Spend a day getting your launch assets ready, then launch in waves over a week: one launch platform and a handful of directories first, a community post next, then a second platform. Answer everyone, and write down what people ask — it's your next week of content and your SEO plan.
Before you start
A launch isn't one day; it's the first week of people seeing your product. Most first launches fail for boring reasons: no clear one-line pitch, a signup flow that breaks, or nobody there to reply to comments. This checklist is built to avoid those.
Day 1 — Get your assets ready
- A tagline under 60 characters that says what it does and for whom.
- A 160-character description, and a longer one of three short paragraphs.
- A square logo (512px), three to five screenshots, and a 30-second demo if you can.
- Your pricing, written down plainly.
- A test of your signup and onboarding on a phone, logged out.
Day 2 — Make your site findable
- Add your site to Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools, and submit your sitemap to both. ChatGPT's search draws on Bing's index, so don't skip Bing.
- Give every page a specific title and meta description.
- Add an llms.txt file that tells AI assistants what your product is, in plain Markdown.
- Install analytics so you can tell which launch sent which visitors.
Day 3 — First launch and directories
Launch on one platform where you'll get noticed, and submit to five or six directories that fit your category. Spend the day answering every comment.
Day 4 — Tell your story in a community
Post on Indie Hackers or a subreddit that fits (how to post on Reddit without getting banned): why you built it, what you got wrong, and an early number. Communities reward stories and punish ads.
Day 5 — Reach out one by one
Message 20 people who have the problem you solve. Not a blast, just a short personal note asking for feedback. Your first ten users almost always come from here; more in how to get your first users.
Day 6 — Second launch
Launch on a second platform with everything you learned: a sharper tagline, the screenshot people responded to, and fixes for what confused them.
Day 7 — Turn questions into content
Go through every comment and message and list the questions people asked. Each one is a page worth writing: comparisons, how-tos, pricing explanations. That is where search traffic comes from after the launch spike fades.
Make IndieLaunch your first launch
It's free, it goes live the day it's approved, and you get a permanent product page that search engines and AI assistants can find.
Frequently asked questions
- How long does it take to launch a product?
- Plan for a week of active launching after the product itself is ready: a day of preparation, then launches and outreach spread over the following days.
- Where should I launch my SaaS first?
- Somewhere small enough that you'll be seen: a smaller launch platform plus a few relevant directories. Save Product Hunt for when you have an audience to bring.
- How do I get my first 100 users?
- Mostly by hand: personal messages to people with the problem, honest community posts, and a few launches. Search and word of mouth take over later.