I Turned a Failed Product Hunt Launch Into a Top 3 Win on a Budget

Here’s a detailed run-through of my Product Hunt launch. What flopped the first time, what paid off the second time, and tips if you’re on a shoestring budget.

I built a macOS menubar app called Chunk, a visual time-blocking tool for folks who need an ADHD-friendly way to map out their day. Since I’d never marketed anything before, I spent some time Googling launch strategies and kept seeing Product Hunt everywhere. So I decided to give it a go.

• No video demo \n • Ugly, unedited screenshots \n • Zero branding or polish

Outcome: 10 upvotes. I thought ten clicks from strangers sounded pretty cool at first but I also knew I’d half-hearted it.

A week later I realized how much I’d cheaped out. The page didn’t show off any of the work I’d poured into the app. It felt like I’d invited people to a rough draft rather than the finished thing.

Total out-of-pocket cost: one Canva subscription.

1. Competitive research

   For three days I watched the top three launches on Product Hunt every morning. I took screenshots of their slide decks, teaser images, and any special formatting they used. I figured that even if they had full design teams, I could borrow the layout ideas.

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2. Slide deck creation

   I picked a simple gradient background in Canva, added my logo to every slide, and kept all text short and factual—just the points I’d want if I was skimming someone else’s post.

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3. Demo video workflow

   • Planned the features I most wanted to highlight \n • Recorded myself using the app over and over till I got a clean run-through \n • Wrote a short voiceover script, then asked ChatGPT to reshape it into a clear, friendly ad \n • Generated narration with ElevenLabs (voice “Brian,” free tier)

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4. Launch checklist

   I put together a teaser image, drafted my first comment so it would post instantly, and scheduled everything according to Product Hunt’s recommendations.

When I relaunched, upvotes shot to 300 in a few hours (#3 product of the day). It felt unreal compared to the first try.

That same day I got about ten LinkedIn messages from “tech influencers” in India asking for paid promotions. I sent each an affiliate link and told them to go for it if they liked how it performed. None did—they wanted cash up front and seemed sketchy, so I passed.

Meanwhile, fellow makers pinged me about comment swaps. I didn’t reach out, but I said yes to every request I got, and left upvotes and genuine feedback for them in return.

It’s easy to forget there’s a new Product Hunt launch every day. But for me, the real win came in the weeks after when my downloads nearly doubled.

Key takeaways if you’re indie and broke

• Watch the top products and borrow their slide formats
• Build on-brand, minimal slides with clear messaging
• Record a real demo video: plan each shot, batch takes, polish the script
• Use free or cheap tools: ElevenLabs for voiceovers, Canva for graphics
• Schedule every step—teaser, first comment, launch time

Perfection isn’t required but just enough polish to stand out. Feel free to ask me anything I learned the hard way.