--- name: docs-launch-kit description: > Versioned launch kit from the repo's real features: Show HN, Product Hunt, Reddit/X/LinkedIn posts, release notes, a calendar with UTM links. Use when "launch post", "Show HN", "Product Hunt listing", "announce this release", or "launch copy". license: MIT --- # docs-launch-kit — Launch copy that survives the comments **Degree of freedom: MIXED.** Angle and voice `[HIGH freedom]`; facts from the repo, per-channel format rules, and the no-solicitation ban `[LOW freedom — run exactly]`. Apply-now. Produces `docs/launch/.md` (or the path the repo already uses) with one angle, per-channel copy, UTM links, and a calendar. A launch is a **cadence** — every meaningful release gets a kit — so the file is versioned, not overwritten. ## This skill vs neighbors | Skill | Owns | |---|---| | **docs-launch-kit** (this) | Announcement copy per channel + calendar + UTMs | | `enhance-readme` | README hero, screenshots, badges | | `docs-writer` | Reference docs, changelog entries, long-form articles | | `plan-antislop` | Voice audit when the copy reads generated | | `enhance-web-seo` | Titles/meta for the pages the posts link to | | `plan-gtm` | Which channels and which ICP — this skill writes for that decision | | `deploy-npm` / `workflow-ship-and-observe` | The release itself | Do **not** fire for "write the changelog" alone → `docs-writer`. ## How to reason 1. **Angle** — one problem the ICP recognizes, stated before the product name 2. **Evidence** — every claim maps to a file, a changelog line, or a number that can be checked 3. **Format** — each channel gets its native shape; nothing is cross-posted verbatim 4. **Calendar** — sequence and timing; who answers comments and for how long 5. **Measure** — UTM per channel; success is signups and activation, not points ## Worked example > **Angle:** "Coding agents call it done when it compiles" — not "145 skills". > **Evidence:** `complete-everything` state file + `completion-judge` agent exist > in `skills/`; 3.6k npm downloads from `npm view`; no star count claimed. > **Format:** Show HN title states the mechanism; first comment explains why it > was built and what it does not do. PH tagline ≤60 chars, three gallery shots > from `docs/screenshots/`. Reddit r/cursor post leads with the failure story. > **Calendar:** HN Tuesday 13:00 UTC; PH the following week; Reddit on release > day; reply window 2 h for HN, all day for PH. > **Measure:** `?utm_source=hn&utm_medium=post&utm_campaign=v1.35`; report > signups per channel after 7 days. ## Self-critique before reporting - **Angle first** — every post opens with the problem, not the product or a count - **Checked facts** — each number and feature in the copy was verified this session - **Native format** — HN copy has no marketing adjectives; PH copy fits its fields; Reddit follows the subreddit rules quoted in the file - **No solicitation** — no "upvote us" links, vote rings, or DMs asking for votes - **Disclosure** — the maker is identified as the maker on every channel - **Right owner** — README visuals → `enhance-readme`; changelog → `docs-writer` --- ## Procedure ### 1. Gather facts [LOW freedom — run exactly] Read `CHANGELOG.md` (or the release diff), README hero, `package.json` version, screenshots directory, and any live numbers (`npm view`, store listing, analytics). Build a **claims table**: `Claim | Source | Verified`. Copy may use only verified rows. ### 2. Pick the angle [HIGH freedom] One sentence the ICP would say about their own problem. Test: does it still work with the product name removed? Lead with what **changed** for the reader, never with counts, "excited to announce", or the tech stack. ### 3. Write per channel [LOW freedom — formats; HIGH freedom — words] | Channel | Shape | Rules that matter | |---|---|---| | **Show HN** | `Show HN: ` + first comment: why built, how it works, trade-offs, what it does not do, one ask | Official rules: a runnable thing, no signup wall or waitlist, human-written (AI-written posts are removed), never solicit votes; sober tone, no adjectives; answer every comment for 2 h; only ~11% of Show HN posts clear 10 points — the thread is the asset even when the front page misses | | **Product Hunt** | tagline ≤60 chars; description; 3–5 gallery images or a 30-s demo; maker first comment; hunter or self-hunt | Featured rate ~10%; 1–2% visit→signup for B2B; credibility and feedback, not acquisition; launch after real users exist; relaunch per major version | | **Reddit** | subreddit-specific post: story → what it does → link in comments if rules require | Quote the subreddit rules in the kit; value-first; one subreddit per day | | **X / Bluesky / LinkedIn** | hook line → 15-s demo or screenshot → link; LinkedIn in first person, longer | External links are throttled on X — the demo clip travels, the link rides in a reply; one thread, not five; reply to every quote | | **dev.to / Hashnode / blog** | problem → approach → code → what you would change → link | Canonical URL to your domain; this is the SEO asset; one honest piece beats a batch of generated ones (Google scaled-content policy) | | **Release notes as announcement** | Changelog section rewritten for users: what you can do now | Ships with the tag; link from every other post | | **Newsletter / Discord** | short, personal, one link | Existing users first — they retell it | ### 4. Calendar [HIGH freedom] Sequence: existing users → Show HN (Tue–Thu, 12–17 UTC) → community posts → Product Hunt a week later when social proof exists → article the following week. Name who watches comments and for how long. Put the next release's kit date at the bottom. ### 5. Links and measurement [LOW freedom — run exactly] `?utm_source=&utm_medium=post&utm_campaign=` on every link; one row per channel in the kit's **Results** table: visits, signups, activated, notes — filled after 7 days. Channel numbers to judge against (Show HN front page 5–30k visits / 50–400 signups; Product Hunt 1–2% B2B signup) live in `plan-gtm/references/benchmarks-2026.md`. ### 6. Output ```markdown # Launch kit — — ## Angle ## Claims table ## Show HN ## Product Hunt ## Reddit — r/ (rules: …) ## X / Bluesky / LinkedIn ## Article outline ## Release notes (user-facing) ## Calendar ## Results (fill after 7 days) ``` ## Guardrails - **No vote solicitation.** No upvote asks, rings, or DMs — HN and PH both penalize it. - **No fabricated proof.** Testimonials, numbers, and logos come from the claims table. - **Disclose.** The maker posts as the maker. - **No cross-post spam.** One native post per channel; respect each community's rules. - **Voice check.** If a paragraph could be any product's launch, or reads as mannered prose (throat-clearing opener, stacked hedges, "excited to announce", triplets for rhythm), rewrite or send to `plan-antislop`. ## Chains with - **`plan-gtm`** → channel plan and ICP this kit writes for. - **`enhance-readme`** → README hero and screenshots the posts link to. - **`enhance-web-seo`** → the article and landing page it links. - **`iterate-post-launch`** → reads the Results table one week later.