Product Hunt Launch Day Playbook: Hour by Hour for Maximum Ranking

The morning of a Product Hunt launch is chaotic. Here's the minute-by-minute playbook for maximizing your Day 1 performance -- based on what actually moves the ranking algorithm. What PH's Algorithm Actually Cares About Product Hunt ranks by a combination of: Upvote velocity: Getting upvotes fast in the first 2 hours matters more than total upvotes Comment engagement: Comments drive ranking, especially early comments Maker activity: Responding to comments positively signals legitimacy Report rate: Getting reported as spam tanks your ranking immediately The first 2 hours determine whether you hit the front page. Everything after is maintaining position. The Night Before 12:00 AM PST -- Go Live If your product is scheduled, it goes live automatically. Your first comment should post within minutes. Write your first comment in advance and have it ready to paste. It should be: Personal (who you are, why you built this) Specific (what you're most proud of) Inviting (explicitly ask for feedba