HN + Reddit Launch Playbook

Position in workflow: v0.9 Launch Channels (ORB) → v0.9 HN + Reddit Launch → v0.9 Launch Metrics

Execution Mode

Default is standard. See .claude/rules/08-skill-execution-modes.md for selection logic.

Mode	What this skill produces
quick	Single Show HN post draft; title; first 4-hour engagement plan
standard	HN post + 2 Reddit cross-posts; story angle decision; comment-engagement rules; non-launch follow-up wave
deep	HN + 3–5 Reddit subreddits + Lobsters + Indie Hackers; pre-launch warm-up posts; subreddit-specific tone variants; AMA scheduling

What This Does

Produces a launch playbook for Hacker News and Reddit — two channels where developer-tool, technical, and community-friendly products win launches if executed well and lose them silently if executed badly. Both platforms reward authenticity, technical depth, and founder presence; both punish marketing-speak, top-of-funnel sales tactics, and absent founders.

This is a channel-execution skill. It assumes the ORB channel mix already includes HN/Reddit; it doesn't second-guess that choice. If positioning best-fit doesn't live on these platforms, this skill should not run.

How It Works

1. Decide if HN/Reddit fits — Re-check positioning best-fit characteristics. HN/Reddit work for: developer tools, technical products, B2B with developer/PM buyer, indie/bootstrapped story, open-source. HN/Reddit are wrong for: enterprise procurement, regulated B2B with non-technical buyer, consumer products targeting non-technical users.
2. Pick the story angle — One of:
   • Show HN (product) — "Show HN: [Product] — [one-line description]" — works when product itself is interesting
   • Ask HN (problem) — "Ask HN: How do you handle [pain]?" — works when category needs education before product
   • Story — "I built X because Y" or "Why we [unusual decision]" — works when founder narrative is the hook
   • Open source — "[Project] is now open source" — works when there's something to release
   • Technical writeup — "How we built X" — works for HN; less for Reddit
3. Craft the title — Platform-specific:
   • HN: Factual, no marketing words, no emoji. Example: "Show HN: An open-source alternative to X". HN guidelines reject hype.
   • Reddit: Subreddit-specific. Each subreddit has tone norms. Read the subreddit's pinned rules and recent top posts.
4. Plan timing:
   • HN: Post Tue–Thu, 8–10am PT. Avoid Mondays and weekends. The first hour matters most — upvote velocity determines front-page placement.
   • Reddit: Subreddit-specific peak time. Read subreddit traffic patterns. Some subreddits ban "self-promotion" posts on certain days.
5. Founder presence (first 24h) — Founder responds to every substantive comment in the first 4 hours. No "thanks!" replies; engage with the argument. This is the difference between a 50-comment thread and a 500-comment thread.
6. Non-launch follow-up [standard+] — 30–60 days post-launch, return to HN/Reddit with:
   • Technical writeup of how you built it
   • "What I learned launching on HN" retrospective (if appropriate)
   • Case study or growth update
   • AMA if launch generated real interest

Example

Developer tool launching. Best-fit = solo developers + small dev teams. ORB matrix has HN as the primary Borrowed channel.

Story angle: "Show HN" — product is self-evident; demo is the hook.

Title: Show HN: [Product] – Type-safe contracts between your frontend and backend

Timing: Tuesday 9:00 AM PT. Founder cleared calendar for the next 4 hours.

Post body (HN expects substance):

Hi HN — I built this because I spent 2 years debugging "frontend says string, backend says number" issues at my last job.

[Product] generates type-safe API clients from your OpenAPI spec. It works with TypeScript, Python, Go, and Rust.

Tech stack: [...]

Some things that worked and didn't: [...]

Free for individuals; paid for teams. Source is on GitHub: [link].

Happy to answer questions.

First 4 hours: Founder watches Show HN ranking. Responds substantively to every technical question. Doesn't engage with off-topic critique. Posts updates if relevant.

Reddit cross-post: 24 hours later, post to /r/programming (technical), /r/typescript (community), /r/SaaS (founder story). Each with a subreddit-tuned title and intro.

Follow-up wave (Day 30): "Building [Product]: 30 days after launch" — retrospective post.

What You Get Back

• GTM-* with Type=Channel-HN (one entry) — Title, body, timing, founder-engagement plan
• GTM-* with Type=Channel-Reddit (one per subreddit) — Subreddit-tuned title, body, posting time
• GTM-* engagement rules — Comment-response policy, when to escalate to founder
• GTM-* follow-up wave — 30/60-day post-launch content plan

When to Use It

Trigger	Mode
Developer-tool launch	standard
Open-source release	standard
Indie / bootstrapped product launch (story angle)	standard
B2B SaaS with technical buyer	quick (just HN; skip Reddit)
Big technical decision worth a writeup ("how we migrated to X")	quick (one HN post, no Reddit)
Enterprise / non-technical buyer	do not use
Regulated category (medical, financial)	do not use without legal review

Consumes

• GTM-* positioning + PER-* best-fit characteristics — Anchors the story angle and confirms HN/Reddit is even appropriate
• GTM-* launch channels (from v0.9 Launch Channels ORB) — HN/Reddit must already be in the mix matrix
• GTM-* offer card — Determines the post's CTA (free tier, beta, open source, paid trial)
• CFD-* customer stories — Anchors social proof in comments and follow-up
• BR-POS-* constraints — Tone guardrails (no enterprise speak in /r/SaaS, etc.)

Produces

• GTM-* with Type=Channel-HN (one entry)
• GTM-* with Type=Channel-Reddit (one per subreddit)
• GTM-* engagement-rules entry — Comment policy, who escalates what
• GTM-* follow-up-wave entry — Post-launch content plan (30/60 day)

Output Template

GTM-XXX: Channel — Hacker News Launch
Type: Channel-HN
Layer: Borrowed
Owner: Founder (must be founder, not marketing)
Status: [Planned | Active]

Story angle: [Show HN | Ask HN | Story | Open source | Technical writeup]
Title: "[Exact title — no marketing words]"
Timing: [Day + hour, with rationale]

Post body:
  [Full body — what HN expects: substance, tech detail, honest tradeoffs]

CTA: [Free tier link | GitHub link | Beta signup link]

Founder presence:
  - Watch ranking for first 4 hours (block calendar)
  - Respond to every substantive comment
  - Update post if relevant
  - No "thanks!" replies — engage with the argument

Failure modes to avoid:
  - Marketing language in title
  - Absent founder
  - "Buy now" CTA (HN punishes)
  - Astroturf upvotes (HN detects, instantly bans)

Linked IDs: GTM-YYY (positioning), GTM-ZZZ (offer), PER-AAA (best-fit), KPI-BBB (HN→signup target)

GTM-XXX: Channel — Reddit /r/<subreddit>
Type: Channel-Reddit
Layer: Borrowed
Owner: Founder
Subreddit: /r/<name>
Status: [Planned | Active]

Subreddit norms:
  - Tone: [Pinned-rules summary]
  - Self-promotion rule: [Subreddit's specific rule]
  - Peak posting time: [Day + hour]
  - Banned formats: [e.g., no link posts, no images-only]

Title: "[Subreddit-tuned title]"
Body: [Tuned to subreddit tone]
CTA: [Whatever the subreddit allows]

Founder presence: Same as HN — engage substantively for first 4 hours

Linked IDs: GTM-YYY (positioning), PER-AAA (best-fit)

Anti-Patterns

Pattern	Signal	Fix
Marketing title	"Revolutionary AI-powered X" on HN	Rewrite as factual; HN strips marketing
Absent founder	Post goes up; founder is in a meeting	If you can't be present 4 hours, postpone the launch
"Thanks!" replies	Comment thread is full of "Thanks for the kind words!"	Engage with the argument or don't reply
Astroturfing upvotes	Asking team/friends to upvote	HN and Reddit detect coordinated voting; instant ban
Cross-posting too fast	Same post to 5 subreddits in 10 minutes	Stagger by 24+ hours; each post is rewritten for the subreddit
Ignoring subreddit rules	Banned within an hour of posting	Read the pinned rules; some subreddits ban self-promotion entirely
No follow-up wave	Launch spikes traffic, then silence	Plan 30/60-day return posts before launch day
Wrong product / wrong channel	Enterprise procurement product on /r/programming	Re-check positioning; HN/Reddit doesn't fit every product

Quality Gates

Before launch day:

• Best-fit segment confirmed to use HN/Reddit (not assumption)
• Story angle chosen and matches the product's actual hook
• Title drafted; passes "no marketing words" check (HN)
• Founder calendar cleared for first 4 hours
• Post body has substance (technical detail, honest tradeoffs)
• CTA matches platform norms (free / GitHub / beta — not "buy now")
• Subreddit rules read for every targeted subreddit
• Follow-up wave (30/60 day) drafted in outline
• No astroturfing plan exists or has been considered

Downstream Connections

Consumer	What it uses	Example
Launch Channels (ORB)	Each HN/Reddit post is a Borrowed-channel entry	Rolls into channel-mix matrix
Launch Metrics	Per-post attribution → KPI-HN-signups, KPI-Reddit-signups	UTM-tagged links per post
Feedback Loop Setup	Comments become CFD- feedback entries	Top-voted comment thread → CFD- pattern
v0.9 Case Study Builder (v1.0)	High-engagement HN/Reddit launches → case study	"How we got 800 upvotes on Show HN"
v0.9 AEO Audit	HN/Reddit threads become AI-citation sources	Hi-rank threads → AEO inclusion

Detailed References

• jonathimer's hacker-news-strategy and reddit-engagement skills (devmarketing-skills)
• HN guidelines: news.ycombinator.com/showhn.html
• (No bundled references/ — HN/Reddit norms change; read current pinned rules)