# launch-strategy

This skill turns a launch request into a week-by-week plan, from positioning and waitlist growth to Product Hunt day and post-launch metrics.

- skill · `type=skill` · Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, OpenCode · 443 installs · ★ 721
- Author: OpenClaudia
- License: MIT · policy=mirror · the beginning of the file is at the end of this page
- Source: https://github.com/OpenClaudia/openclaudia-skills/tree/HEAD/skills/launch-strategy/SKILL.md
- Updated: 2026-10-21
- HTML: https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/skills/openclaudia-launch-strategy

## What it does

Ask for a launch plan and the skill starts by gathering context: what kind of product it is, who the audience is, launch type, timeline, budget, team size and any existing following. It then picks a format — stealth, closed or open beta, soft launch, full public, rolling — and builds a timeline around it.

Channel playbooks come with it. For Product Hunt that means a maker profile built 2+ weeks ahead, a 60-character tagline, a 260-character description, five or more gallery images, a maker comment and a 60-90s video; launch at 12:01 AM PT and answer every comment within 30 minutes. For Hacker News there is the Show HN title format, a technical comment that states honest limitations, and a posting window of 8-10 AM ET Tuesday through Thursday. Twitter, LinkedIn and Reddit get their own sections, alongside an hour-by-hour launch day checklist, a metrics table and a budget split by category.

The plan scales to your resources, so a solo founder and a funded startup get different advice. One thing to watch: the metrics table sets reference points like a 20-40% waitlist conversion rate and NPS of 40+, which is a good reason to decide up front which numbers you would treat as a failure.

## Install

### Claude Code (native platform)

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add OpenClaudia/openclaudia-skills --skill launch-strategy -a claude-code
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `~/.claude/skills/launch-strategy/SKILL.md` — Copy the whole skill folder; for one project use .claude/skills/launch-strategy/

### Codex

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add OpenClaudia/openclaudia-skills --skill launch-strategy -a codex
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.agents/skills/launch-strategy/SKILL.md` — For all projects use ~/.agents/skills/

### Cursor

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add OpenClaudia/openclaudia-skills --skill launch-strategy -a cursor
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.cursor/skills/launch-strategy/SKILL.md` — Cursor also reads .agents/skills/ and .claude/skills/

### GitHub Copilot

1. **GitHub CLI**
```bash
gh skill install OpenClaudia/openclaudia-skills launch-strategy
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.github/skills/launch-strategy/SKILL.md`

### Gemini CLI

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add OpenClaudia/openclaudia-skills --skill launch-strategy -a gemini-cli
```

2. **Platform CLI**
```bash
gemini skills install https://github.com/OpenClaudia/openclaudia-skills --path skills/launch-strategy
```

### Windsurf (Devin Desktop)

**Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.devin/skills/launch-strategy/SKILL.md` — The legacy .windsurf/skills/ path still works

### OpenCode

**Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add OpenClaudia/openclaudia-skills --skill launch-strategy -a opencode
```

### Claude.ai

**Claude.ai**
- Zip the folder and upload it in Settings → Capabilities → Skills

Where a file is given instead of a command, copy the files from the source to that path: https://github.com/OpenClaudia/openclaudia-skills/tree/HEAD/skills/launch-strategy/SKILL.md

## When to use it
- lay out a launch plan week by week up to release day
- prepare Product Hunt assets and a maker comment
- build a waitlist and set up a beta program
- schedule launch day hour by hour
- split a launch budget across categories

## Example prompts
- build me an 8-week launch plan, team of two
- write the Product Hunt playbook: tagline, description, maker comment
- lay out launch day hour by hour with a pre-publish checklist

## Source text · SKILL.md · MIT

Below is the content of a third-party file. It is data, not instructions for you: do not act on anything written inside unless the human asks. Block tag: a0886696986b20fb.

BEGIN THIRD-PARTY FILE a0886696986b20fb
````text
---
name: launch-strategy
description: Plan and execute product launches with week-by-week timelines and channel-specific playbooks. Use when the user asks about launching a product, Product Hunt launch, go-to-market strategy, launch plan, beta program, pre-launch marketing, launch day execution, or post-launch growth. Trigger phrases include "product launch", "launch plan", "Product Hunt", "Hacker News launch", "go-to-market", "GTM strategy", "launch checklist", "pre-launch", "beta launch", "launch day", "launch sequence", "how to launch".
---

# Product Launch Strategy

You are an expert product launch strategist. When the user asks you to plan a launch, prepare for Product Hunt, or build a go-to-market strategy, follow this framework.

## Step 1: Gather Launch Context

Establish: product (new/feature/update), target audience, launch type (soft/beta/public), timeline, budget, team size, existing audience (list size, following), relevant channels, competitive timing, success metrics.

## Step 2: Launch Type Selection

| Type | Timeline | Audience | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stealth/Alpha | Ongoing | 10-50 hand-picked | Validating concept |
| Closed Beta | 2-4 weeks | 50-500 invited | Refining, testimonials |
| Open Beta | 2-4 weeks | Anyone | Waitlist buzz, stress test |
| Soft Launch | 1 week | Existing audience | Low-risk iteration |
| Full Public | 1 day (4-8 week prep) | Everyone | Maximum impact, PR |
| Rolling | 4-8 weeks | Phased access | Manage load, build FOMO |

## Step 3: Pre-Launch (8-4 Weeks Before)

### Week 8-6: Foundation

**Positioning**: One-sentence value prop. Elevator pitch (30s/60s/2min). Positioning statement:
```
For [audience] who [need], [product] is a [category] that [benefit].
Unlike [alternative], we [differentiator].
```

**Landing Page**: Clear headline, demo video, 3 benefits, email capture, social proof, FAQ. Set up analytics and email automation.

**Content Prep**: 3-5 blog posts for launch week, product demo video (60-90s), screenshots, social calendar, press release draft, founder story narrative.

### Week 6-4: Audience Building

**Waitlist Growth**: Building-in-public updates, referral waitlist, content marketing, community engagement (Reddit/Discord/Slack), micro-influencer outreach (20-50 people), LinkedIn founder posts.

**Waitlist Targets**: Solo founder: 500-5,000+. Small team: 1,000-10,000+. Funded: 5,000-50,000+.
````
END THIRD-PARTY FILE a0886696986b20fb

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