LaunchDay Platform Help

Helps the user submit to, evaluate, and get the most from LaunchDay — a curated 24-hour product launch event platform that features indie makers with exclusive deals, podcast interviews, and influencer promotion.

Step 1 — Gather context

If references/learnings.md exists, read it first for accumulated knowledge.

Ask the user:

1. What do you need help with?

   • A) Submitting a product to LaunchDay
   • B) Evaluating if LaunchDay is worth $99
   • C) Preparing for the video interview / podcast
   • D) Comparing LaunchDay with other launch platforms
   • E) Something else — describe it

2. What's your product?

   • A) SaaS / software tool
   • B) Mobile app
   • C) API / developer tool
   • D) No-code / low-code tool
   • E) Something else

3. Can you offer a >40% discount?

   • A) Yes — easy, margins allow it
   • B) Maybe — depends on the tier/plan
   • C) No — high costs (e.g., AI inference) make deep discounts unsustainable
   • D) Not sure — need to think about it

If the user's request already provides most of this context, skip directly to the relevant step. Lead with your best-effort answer using reasonable assumptions (stated explicitly), then ask only the most critical 1-2 clarifying questions at the end.

Step 2 — Route or answer directly

If the request maps to a different skill, route:

• Multi-directory launch strategy → /sales-launch-directory
• Product Hunt launch → /sales-producthunt
• Email marketing to subscribers → /sales-email-marketing
• Landing page optimization → /sales-checkout
• Audience growth strategy → /sales-audience-growth
• Other specific directory platforms → hand off to that platform's skill

Otherwise, answer directly from the LaunchDay reference below.

Step 3 — LaunchDay platform reference

Platform overview

Detail	Value
URL	itslaunchday.com
Founder	Dagobert Renouf (indie maker, 100K+ Twitter followers @dagorenouf)
Model	Curated 24-hour launch events — 1-2 per month, max 20 products each
Pricing	$99 submission fee — only charged if selected
Sponsorship	Guarantees a spot (price not public)
Backlink	Unknown DR, unknown dofollow/nofollow — verify after event
Events held	4 as of early 2026 (very early-stage platform)
API	None

What you get when selected

1. Homepage featuring during the 24-hour launch event
2. Permanent archive placement — your product stays listed after the event ends
3. LaunchDay Podcast interview — 30-min recorded video covering your story and product demo (53+ episodes on Spotify/Apple Podcasts)
4. Influencer promotion — Dagobert (100K+ followers) promotes your product
5. Slack community access — connect with other LaunchDay makers
6. Applaud/voting system — community engagement during the event
7. Deal unlocks — users share on social media to access your exclusive discount

Submission requirements

Requirement	Details
Company stage	Indie or early-stage only — fully bootstrapped or mostly bootstrapped with minor incubator/fund support. VC-backed companies excluded
Discount	Must offer >40% discount (exception for high-cost products like AI with expensive inference)
Video interview	Must participate in a 30-minute recorded video interview about your story and product
Availability	Limited — only 1-2 events per month, max 20 products each

How LaunchDay compares to directories

LaunchDay is fundamentally different from traditional startup directories — it's an event, not a listing.

Aspect	LaunchDay	Free directories (SoloPush, ProductBurst)	Paid directories (Open Launch $12)
Cost	$99 (if selected)	Free	$12-$149
Model	24-hour event, 1-2/month	Always-on listing	Always-on listing
Backlink	Unknown	Confirmed dofollow	Guaranteed dofollow
Podcast	Yes — 30-min interview	No	No
Influencer promo	Yes — 100K+ followers	No	No
Discount required	>40%	No	No
VC-backed allowed	No	Yes	Yes
Permanent listing	Archive only	Full listing	Full listing

When LaunchDay makes sense

Good fit:

• You're bootstrapped and want exposure beyond just a backlink
• You value the podcast interview and influencer promotion more than the listing itself
• You can offer a meaningful discount (>40%) without hurting margins
• You're willing to invest $99 + time for a 30-min video interview

Not ideal:

• Your primary goal is SEO backlinks — unknown DR/dofollow status makes this unreliable for backlinks
• You're VC-backed — not eligible
• You can't offer >40% discount — required for participation
• You want a permanent, always-on directory listing — LaunchDay is a one-time event with archive placement

Step 4 — Actionable guidance

Preparing your LaunchDay submission

1. Check eligibility: Bootstrapped/indie? Can offer >40% discount? Willing to do video?
2. Prepare your deal: Create a specific discount code or landing page with >40% off
3. Submit at itslaunchday.com/submit-product — $99 fee is only charged if selected
4. Prepare for the video interview:
   • Have your product demo ready (working, not a prototype walkthrough)
   • Prepare your founder story — why you built it, what problem it solves
   • Keep it conversational — this becomes a podcast episode
5. Add UTM tracking: ?utm_source=launchday&utm_medium=directory&utm_campaign=launch

Maximizing your LaunchDay event

• Promote the event yourself — share on your social channels that you're featured
• Engage during the 24-hour window — respond to comments, thank people who applaud
• Track deal unlocks — monitor how many people unlock your discount
• Follow up in Slack — connect with other makers in the LaunchDay community

Should you pay $99?

Compare with alternatives:

• $99 on LaunchDay = event featuring + podcast + influencer promo + Slack community + unknown backlink
• $99 on LaunchingNext = 1-business-day expedited review + DR51 dofollow backlink
• $99 split across directories = Open Launch Premium ($12) + CtrlAlt.cc ($39) + MicroLaunch Pro ($39) = 3 guaranteed dofollow backlinks + permanent listings

If your goal is backlinks: Split the budget across directories instead. If your goal is exposure + podcast + community: LaunchDay offers unique value that directories don't. If budget allows both: Do LaunchDay AND directory submissions.

Gotchas

Best-effort from research — review these, especially items about pricing and event model that may change.

• Very early platform. Only 4 events held as of early 2026. Track record is limited, and the platform's longevity is unproven.

• Backlink value unknown. No data on DR or dofollow/nofollow status. Don't count on LaunchDay for SEO value — treat any backlink as a bonus.

• $99 is non-trivial for indie makers. Compare with free directories (SoloPush, ProductBurst) and cheaper paid options (OpenHunts $9.90, Open Launch $12) before committing.

• >40% discount required. This can be a significant margin hit depending on your product. AI products with high inference costs get an exception, but SaaS products generally don't.

• Video interview is mandatory. If you're camera-shy or time-constrained, factor in the 30-minute commitment. The video becomes a public podcast episode.

• Limited availability. 1-2 events per month, max 20 products. Rejection is possible even after paying (payment is only processed if selected).

• Event-based, not always-on. Your featuring lasts 24 hours. After that, you're in the archive — not on the homepage.

• Self-improving: If you discover something not covered here, append it to references/learnings.md with today's date.

Related skills

• /sales-launch-directory — Coordinates submissions across 10+ startup directories with sequencing, backlink stacking, and budget allocation
• /sales-openlaunch — Open Launch platform help (open-source PH alternative, DR65 backlinks)
• /sales-productburst — ProductBurst platform help (daily/weekly rankings, instant listing)
• /sales-solopush — SoloPush platform help (no-pressure indie maker community)
• /sales-openhunts — OpenHunts platform help (weekly launch cycle, DR50 backlinks)
• /sales-huzzler — Huzzler platform help (founder community, weekly Launch Arena)
• /sales-producthunt — Product Hunt platform help (largest launch platform, DR91 dofollow, 5M+ visits/mo)
• /sales-do — Not sure which skill to use? The router matches any sales objective to the right skill. Install: npx skills add sales-skills/sales --skill sales-do

Examples

Example 1: Evaluate if LaunchDay is worth it

User says: "Is LaunchDay worth $99? I'm on a tight budget." Skill does:

1. Breaks down what $99 gets: event featuring, podcast interview, influencer promo, Slack community
2. Compares with alternatives: $99 split across 3 directories gets 3 guaranteed dofollow backlinks
3. Notes the unknown backlink value of LaunchDay
4. Recommends: if backlinks are the priority, split the budget; if exposure/podcast is the priority, LaunchDay offers unique value Result: Clear cost-benefit analysis with actionable recommendation

Example 2: Submit to LaunchDay

User says: "I want to submit my SaaS tool to LaunchDay" Skill does:

1. Checks eligibility: bootstrapped? Can offer >40% discount?
2. Walks through the submission at itslaunchday.com/submit-product
3. Prepares for the video interview — demo readiness, founder story talking points
4. Recommends adding UTM tracking and promoting the event on social channels Result: Submission prepared with interview prep and tracking in place

Example 3: Compare LaunchDay with free directories

User says: "Should I do LaunchDay or just submit to free directories?" Skill does:

1. Explains the fundamental difference: LaunchDay is an event with podcast/promo, directories are permanent listings with backlinks
2. Notes that free directories (SoloPush, ProductBurst) deliver confirmed dofollow backlinks at $0
3. LaunchDay's unique value is the podcast interview and influencer promotion — not available elsewhere
4. Recommends doing both if budget allows, or prioritizing free directories if backlinks are the main goal Result: Clear framework for deciding based on user's primary goal

Troubleshooting

Not selected after submitting

Symptom: Submitted and paid $99 but wasn't selected for an event Cause: LaunchDay curates strictly — only 20 products per event, and they prioritize diverse product categories Solution: Your $99 is only charged if selected, so no financial loss. Reach out to @dagorenouf on Twitter for feedback on why you weren't selected. Consider submitting again for a future event. Meanwhile, submit to free directories (SoloPush, ProductBurst) for immediate listings.

Not sure what discount to offer

Symptom: Required to offer >40% but unsure what's sustainable Cause: Deep discounts can hurt margins, especially for early-stage products Solution: Consider offering the discount on annual plans (higher LTV offsets the discount), limiting it to the first 50 users, or creating a special LaunchDay-only tier. If you have high infrastructure costs (AI inference, hosting), mention this in your submission — they make exceptions.

Low engagement during the event

Symptom: Featured on LaunchDay but few applauds or deal unlocks Cause: LaunchDay events depend on community size, which is still growing (4 events so far) Solution: Actively promote the event on your own channels — share the LaunchDay link on Twitter, your email list, and any communities you're part of. Engage in the LaunchDay Slack. The influencer promotion helps, but your own network amplifies it.