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The indie launch checklist

What to prepare before launch day on Shipfolio, Product Hunt and Show HN, and how to sequence them so each launch feeds the next.

November 1, 2026

A launch is not one day. It is a sequence of small spikes that each point people at a page that keeps working after the spike ends.

Before launch week

  • Finish your listing: tagline, problem statement, niche tags and at least three stack tools. The Shipfolio launch board stays locked until the stack has three tools, because a stack page is what keeps ranking after launch day.
  • Record a 30 to 60 second demo. A GIF works. Put it in the listing.
  • Add “alternative to” tags for the products you replace. Those pages bring the highest-intent search traffic.

Sequencing launches

  1. Shipfolio first. It is quiet enough to fix rough edges and it gives you a permanent product page with your stack and changelog.
  2. Show HN on a weekday morning, US time. Link to your product, not to Shipfolio.
  3. Product Hunt a week or two later, once you have early users and testimonials.
  4. DevHunt, Uneed and Smol Launch in the weeks after, if they fit your audience.

Plan all of it in the launch sequencer on your dashboard so the dates do not collide.

After launch

Log what you shipped every week. Each entry lands on your public changelog, and a steady ship log is the strongest signal investors look for.