The Pre-Launch Marketing Checklist for Founders

Most launch-day failures are actually pre-launch failures. Founders rush to launch before the basics are in place, and then wonder why their Product Hunt post flopped or their directory submissions drove no conversions. The work before the launch determines what happens on launch day.

Here is the complete pre-launch checklist.

Landing Page

Hero section is clear without scrolling. A stranger who lands on your page understands what the product does and who it is for without reading further than the fold.
Tagline passes the five-second test. Test with a real person outside your immediate circle.
CTA is above the fold. Either "Sign Up Free," "Get Early Access," or "Try It Now" — one action, clear and visible.
Social proof is present. Even a single real testimonial, a user count, or a launch milestone. If you have nothing yet, "Early Access" framing is better than fake credibility.
Screenshots or demo. Still images of the actual product UI, or a 60-second demo video. People need to see what they are signing up for.
Mobile-responsive. Test on your actual phone, not just DevTools.
Page loads fast. Run through PageSpeed Insights. Under 3 seconds on mobile.
No broken links or placeholder text. Do a full click-through the day before launch.

Email Capture

Email capture is live and connected to a list. Mailchimp, Beehiiv, Loops, Resend — any of these. Test the form submission manually to confirm emails arrive.
Confirmation email is set up. Even a simple "Thanks, you're on the list" message. Silence after signup feels broken.
Welcome sequence drafted. At minimum: welcome email (day 0) and a follow-up with the core value proposition (day 3). More is better but two is the minimum.
Subscribers are segmented by source if you are capturing leads from multiple channels (directory, social, paid).

Social and Community Presence

X (Twitter) account is live with a clear bio (what the product does, link to landing page), profile photo, and at least 3-5 posts published.
LinkedIn page or personal profile updated with the product if you are targeting B2B users.
Relevant communities identified. Reddit subreddits, Slack/Discord groups, Facebook groups where your target audience is. Note which ones allow product posts (many do not — read the rules before launch day).
Built-in-public content started if you are using that strategy. At least 5 posts before launch so your account does not look empty.

Product Assets

Logo in multiple sizes and formats. PNG with transparent background, minimum 200x200px and 512x512px versions.
Social preview image (OG image). 1200x630px, includes product name and a one-line description. Used when your URL is shared on social.
Screenshots of the core product flow. At least 3 high-quality screenshots showing the actual UI in use. Use real data, not obvious placeholder content.
Demo video (optional but high-impact). 60-90 seconds showing the core use case. Screen recording with voice narration is enough — production value matters far less than clarity.
Product Hunt thumbnail. 240x240px icon for PH listing.

Submission Copy

2-sentence description written (for short-form directory listings, PH tagline)
1-paragraph description written (for longer directory listings and About sections)
Category and tags identified for major directories
Founder story/context for platforms that ask why you built it (Product Hunt, BetaList, Hacker News Show HN)

Launch Channel Shortlist

Primary launch platform chosen. Product Hunt if you want the highest-visibility launch. LaunchBuff, Uneed, or BetaList for sustained traction with less tournament.
Directory submission list ready. Identify 20-30 directories relevant to your category. Submit before launch day so listings are live when traffic arrives.
Personal network notified. A shortlist of 30-50 real people (friends, former colleagues, online connections) who will be asked personally to upvote / share on launch day. Not a mass email — personal asks.
Community posts drafted. Write the launch posts for Reddit, relevant Slack groups, and any other communities before launch day. Personalise for each community.

Email Sequences

Launch announcement email drafted and scheduled for launch day morning.
Personal ask email drafted for your close network (the people you will ask directly for upvotes and shares).
Post-launch follow-up email drafted (send 48 hours after launch to share results and convert waitlist to users).

The Day Before

Full product walkthrough — sign up fresh, complete the core flow, confirm nothing is broken
Payment processing tested end-to-end if applicable
Error monitoring (Sentry or equivalent) confirmed to be receiving events
All scheduled emails confirmed in the queue
Sleep. Launch days are long.

Submit your product to LaunchBuff → — free listing + fortnightly tournament.