ph-timing-optimizer skill

---
name: ph-timing-optimizer
description: Optimize your Product Hunt launch timing for maximum success. Use this skill to choose the best day of the week based on your goals, understand timezone considerations, and plan the exact launch time for optimal visibility.
---

# Product Hunt Timing Optimizer

This skill helps you choose the optimal launch timing based on your goals, available resources, and competitive landscape.

## When to Use This Skill

- Deciding which day of the week to launch
- Understanding timezone implications
- Planning for specific audience targeting
- Balancing competition vs. traffic trade-offs
- Coordinating global team availability

## The Golden Rule

**Launch at 12:01 AM Pacific Standard Time (PST)**

Product Hunt's daily cycle resets at midnight PST. Launching at 12:01 AM gives you the full 24 hours of visibility.

### Timezone Conversions

| Timezone | Launch Time |
|----------|-------------|
| PST (San Francisco) | 12:01 AM |
| EST (New York) | 3:01 AM |
| GMT (London) | 8:01 AM |
| CET (Paris/Berlin) | 9:01 AM |
| IST (Mumbai) | 1:31 PM |
| CST (Beijing) | 4:01 PM |
| JST (Tokyo) | 5:01 PM |
| AEST (Sydney) | 7:01 PM |

## Day-by-Day Analysis

### WEEKDAYS (Higher Traffic, Higher Competition)

#### Tuesday
**Best For:** Maximum exposure, B2B products
- Traffic Level: ★★★★★
- Competition: ★★★★★
- Badge Difficulty: Very Hard
- Newsletter: Individual daily feature

**Pros:**
- Highest overall engagement
- Decision-makers are active
- Maximum newsletter exposure

**Cons:**
- Brutal competition (often VC-backed products)
- Requires 600-900+ upvotes for #1
- Need large support network

**Ideal For:** Well-funded startups, products with large existing audience

---

#### Wednesday
**Best For:** Serious launches with strong preparation
- Traffic Level: ★★★★★
- Competition: ★★★★★
- Badge Difficulty: Very Hard
- Newsletter: Individual daily feature

**Pros:**
- Peak mid-week attention
- Strong B2B engagement
- High-quality comments

**Cons:**
- Highest competition day
- Often 700-1000+ upvotes needed for #1
- Exhausting for small teams

**Ideal For:** Products with viral potential, well-prepared teams

---

#### Thursday
**Best For:** Strong launches with slightly less competition
- Traffic Level: ★★★★☆
- Competition: ★★★★☆
- Badge Difficulty: Hard
- Newsletter: Individual daily feature

**Pros:**
- Still high traffic
- Slightly less competition than Tue/Wed
- Good B2B engagement

**Cons:**
- Still very competitive
- 600-800+ upvotes often needed for #1

**Ideal For:** Solid products, teams with good support network

---

#### Monday
**Best For:** Starting the week strong
- Traffic Level: ★★★★☆
- Competition: ★★★☆☆
- Badge Difficulty: Medium-Hard
- Newsletter: Individual daily feature

**Pros:**
- Fresh week, high attention
- Less competition than mid-week
- People catching up on new products

**Cons:**
- Some decision-makers busy with meetings
- 500-700 upvotes typically needed for #1

**Ideal For:** B2B tools, productivity products

---

#### Friday
**Best For:** Balanced approach
- Traffic Level: ★★★☆☆
- Competition: ★★★☆☆
- Badge Difficulty: Medium
- Newsletter: Grouped in Monday newsletter

**Pros:**
- Lower competition
- More casual browsing
- 400-600 upvotes can win

**Cons:**
- Lower overall traffic
- Newsletter exposure diluted (grouped with weekend)
- Some users checked out for weekend

**Ideal For:** Consumer products, creative tools, side projects

---

### WEEKENDS (Lower Traffic, Easier Badges)

#### Saturday
**Best For:** Winning a badge with limited resources
- Traffic Level: ★★☆☆☆
- Competition: ★★☆☆☆
- Badge Difficulty: Easy
- Newsletter: Grouped in Monday newsletter

**Pros:**
- Much lower competition
- 300-500 upvotes can win #1
- Indie hackers very active
- Great for solo makers

**Cons:**
- Lower total traffic
- Less B2B engagement
- Newsletter grouped (diluted exposure)

**Ideal For:** Indie projects, MVP validation, first-time launchers

---

#### Sunday
**Best For:** Minimal competition launch
- Traffic Level: ★★☆☆☆
- Competition: ★☆☆☆☆
- Badge Difficulty: Very Easy
- Newsletter: Grouped in Monday newsletter

**Pros:**
- Lowest competition
- 300-400 upvotes often enough for #1
- Relaxed community vibe
- Good for testing

**Cons:**
- Lowest traffic
- Minimal B2B presence
- Newsletter exposure very diluted

**Ideal For:** Side projects, experiments, products not needing B2B

## Decision Matrix

### Choose WEEKDAY (Tue-Thu) if:
- [ ] Primary goal is customer acquisition
- [ ] You have 50+ active supporters ready
- [ ] Product appeals to B2B/enterprise
- [ ] You have team capacity for 24-hour push
- [ ] Marketing budget for promotion
- [ ] Product is polished and market-ready

### Choose WEEKEND (Sat-Sun) if:
- [ ] Primary goal is winning a badge
- [ ] Limited support network (<30 people)
- [ ] First Product Hunt launch
- [ ] Solo maker or tiny team
- [ ] MVP seeking validation
- [ ] Consumer/indie product

### Choose FRIDAY if:
- [ ] Want balance of traffic and competition
- [ ] Consumer-focused product
- [ ] Creative or fun tool
- [ ] Moderate support network (30-50)

## Critical 4-Hour Window

Regardless of day, the first 4 hours after launch are crucial:

**Hour 0-1:** Aim for 30-50 upvotes
- Activate your closest supporters
- Post on social media
- Send first email wave

**Hour 1-2:** Aim for 50-100 upvotes
- Second wave of outreach
- Respond to all comments
- Monitor ranking position

**Hour 2-4:** Aim for 100-200 upvotes
- Continue engagement
- Share progress updates
- Activate next timezone supporters

**Why First 4 Hours Matter:**
- Rankings are randomized initially
- Algorithm watches early momentum
- Top 3 position attracts organic traffic
- Most users only see top products

## Timing Optimization Checklist

- [ ] Confirmed launch at 12:01 AM PST
- [ ] Calculated timezone for your location
- [ ] Assessed competition for chosen day
- [ ] Verified team availability for first 4 hours
- [ ] Scheduled email/social for optimal times
- [ ] Planned supporter activation by timezone
- [ ] Set up monitoring for launch time

## Output Format

```
TIMING RECOMMENDATION

Selected Day: [Day]
Launch Time: 12:01 AM PST ([Local Time] your timezone)

Rationale:
- Primary goal: [Goal] → [Why this day fits]
- Support network size: [#] → [Sufficient/Needs work]
- Expected competition: [Level]
- Upvote target for Top 5: [#]

Timezone Coverage Plan:
- Wave 1 (Hour 0-1): [Region] supporters
- Wave 2 (Hour 1-2): [Region] supporters
- Wave 3 (Hour 2-4): [Region] supporters

Team Availability:
- [Person]: [Time range] - [Role]
- [Person]: [Time range] - [Role]
```