The Indie Hacker Launch Checklist
Ship with enough polish to be trusted and enough focus to learn
A launch is not a single post. It is a short learning window where positioning, product, and distribution all get tested at once. The checklist below keeps you from spending launch day fixing avoidable problems.
Do the boring prep so the launch can teach you something useful.
In this guide
Lock the launch promise
Before you write copy, finish this sentence: “This helps [specific person] get [specific outcome] without [specific pain].” If the sentence is fuzzy, every launch asset will be fuzzy too.
Prepare the project page
Proof
Add screenshots, a short demo, founder context, and the milestone that explains why now matters.
Path
Make the next action obvious: try it, join the waitlist, ask for feedback, or book a setup call.
Write the launch assets before launch day
Short post
A direct announcement for Builders.to, X, LinkedIn, and any community where you already participate.
Longer story
The problem, why you built it, what changed, and what you want people to try.
Personal asks
Ten direct messages to people who saw the problem early and can give useful feedback.
Run launch day like a conversation
Publish the project, post the announcement, and stay present. Reply to every thoughtful comment. Ask clarifying questions. Capture objections in one place. The best launch data is often hidden in replies, not analytics.
Follow up while attention is warm.
Within 48 hours, thank people who helped, summarize what you learned, and post the next milestone. A launch that ends in silence wastes the trust it just created.