100+ places to launch your product

There are lots of places to launch a product but not all are created equal. Figuring out what works best for your target customer / audience is key.

There’s a lot that goes into launching a (software) product well:

Storytelling, product readiness, community engagement, creating buzz, etc.

While there are common success factors across launches, a lot of what goes into a successful launch is highly dependent on the specific product and its target audience / customer.

I won’t go into different launch strategies today. Rather, I want to share some high level thinking on one key aspect of a successful launch:

Picking the right channel for your target audience with the right messaging.

As obvious as it sounds - the best launch campaigns hit their target customers in the channels they pay most attention to and are able to grab their attention there with the right messaging.

Well known and battle tested launch channels include platforms like ProductHunt, BetaList, HackerNews, Techcrunch, or Reddit (r/Software, r/startups or r/Entrepreneur). Each comes with their own playbook (e.g. here you can find a guide for how to launch on ProductHunt)

However, these proven channels may not be the right ones for your specific audience. ProductHunt for example works well for bottom up SaaS companies, browser extensions or developer tools but may not work nearly as well for edtech startups or those selling to construction companies.

Thus, before wasting time and energy on a channel that may not go anywhere, take a step back and think about where your target audience likely spends most their time.

Focus your time and energy on these - even if the amount of eyeballs you get is much lower. Getting the right eyeballs is much more important.

100 places to launch your product

Below are lists of obvious and less obvious places to launch your product.

This IndieHackers post contains a great list of 100 places to launch and relaunch your product - check it out.

Or if you ask our friend ChatGPT for 100 places where you can launch a software product, here’s what comes back (some are better than others):

1. Product Hunt: Ideal for launching any digital product, from software to games and books.

2. Hacker News: Best for sharing tech-related products with a community of like-minded individuals.

3. BetaList: Perfect for early-stage startups looking to gather initial users and feedback.

4. Reddit's r/startups: A good forum for any startup looking to connect with entrepreneurs and potential users.

5. Reddit's r/entrepreneur: Ideal for small businesses and solo entrepreneurs launching new products.

6. Reddit's r/webdev: Best for web development tools and software.

7. Reddit's r/design: Perfect for design tools and resources.

8. Reddit's r/gaming: Great for launching new games and gaming-related products.

9. LinkedIn: Ideal for B2B software and professional tools.

10. Twitter: A versatile platform suitable for virtually any type of product launch.

11. Indie Hackers: Ideal for independent entrepreneurs launching digital products.

12. Slack Productivity Group: Perfect for productivity tools and software.

13. Growth Hackers: Great for products aimed at marketers and growth hacking enthusiasts.

14. Makerlog: Perfect for sharing and getting feedback on software products.

15. Launchpad by Anymod: Good for web apps and websites.

16. Angellist: Ideal for startups seeking investment and user traction.

17. TechCrunch: Great for innovative tech-related products looking for media exposure.

18. Mashable: Good for tech-related products, especially those with a mainstream appeal.

19. Capterra: Ideal for B2B software products.

20. G2 Crowd: A platform for business software and services.

21. Crunchbase: Ideal for startups launching new products and looking for exposure.

22. SourceForge: Perfect for open source software projects.

23. Behance: Great for design tools and creative software.

24. Dribbble: Ideal for design and graphic-related software.

25. Kickstarter: Perfect for launching innovative products with a compelling story.

26. Indiegogo: Good for tech gadgets, software, and innovative products.

27. Facebook Groups (various): Various groups are ideal for different types of products.

28. SaaS Community: Ideal for SaaS products, for feedback and user acquisition.

29. Designer News: Great for design-related software and tools.

30. GitHub: Ideal for open source software and developer tools.

31. StackShare: Perfect for developer tools and software.

32. AppSumo: Best for digital products and software tools with deals.

33. Slack's Design Community: Perfect for design tools and resources.

34. Snapchat: Great for consumer-oriented apps and mobile games.

35. Medium: Good for products with compelling stories or those that solve complex problems.

36. Quora: Ideal for products that solve specific problems, answered in relevant questions.

37. Stack Overflow: Best for software and tools aimed at developers.

38. Pinterest: Good for visually appealing products, especially those related to lifestyle, design, and creativity.

39. Instagram: Perfect for consumer-focused products with strong visual elements.

40. YouTube: Ideal for software products with video demos or tutorials.

41. Apple App Store: Great for iOS applications.

42. Google Play Store: Perfect for Android applications.

43. Chrome Web Store: Best for Chrome extensions and web apps.

44. Mozilla Add-Ons: Ideal for Firefox extensions.

45. Microsoft Store: Ideal for Windows apps and software.

46. Zoom Marketplace: Best for Zoom apps and integrations.

47. Slack App Directory: Great for Slack apps and integrations.

48. Salesforce AppExchange: Perfect for Salesforce apps and integrations.

49. Zapier Apps: Ideal for productivity apps that can be integrated with Zapier.

50. IFTTT Applets: Great for IoT or productivity apps that work with IFTTT.

51. AWS Marketplace: Ideal for cloud-based apps and software.

52. Google Workspace Marketplace: Perfect for Google Workspace apps and integrations.

53. Atlassian Marketplace: Best for Atlassian apps and integrations.

54. HubSpot App Marketplace: Ideal for HubSpot apps and integrations.

55. Shopify App Store: Great for Shopify apps and integrations.

56. Magento Marketplace: Ideal for Magento extensions and themes.

57. WordPress Plugin Directory: Perfect for WordPress plugins and themes.

58. Drupal Modules: Best for Drupal modules and themes.

59. Joomla Extensions Directory: Ideal for Joomla extensions and themes.

60. Epic Games Store: Great for PC games.

61. Steam: Ideal for PC games and software.

62. Itch.io: Best for indie games and creative tools.

63. Game Jolt: Great for indie games.

64. Twitch: Good for games and streaming related tools.

65. Discord servers (various): Various servers are ideal for different types of products.

66. TikTok: Best for consumer-oriented apps with viral potential.

67. Product School: Ideal for educational tech products.

68. TechRepublic: Great for IT and enterprise software.

69. Spiceworks Community: Ideal for IT-related tools and products.

70. DZone: Best for software and tools for developers.

71. CodeProject: Ideal for software tools and resources for developers.

72. GeekWire: Great for innovative tech products.

73. VentureBeat: Ideal for groundbreaking tech products.

74. The Verge: Great for consumer tech products.

75. Wired: Ideal for innovative tech and gadgets.

76. Engadget: Perfect for consumer tech gadgets.

77. XDA Developers: Great for Android apps and development tools.

78. The Next Web: Ideal for innovative digital tech products.

79. Lifehacker: Great for productivity tools and apps.

80. CNET: Ideal for software, hardware, and tech gadgets.

81. Greenbot: Best for Android apps.

82. Gizmodo: Ideal for consumer tech gadgets.

83. Slashdot: Perfect for tech-related products and software.

84. The Hacker Street: Best for Indian tech startups.

85. Inbound.org: Great for marketing tools and resources.

86. Clutch: Ideal for B2B software and services.

87. Siftery: Perfect for business software and tools.

88. AlternativeTo: Great for showcasing your product as an alternative to existing ones.

89. TrustRadius: Ideal for business software and services.

90. Software Advice: Best for business and professional software.

91. FinancesOnline: Ideal for financial and B2B software.

92. SoftwareSuggest: Great for business software.

93. GetApp: Ideal for business software and tools.

94. TechRadar: Great for consumer tech and software.

95. StartupRanking: Ideal for startups seeking exposure.

96. Angel.co: Perfect for startups seeking investment.

97. Startups.co: Ideal for startups looking for advice, mentors, and funding.

98. GoodFirms: Great for software products, IT services, and software development companies.

99. Serchen: Ideal for cloud services targeting businesses.

100. DiscoverCloud: Perfect for business software and SaaS products.

Happy launching!