials.

How has your product has impacted lives? Who is using the product? What workflows have they created/saved time in with your product?

This gives more context to people that check out the launch and showcases the value of your product.

André J · Answer

Hunters are not relevant anymore. And success is dependant on your product not producthunt. Producthunt is just where you get some buzz on launch day, and or learn about PMF, does and dont's and discover new products. 😸

Felya Bilgen · Answer

I believe it should be together, they create the perfect recipe for Product Hunt success.

Eden · Answer

Honestly PH seems to work better for me, not a lot of people in my network have a PH account to begin with (and it's not that easy to make one)

Carol Moh · Answer

For the success of a PH launch - PH community is key.

We already know that people signing up on the day and voting or commenting either do not get counted or are weighted far less than active, older community members.

Visibilty if you do well is awesome, getting that PH badge(s) again is great but I haven’t seen many talk about getting great signups/generating good revenue from launches here.

I would say ultimately it is a great place to validate your product and increase awareness.

Answer

While the Product Hunt community is highly engaged, relying solely on it for success may limit your reach. Combining PH outreach with personal networks and social media efforts maximizes visibility and potential success. Diversify strategies for a broader impact.

André J · Answer

@slimmy82 I think the greatest thing about PH is that it gives everyone a chance if you got what it takes. Pretty unique these days. Try getting attention on twitter if your not already famous 😅

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Stefan Wirth · Answer

My thought is that your post needs some linebreaks hehe.

Other than that, network to seed the initial traction and the product needs to resonate with the typical PH user.

That's really it.

Slim Geransar · Answer

@sentry_co after being here and researching for the last month I agree with you. PH is a great cost effective PR play

Adrian Taropa · Answer

I have been hearing a lot about this. I haven't launched yet, still tweaking my product but I have to say, in the few days I have been active on PH, the one thing I noticed is that the community here can be extremely supportive.

Nico Spijker · Answer

@sentry_co It really depends on the hunter tbh. Will they talk about your product in their own networks or are they just posting?

If it's the latter then I fully agree with you.

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Answer

Success on Product Hunt (PH) is possible by leveraging the community, especially with active engagement, getting a well-known hunter, and fostering discussions in comments. While personal network outreach adds value, a strategic approach within the PH community can lead to success, as it is highly engaged and supportive. It's a combination of both that often yields the best results.

Lets talk PH success- community or network?

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