ph-golden-kitty skill

---
name: ph-golden-kitty
description: Strategy for Product Hunt Golden Kitty Awards. Use this skill to understand award categories, prepare nominations, and maximize your chances of winning annual recognition.
---

# Product Hunt Golden Kitty Awards

This skill helps you understand and strategize for the annual Product Hunt Golden Kitty Awards, the platform's highest recognition.

## When to Use This Skill

- Planning your launch for award eligibility
- Preparing for nomination period
- Mobilizing community for voting
- Understanding award categories

## What Are the Golden Kitty Awards?

### Overview

- Annual celebration of best products
- Recognizes products launched that year
- Community voting determines winners
- Winners receive Golden Kitty trophy

### Timeline (Typical)

- **Nominations:** Early December
- **Voting:** Mid-December
- **Winners Announced:** Late December/Early January

### What Winners Get

- 🏆 Golden Kitty Trophy (physical)
- Product Hunt swag
- Permanent badge on profile
- Major credibility boost
- PR and media coverage

## Award Categories

### Main Categories (2024)

**By Product Type:**
- Product of the Year
- Mobile App of the Year
- Developer Tool of the Year
- Design Tool of the Year
- AI & Machine Learning
- No-Code Tool of the Year
- Hardware Product of the Year
- Fintech Product of the Year
- Health & Wellness
- Productivity Tool
- E-commerce Product
- Privacy-Focused Tool

**By Achievement:**
- Side Project of the Year
- Remote Work Tool
- WTF Product of the Year (most creative/unusual)
- Crypto Product of the Year

**Community Awards:**
- Maker of the Year
- Community Member of the Year

### Category Eligibility

To be eligible:
- Launched on Product Hunt in the award year
- Follows community guidelines
- Qualifies for specific category

## Strategy for Winning

### Phase 1: Launch Strategy (Pre-Award)

**Launch Timing:**
- Launching early in year = longer community presence
- Launching late = fresher in memory
- Either can work; focus on quality

**Build Community:**
- Strong launch builds foundation
- Engage with supporters post-launch
- Maintain PH presence throughout year

**Track Record:**
- Multiple successful launches help
- Consistent community engagement
- Reputation building

### Phase 2: Nomination Period

**When Nominations Open:**
- Products can be nominated by community
- Top nominations advance to voting
- Category matters for positioning

**Getting Nominated:**
- Previous supporters often nominate
- Community remembers strong launches
- Makers can't self-nominate (usually)

**Increasing Nomination Chances:**
- Strong launch performance
- Active community engagement
- Memorable product/story

### Phase 3: Voting Period

**How Voting Works:**
- Community votes in each category
- Each user can vote once per category
- Votes from quality accounts count more
- Voting typically lasts 1-2 weeks

**Mobilizing Voters:**

*To Your Community:*
```
Subject: [Product] is nominated for Golden Kitty Awards!

Hey [Name],

Amazing news — [Product] has been nominated for the
Product Hunt Golden Kitty Awards in the [Category] category!

This is the biggest recognition on Product Hunt, and
your vote would mean everything.

→ Vote here: [Link]

Takes 30 seconds. Voting ends [Date].

Thank you for your continued support!

[Your Name]
```

*On Social Media:*
```
🏆 [Product] is nominated for @ProductHunt's Golden Kitty
Awards in [Category]!

We're honored to be among the best products of [Year].

If we helped you this year, your vote would mean the world 🙏

Vote here: [Link]

#GoldenKittyAwards #ProductHunt
```

### Phase 4: If You Win

**Immediate Actions:**
- Thank community publicly
- Share on all channels
- Update website/social with badge
- Reach out to press

**Long-Term Benefits:**
- Major credibility
- Attracts users/investors
- Helps future launches
- Community goodwill

## Category-Specific Strategies

### AI & Machine Learning

**What Wins:**
- Genuinely innovative AI use
- Clear practical application
- Impressive capabilities
- Strong demo/results

**Examples of Winners:**
- Tools that transform workflows
- Novel AI applications
- Accessible AI products

### Developer Tools

**What Wins:**
- Developer experience focus
- Solves real pain points
- Technical excellence
- Community adoption

**Examples of Winners:**
- Supabase, Raycast, Linear

### No-Code Tools

**What Wins:**
- Empowers non-developers
- Impressive capabilities
- Easy to use
- Strong use cases

**Examples of Winners:**
- Notion Sites, Retool

### Productivity

**What Wins:**
- Clear productivity gain
- Wide applicability
- Delightful experience
- Strong user love

### Side Project of the Year

**What Wins:**
- Built by individual/small team
- Creative or unusual
- Community favorite
- Authentic maker story

## Building Your Case

### Throughout the Year

**Maintain Presence:**
- Stay active on Product Hunt
- Engage with community
- Support other makers
- Share updates/milestones

**Build Advocates:**
- Turn users into fans
- Collect testimonials
- Create community
- Encourage word-of-mouth

### During Voting

**Mobilization Strategy:**

| Audience | Message | Channel |
|----------|---------|---------|
| Core users | Personal ask | Email |
| Community | Celebration post | Social |
| Network | Favor request | DM |
| General | Announcement | Public |

**Timing:**
- Day 1: Announce nomination
- Day 3-4: Reminder
- Day 6-7: Final push
- End: Thank everyone

## What to Avoid

### Don't:
- ❌ Buy votes or use services
- ❌ Spam communities
- ❌ Make false claims
- ❌ Beg or pressure
- ❌ Attack competitors

### Do:
- ✅ Ask genuinely
- ✅ Thank supporters
- ✅ Share excitement
- ✅ Be gracious if you lose
- ✅ Celebrate others

## If You Don't Win

### Graceful Response
```
Congrats to all #GoldenKittyAwards winners! 🎉

Honored to be nominated alongside such amazing products.

Huge thanks to everyone who voted for us — your support
drives us to keep building.

Here's to an even better [Next Year]! 🚀
```

### Learn and Improve
- Note what winners did well
- Build stronger community for next year
- Continue shipping great product

## Golden Kitty Checklist

### Year-Round
- [ ] Strong product launch
- [ ] Community engagement
- [ ] User advocacy building
- [ ] PH presence maintained

### Nomination Period
- [ ] Monitor for nominations
- [ ] Prepare voting campaign
- [ ] Draft announcement content
- [ ] Identify key supporters

### Voting Period
- [ ] Launch voting campaign
- [ ] Email supporters
- [ ] Social media push
- [ ] Daily engagement
- [ ] Thank voters

### Post-Awards
- [ ] Thank community (win or lose)
- [ ] Display badge if won
- [ ] PR outreach if won
- [ ] Plan for next year

## Output Format

```
GOLDEN KITTY STRATEGY: [Product Name]

TARGET CATEGORY: [Category]
ELIGIBILITY: [Confirmed/Pending]

CAMPAIGN TIMELINE:

Pre-Voting:
- [Action 1]
- [Action 2]

Voting Period:
- Day 1: [Action]
- Day 3: [Action]
- Day 7: [Action]

MOBILIZATION PLAN:

Audience Segments:
1. [Segment]: [Size] - [Channel] - [Message type]
2. [Segment]: [Size] - [Channel] - [Message type]
3. [Segment]: [Size] - [Channel] - [Message type]

PREPARED CONTENT:
- Announcement post: [Draft]
- Email template: [Draft]
- Social posts: [Drafts]
- Thank you message: [Draft]

SUCCESS METRICS:
- Votes target: [Number]
- Engagement goal: [Metric]

WIN SCENARIO:
- Immediate actions: [List]
- PR plan: [Outline]
- Badge placement: [Where]

LOSE SCENARIO:
- Response: [Draft]
- Next year plan: [Outline]
```