launch checklist.

Core user flow works end-to-end with zero bugs

Mobile-responsive or native app tested on real devices

Error states handled gracefully — no blank screens or raw stack traces

Load time under 3 seconds on a mobile connection

Use PageSpeed Insights to verify

404 and 500 pages are custom-branded, not default server pages

Payment flow tested end-to-end with a real card (Stripe test mode doesn't count)

Email confirmation and transactional emails are working and not landing in spam

SSL certificate active — no mixed-content warnings

Analytics installed and firing events

Plausible, PostHog, or similar

Backup and recovery process documented and tested

Hero copy passes the 5-second test — a stranger understands what it does instantly

Tagline is one sentence, jargon-free, and specific to your customer

Clear call-to-action above the fold — one primary CTA, not three

Pricing is visible and understandable without a sales call

Social proof present — testimonials, user count, press logos, or waitlist size

FAQ section answers the most common objection you get on demos

OG image (1200×630) set for Twitter/LinkedIn sharing previews

Favicon set — no browser-tab placeholder icons

Privacy policy live and linked in footer

Required in most jurisdictions

Terms of service live and linked

Cookie consent banner if you collect analytics in the EU (GDPR)

Company entity formed if you're taking money

Delaware C-Corp or UK Ltd for VC track; LLC otherwise

Business bank account separate from personal

Domain registered and owned by the company, not a personal account

Customer support email ([email protected]) set up and monitored

Refund policy documented and accessible

Submit to Submit Your Startup — free, instant, community-ranked

You're already here

Post on Hacker News Show HN — title format: "Show HN: [Name] – [one-line description]"

Submit to Product Hunt — schedule for 12:01am PST for maximum run time

Submit to BetaList for early-adopter discovery

Submit to Indie Hackers — post in the community and link in your profile

Post in relevant subreddits (r/SaaS, r/startups, r/entrepreneur)

Tweet/post on X with a demo GIF or screenshot — video gets 3× more reach

Post on LinkedIn — longer-form story tends to outperform links here

Email your waitlist / existing users with the launch announcement

DM 10–20 warm connections personally — ask for honest feedback, not just votes

Post in relevant Slack communities and Discord servers you're active in

Monitor comments and respond within the hour — engagement velocity matters on PH

Watch for broken signups or payments — launch traffic surfaces edge-case bugs

Follow up personally with every person who signed up on launch day

Schedule 5–10 user interviews — ask what nearly stopped them from signing up

Write a launch recap post on Indie Hackers / your own blog

Post a changelog update on Submit Your Startup so followers see traction

Submit to 10–20 startup directories for SEO backlinks

SaaSHub, Capterra, G2, AlternativeTo, etc.

Set up a simple NPS or feedback survey for new users

Check for unhandled errors in your error monitoring tool

Sentry, BetterStack, etc.

Respond to every review, comment, and mention publicly

Identify your top acquisition channel from launch analytics — double down on it

Set up a referral loop — what incentivises a user to invite one more?

Define your weekly active user metric and start tracking it in a spreadsheet

Set up keyword alerts (Google Alerts, Mention) for your brand name and competitors

Write one SEO article targeting a problem your users search for

Build in public — weekly tweet/post about what you shipped and what you learned

Reach out to 3 journalists or newsletter authors in your niche with a story angle

Look for partnership or integration opportunities with complementary tools