# Launch guides for indie makers > Practical guides for launching a SaaS or side project: validating the idea, pricing, launch posts, where to launch, and getting your first backlinks and users. Canonical: https://indielaunch.dev/guides Last updated: 2026-11-08 - [Free startup directories list 2026: where to submit](https://indielaunch.dev/guides/startup-directories) - The best free startup directories to submit your startup or SaaS to in 2026: launch platforms, directories, AI directories and communities, in order. - [Best Product Hunt alternatives in 2026 (free)](https://indielaunch.dev/guides/product-hunt-alternatives) - The best free Product Hunt alternatives and sites like Product Hunt for launching a SaaS, side project or developer tool in 2026, and which suits you. - [Free dofollow backlinks for a new SaaS (2026 guide)](https://indielaunch.dev/guides/free-dofollow-backlinks) - What a dofollow backlink is and how a new SaaS gets its first ones for free: directories, badges, podcasts, listicles and your competitors' links. - [How to launch a SaaS product: 7-day checklist](https://indielaunch.dev/guides/how-to-launch-a-product) - A day-by-day checklist for launching a SaaS, app or side project: what to prepare, where to launch, and how to get your first users. - [How to get your first users for a SaaS or app](https://indielaunch.dev/guides/how-to-get-first-users) - How to get the first users for a new SaaS or app with no audience and no budget: where they come from, what to say, and what to try first. - [How to promote your app or website for free (2026)](https://indielaunch.dev/guides/how-to-promote-your-app-for-free) - Free ways to promote a new app or website in 2026: launch platforms, Reddit and communities, social, directories, SEO and AI search. - [How to launch on Product Hunt: cost, best day, time](https://indielaunch.dev/guides/how-to-launch-on-product-hunt) - How to launch on Product Hunt in 2026: is it free, who can launch, the best day and time, how to prepare, and what to do without an audience. - [Submit your AI tool free: AI tool directories 2026](https://indielaunch.dev/guides/submit-ai-tool) - Where to submit an AI tool for free in 2026: AI tool directories, launch platforms that accept AI products, and how to write a listing that gets clicks. - [Show HN: rules, title format and best time to post](https://indielaunch.dev/guides/show-hn) - How to post a Show HN on Hacker News: what's allowed, how to write the title and first comment, when to post, and what to do if it gets no traction. - [Where to post your startup on Reddit (without a ban)](https://indielaunch.dev/guides/promote-startup-on-reddit) - The subreddits where you can share a startup, SaaS or side project, how to write a post that isn't removed, and how to avoid a self-promotion ban. - [Why your new website isn't showing up on Google](https://indielaunch.dev/guides/new-website-not-showing-on-google) - Why a new website or startup isn't on Google yet, how long indexing takes, how to check in Search Console, and what speeds it up. - [How to get your product recommended by ChatGPT](https://indielaunch.dev/guides/get-recommended-by-chatgpt) - How AI assistants like ChatGPT, Claude and Perplexity decide which products to recommend, and what a new startup can do to be one of them. - [How to write a product tagline (formula and examples)](https://indielaunch.dev/guides/product-tagline) - How to write a tagline for a startup, SaaS or app: a simple formula, good and bad examples, the length launch sites allow, and how to test it. - [How to write a launch post (templates for X, LinkedIn, Reddit)](https://indielaunch.dev/guides/launch-announcement-post) - How to announce your product launch: what a good launch post includes, copy-ready templates for X, LinkedIn and Reddit, and the mistakes that get ignored. - [How to validate a startup idea before you build it](https://indielaunch.dev/guides/validate-startup-idea) - A practical way to validate a startup or SaaS idea in two weeks: find the problem, talk to people, test demand with a landing page, and decide what to build. - [How to price a SaaS product: a simple guide for makers](https://indielaunch.dev/guides/saas-pricing) - How to set your SaaS price as an indie maker: pricing on value, choosing plans, free trial vs freemium, annual billing, and when to raise prices. - [How to write a SaaS landing page that converts](https://indielaunch.dev/guides/saas-landing-page) - The sections a SaaS or app landing page needs, in order: headline, proof, how it works, pricing and FAQ, with examples and the mistakes that cost signups. - [How to write a product description for launch sites](https://indielaunch.dev/guides/product-description) - How to write the product description for launch platforms and startup directories: a short and a long version, what to include, and a template to reuse. - [Product screenshots for launch: what to show and how](https://indielaunch.dev/guides/product-screenshots) - How to make product screenshots for a launch or directory listing: which screens to show, the order, sizes, captions, and the mistakes that make good apps look bad. - [How to build in public (without burning out)](https://indielaunch.dev/guides/build-in-public) - What building in public means, what to share and where, how it brings your first users, and how to keep it up without it taking over your week. - [How to build a waitlist before you launch](https://indielaunch.dev/guides/build-a-waitlist) - How to build a pre-launch waitlist for a startup or app: the page, where to find signups, how to keep them warm, and how to turn the list into launch-day users. - [What to do after launching your product: the first 30 days](https://indielaunch.dev/guides/what-to-do-after-launch) - What to do after launch day: follow up with users, fix what they hit, keep listing in directories, collect testimonials and turn one launch into steady traffic. - [How to relaunch a product (and when it's worth it)](https://indielaunch.dev/guides/relaunch-a-product) - When a product relaunch makes sense, what counts as new enough, how to plan it, and how to relaunch on launch platforms without repeating a flop. - [Startup press kit template: what to include (free)](https://indielaunch.dev/guides/startup-press-kit) - A free, copy-ready startup press kit template: description, fact sheet, logos, screenshots, founder bios and contact, plus how to host it so journalists and directories can use it. - [OG image size (1200×630): how to make an Open Graph image](https://indielaunch.dev/guides/og-image) - The right OG image size is 1200×630 pixels. What an Open Graph image is, what to put on it, the meta tags you need, and how to fix a preview that won't update.