I decide what's featured on the leaderboard - AMA w/ Gabe from Product Hunt
Hi everyone, Gabe here! I lead curating Product Hunt's leaderboard.
First thing I will say is that if I could feature every single product that works, I would. I love supporting makers and demoing products. I actually try to test every single thing that gets hunted every day... which is A TON. But I view our job as to surface the most interesting, novel, useful, and innovative products - daily. Now we may not always get it right, the process isn't perfect, but we're trying to do right by the community.
Hopefully, you've noticed that over the past months the quality of the leaderboard has felt really good. (Please share your thoughts!) Some of the things that I've been doing aside from testing and reviewing products is reaching out to makers to help them with their launches, provide feedback on why something may not be featurable, and help makers craft their best launch as possible. Scalable -> no. Huge impact -> I think so. I'm working with the team on how to create a more scalable version of this but for now just know I try to make myself available to you all.
Top mistakes I've seen
Product is waitlisted
People schedule a draft.... (we have a draft function!)
Maker's profile is their product/business and not an actual user account
Tagline does not describe the product ie. "Best way to earn users" vs "Capture user data with a single button in your iOS app"
Too much marketing jargon, not enough product description / story
NO PRODUCT SHOTS/VIDEOS -> just marketing fluff images
Only one image that is a low quality screenshot
Using a paid service for upvotes/hunters -> this will get you unfeatured or severely impact your launch
Some other notes to consider:
We've gotten stricter on keeping true to our Featuring Guidelines.
We highly recommend making a draft and sharing with folks to make sure it passes the "mom test" -> do they get what you're launching?
If you can quickly Google a solution that similar to what you're launching then really make sure your launch stands out. Focus on highlighting what's special about your product vs being too general.
Highly recommend having a loom or some sort of visual that showcases the start process, the end result your product produces, and what's special about your product.
Be honest, authentic, and have fun.
With all that being said, AMA! I'll try to answer as much as I can without getting fired
Replies
Product Hunt
@alan_rivera hey, thanks for asking and congrats on your launch! Yeah, so early access/beta/waitlist - things that the community cannot immediately try won't get featured. The curation team also can't demo the product so it's hard for us to vet quality, make sure nothing is broken, and provide feedback to the maker as well.
You can always launch again once public!
Roads Audio
@alan_rivera Would this mean it's not a good idea to schedule the product hunt launch the same time or close to the actual product launch?
How long would you recommended delaying the PH launch after the product is live?
Product Hunt
@alan_rivera @davefaliskie the requirement is that the product can be used by the community. I've seen some products open it up exclusively for the Product Hunt launch, others release what's available/ready and show the roadmap of upcoming features.
But if we/the community land on a waitlist, then I would wait to launch until your product is no longer waitlist only.
Roads Audio
@alan_rivera @gabe Yes, that makes complete sense. When you're considering what products to feature are you looking at them before they launch, if they are scheduled?
What I'm wondering is if someone was planning to launch a product and have a scheduled Product Hunt launch for the same day of the product's launch, could that negatively effect the chances of a feature because you wouldn't be able to test/ use the product in full until the day of the launch?
My question for @gabe @rajiv_ayyangar and @noahkagan â
Does Product Hunt and AppSumo view each other as competitors?
Iâve noticed a few interesting dynamics between the two platforms:
AppSumo displays PH badges on product listing pages but does not backlink to PH.
PH seems to discourage AppSumo links on launch posts or discussion posts by not featuring it.
AppSumo has developed its own version of a Product Hunt-style platform.
Rajiv mentioned in a forum comment that Product Hunt might explore an affiliate fee model, possibly similar to AppSumoâs approach of taking a significant percentage of sales. However, PH could take a different approach and opt for a more competitive pricing structure.
Could you share your perspective on the relationship between Product Hunt and AppSumo or the above points are purely coincidental? :)
Product Hunt
@rajiv_ayyangar @noahkagan @rohanrecommends can mostly comment on bullet #2 but it's not necessarily that AppSumo links are discourage it just so happens that products launching with an AppSumo link don't typically meet the bar.
With AI making building apps incredibly accessible and builders becoming super creative, the bar for what is considered for a feature is constantly being raised.
Product Hunt
@gabe @noahkagan @rohanrecommends When it comes to building a sustainable business, I'm not a fan of the AppSumo approach. Lifetime deals, and the significant percentage that AppSumo takes don't seem conducive to building great products or great businesses.
I don't view us as competitors because I don't think the products on Product Hunt have much overlap with the types of products on AppSumo (Product Hunt products are better, more creative, more ambitious - there's no comparison). If we were to do an affiliate model, it would be for a much lower percentage of sales than AppSumo takes. We would only make money if we're bringing you significant revenue.
@gabe @rajiv_ayyangar @noahkagan @rohanrecommends I also wanted to know this. Thanks for the question bhai đ
@rajiv_ayyangar Are you planning for something like that (affiliate model)? đ§
Roads Audio
Do you and the curator team make bets on what product you think will be product of the day?
This is great info thanks for sharing!
Product Hunt
@davefaliskie haha, great question! No money or anything involved but often I do go, "I have a feeling this is going to be #1" and It's honestly pretty cool when I'm wrong.
Product Hunt
@davefaliskie @Polymarket on Product Hunt incoming???? Not a bad idea aha.
So I made my first launch on Sunday - firm middle of the table ranking for the day but I was honestly just stoked that people were taking a look at it. It's a goofy generator - nothing fancy - and I certainly wasn't expecting to be featured. I guess my question is, for those like me who enjoy making things for fun, or introducing something purely meant for fun in the space, do you guys have room for things like that on the featured list from time to time or do you prioritise legitimate function?
Product Hunt
@how_about_this_group congrats on your launch! I personally LOVE fun, quirky, goofy products. I think the internet needs more of it. Some recent launches that have been featured are Googly Eyes, touch grass, @Ball, and @Scroll Buddy!
The key things about these quirky ones are:
How unique is it
How good is the output/final product
How well is it designed?
There's no perfect formula for these as they're usually each unique in a way - but I think the common denominator is that they're fun and decently polished!
Googly Eyes touch grass @Ball @Scroll Buddy @gabe Makes sense, thanks for replying. Agree that those were all worthy contenders!
Thanks for this thread Gabe!
I have a question regarding the screenshots that are shown when we launch a product.
By default the quality of those images, i mean the way they are rendered in the PH page, is just not good quality. Is there a way that I might be missing in order to make those images of higher quality?
Also does it matter if the images are light or dark mode? Or completely irrelevant?
Thanks
Product Hunt
@cryptosymposium good question! Light mode and dark mode doesn't typically matter. I would take into account that Product Hunt doesn't have a "dark mode" so your images will mostly be against a white background.
For image quality - try compressing the image before upload. Images shouldn't still be crisp! If you're having issues, contact hello@produthunt.com - we'll want to make sure nothing is happening on our end as well.
@gabe thanks for the response. Will use that in my upcoming launch then.
What percentage of featured products are similar to something else you've featured before? Another way I'd ask this question: how much weight do you put on the uniqueness of the product when choosing to feature it?
Product Hunt
@anandsays uniqueness does weigh pretty heavily. For example, to-do apps. It's a really crowded space, so we try to only feature those that stand out some way. This could be their approach is completely different, they've designed (UX/UI) the product in a unique way, have integrations competitors don't have...etc.
If you're the first of your kind - it's also a big deal! Another way to think about it is being the first hamburger shop in your city vs the 20th. One started the movement, but what did the 20th do to make itself unique/stand out?
hi @gabe, very helpful post and discussion for a PH newbie! I'm preparing for my first launch here and was wondering, how much time do we need to take into consideration for the moderation process, from submitting your launch/product to actually getting featured? Really want to make sure that we schedule enough time for it, and can imagine is a pretty time intensive task for the team! Thank you!
Product Hunt
@joyce_kremer ideally 24hrs at minimum! The team and I make sure to review things within a minimum of 24hrs. You got this! Excited to see what you launch :)
Hi Gabe, this seems like a very helpful post :) I don't want to see you get fired, but let me ask a few questions off the top of my head:
If we share our launch link with our users (without asking for upvotes), will your system flag us for spam/bot activity?
I saw in your guidelines that you recommend waiting six months before relaunching, but I've seen some products relaunch within a month of not being featured and make #1 of the day. What is the official policy on this? Are there any exceptions?
How does your team decide which relaunches to feature? Does past performance and engagement play a role, or is it purely based on product improvements?
Do you review planned launches in advance, or do you evaluate them after they go live?
Are there specific industries or product categories where you see more success in getting featured? (Tons of new AI products are launched every day)
I hope these will be helpful to everyone who is launching their products on PH!
Product Hunt
Hi @isibol01 good questions! Tackling them below.
Genuine support will not flag our system or team. However rewarding users for upvotes, buying votes, spamming communities, etc will trigger our review process.
Great question! Products should wait 6 months to launch but I've been experimenting with allowing launches that are genuinely big or significant updates. We might update the FAQ to reflect this soon as it seems to be going well :)
Relaunches are purely based on product improvements. We're looking into being able to submit feedback to makers if their relaunch or update is rejected to help provide more transparency.
I review launches in advance but I also review and monitor them as they're live!
This is also a good question and kind of hard to answer. AI for example is having a massive boom, so the amount of products using AI has largely increase and because of the industry trend, the likelihood of a product that has AI will be featured is higher.
Launched once on here before - It went reasonably well although didn't get the feature - For our next-one, I'm compiling all the advice we need & hoping to nail it!
Seriously impressive that you try each of the products, do they have to be 'HUNTED' specifically to try them, or if they are 'launched-normally' do you not bother?
Thank you Gabe!
Product Hunt
@cranqnow keep at it, Sam! Products don't have to be "hunted" as long as they're scheduled to launch, I'll review them. I try to keep it fair game and review all launches equally, regardless of who hunts them :)
@gabe I appreciate you taking the time to explain that!
Thanks Gabe, looking forward to getting the launch off the ground :)
what outliers have you featured, @gabe ? you cover a few just-fo-fun products, which is great. what about service businesses? I'm thinking something like @Hue back in the day which rebranded to designjoy since his launch on here
Product Hunt
@taniabell we do not feature services. In the past we may have, but we haven't done so for quite a while. You can see this reflected in our FAQ as well. The reasoning is simply that they are typically not products.
Gabe, thank you for organizing this AMA and for the efforts you and the team put into curating the Product Hunt leaderboard. I appreciate the opportunity to ask a few questions:
1. You mentioned that using a paid service for upvotes/hunters can negatively impact a launch. Iâd love to understand PHâs approach in addressing this:
a) There are LinkedIn influencers who openly sell upvotes and regularly DM makers about it. Since the PH team is aware of these individuals (as they message PH team members as well), has there been any consideration to removing their profiles to enhance the platformâs authenticity?
b) One of the users has been awarded a âTop Hunterâ badge by the PH team, yet they openly promote a paid service for hunting products, as indicated on their website which is mentioned in their PH bio. This seems to contradict what you shared in your AMA post. Could you clarify how PH thinks?
2. There seems to be an algorithmic bias in favor of certain hunters. Does the PH engineering team plan to address this to ensure a more level playing field?
3. How does Product Hunt differentiate between established brands and indie makers in the curation process? Are there any specific considerations for independent makers to ensure fair visibility?
4. In 2024, Rajiv (PHâs CEO) collaborated on a post with a popular newsletter. The post featured a guest author who runs a PH agency that guarantees top leaderboard placement. Since PH discourages paid upvotes, could you clarify the reasoning behind this collaboration? Additionally, the same newsletter was advertised on PH, and its clients often work with the same âTop Hunterâ known for paid hunting as mentioned in my point 1(b). Does PH favor agencies that have direct commercial relationships with the platform, the CEO, or hunters who are granted special badges by the PH team?
5. The previous version of PH provided public feedback on why a launch wasnât featured (When Ryan moderated the leaderboard). Would it be possible to introduce templated reasons (similar to Redditâs moderation feedback) so makers can better understand why their launch wasnât featured and how / what they can improve for future attempts?
6. When can we expect the rollout of the green tick verification? Will this have any impact on voting or featuring criteria?
7. Occasionally, PH team members launch products that are relatively simple or redundant, yet they get featured. Is this done as an internal encouragement initiative, or are there any specific guidelines regarding PH staff launches?
8. The 2024 Golden Kitty Awards saw a higher number of winners from funded startups, products hunted by PH team and big tech companies. Will this be a trend going forward, or does PH still aim to highlight indie makers and small startups in these awards?
9. The current leadership at PH appears to favor a more condensed approach, as seen in the shorter newsletters, leaderboard with few products featured, stricter discussion post approvals, reduced Golden Kitty nomination categories, and fewer winners per category. Is this a collective team decision, or is there a particular individual driving this approach?
10. Does the engagement data from a âComing Soonâ teaser post (e.g., the number of users who click âNotify Meâ) influence whether a product gets featured? Or is this step entirely optional?
11. What advice would you give to makers whose products do not get featured? Should they iterate and relaunch after six months, or are there other recommended approaches? Some makers who are launching for the first time may have genuinely missed adding relevant assets and it could be a reason for them to not get featured. However, do you expect them to wait six months to relaunch or there is something else they can do for a reattempt?
12. Some waitlisted products have been featured while others have not. If there are strict guidelines against featuring waitlisted products, could you help clarify why exceptions are sometimes made?
Thanks again for your time and transparency! Looking forward to your insights.
Thanks for sharing! Really helpful considering I'm doing my first launch in a couple weeks
Indie.Deals
I remember Product Hunt changing its stance on directories and curation sites around 2023-24 saying it won't be featured anymore (in a way, its a good thing) but recently I noticed a lot of such "products" being featured.
Before you say "there could be something different", nope it was typical directory site with linked pages and details. Has something changed in the criteria of such products/projects?
Hey Gabe, I think you're doing a great job! I was just discussing the logic behind featuring products with @sentry_co the other day, and we agreed it must be incredibly difficult to balance quality and quantity on the daily leaderboard. I'm sure I couldn't do it as well as you! đ
I often share products I find interesting, and while I totally understand why some don't get featured, I do occasionally feel a little disappointed when a really unique one gets missed. But that's normal â just a hunter's expectations getting ahead of reality, I guess!
Some hunted products of mine get featured, thankfully, but I do think giving more "smaller," lesser-known projects a chance to be seen would help keep Product Hunt fresh and engaging. It's obvious that products from well-known companies/teams tend to dominate the leaderboard â which makes sense, given their established reputations â but it might mean some cool, smaller projects don't get the attention they deserve. Of course, finding those hidden gems probably takes a lot more time and effort, so maybe expanding the review team could help?
Also, I've noticed that the featured list often seems to be finalized within the first hour or so. Even with the 4-hour vote hiding, tools like @Hunted Space kind of make that irrelevant. Once the featured list is set, the random ordering only shuffles things within a limited pool. So, maybe there's a better way to keep the "battle" for the featured list going a bit longer? Though I know extending the evaluation window would probably be terrible for your sleep schedule! đJust a thought, based on my own experience. I'm sure you and your team have already considered many ways to improve the process.
Why it is very rare for products to feature after launch in initial hours, based on the public receptivity ? Why is it all decided before launch ?
How are ratings calculated ? We launched a product https://www.producthunt.com/posts/zenstream-live-2 that was top in non-featured section and had more votes than the last featured product, and we saw that our actual count was kind of paused for many hours, and ratings showed were definitely less than 50% of what
Why do some hunters hunted products have extremely high chance of getting featured ? You understand they have built an independent business based on this pattern, directly or indirectly charging money.
Product Hunt
Hi @siddhantjain92 - thanks for asking your questions!
We try our best to not make the leaderboard a "popularity contest" but instead surface cool, innovative, fun and unique products. There might be instances that we're wrong and we'll adjust accordingly but typically our pulse is pretty accurate.
Points are decided by upvotes and other genuine engagement such as comments. You can learn more about how points are decided here. We're still improving the process! If you have any worries you can always message our support team if you're in doubt or want to double check.
I review products - not hunters. I try to test every product that comes through and surface some of the most interesting ones. I will admit that some hunters have a neck for identifying awesome or fun tech but it doesn't really factor in to the decision.
Lastly I will say, some users try to relaunch the same product or reschedule the product multiple times which can be considered spam behavior, especially if the launches don't change or barely change. So if you don't get featured the first time, don't give up! You can always launch again, just make sure there's a significant update and that you're really highlighting what's special about your product.
@gabe Thanks for the detailed clarifications !
Dropboard
Thanks @gabe! I have a product that requires payment for access but has a no-questions, money-back guarantee. Our marketing is very transparent about how the product works and we have walkthrough videos and other ways to see full functionality.
Do you see a paid-only product as less "feature-able" than a freemium or free trial product?
If so, we might consider allowing anyone coming from our PH page to get a free trial for a limited time. Or if you had any other advise for pay-first products, I'd love to hear it!
Thanks @gabe Glad I saw this. I am planning my first PH launch in about 1 month. I am gate keeping my landing page with "Join Waitlist" as I build my campaign and do some outreach. Product is there just need to change the links.
Interesting to see that PH team tries the products before hand. Would access to staging environment with demo account be enough for the team to vet? (Saves you a ton of time). Production is exactly the same minus the onboarding!
Given the time frame when would be the ideal time to get the product vetted? I need a nudge to commit to a date!
Much appreciated.