The launch week playbook from Orvian Launch
Nothing here costs anything unless you choose an extra. The steps are what Orvian Launch would do in your place.
Set things up
1. Fill in every part of the page
People decide quickly. Make sure the tagline and description are clear and current, the FAQs are answered and your founder profile is complete.
2. Show the product
Screenshots of the product in use explain more than a paragraph. Add a clean logo, and a short demo video if you have one.
3. Choose a good moment
Launch when you have time to take part. A week with a free diary lets you reply quickly and share updates as they happen.
4. Prepare your posts
Prepare a short launch message you can adapt for each place. Give friends and users a heads-up about the date.
The first day
5. Answer questions quickly
Treat each question as a chance to explain the product better. Reply the same day and keep the tone friendly.
6. Write to your users
Write a brief launch email with the link and one line on what is new. Add a launch banner or link to your welcome email too.
7. Share in communities with care
Share in Reddit, Slack and Discord groups where self-promotion is allowed, and read each group's rules first. Use Show HN only for something people can try.
8. Share your launch link
Share your launch where your followers already are. Pin the post, and update your bio link to the listing for the week.
Votes come from people, one each. They can never be bought, so never use extra accounts or vote swaps to add to them.
While the week runs
9. Plan your next listings
Choose a handful of directories that suit your product, rather than all of them. The list below is a good place to start.
10. Share what you learnt
A day or so after launch, post again on LinkedIn with something new: what people asked, what you changed or what you learnt.
11. Display your launch badge
A small badge on your website shows the launch and links to your listing. Add it once and it keeps working.
12. Improve the listing as you go
Keep editing through the week. A new FAQ for each repeated question and up-to-date screenshots keep the page useful.
After launch week
13. Plan your next launch
Plan the next launch around a real change: a new version, a big feature or a milestone you can explain.
14. Revisit the page
Check the listing every few months and update anything that has changed, from pricing to screenshots.
15. Measure what happened
Look at your analytics after the week: which links brought people, and what they did next. Tagged links make this much clearer.
Find more launch directories
For the next places to list, see Best Launch Directories: launch platforms, startup directories and AI tool lists, each with Domain Rating, pricing and link type.
Help from us, if you want it
You can follow every step without paying. These are the optional extras on Orvian Launch, with current prices.
- Featured launch $19
The Featured spot on the homepage for 7 days, from your launch week on, with a Featured label. It does not add a vote.
- Multi-site bundle $99
Your listing is written once, by you. We put it live on 49 other launch and discovery sites, reworded for each, and every edit you make from then on flows to all of them automatically.
- Done-for-you listing $149.99
Your listing on 49 other launch and discovery sites without lifting a finger: a separate description for each, then one email with every link.
- Front page plot $49
For 7 days the Sponsored slot on the homepage shows your company, logo, tagline and a link to your website.
- Category plot $19
Your company at the top of your listing's category page for 7 days, labelled Sponsored.
- Newsletter plot $29
The Sponsored place in one issue of the newsletter Orvian Launch sends out every week.
- Billboard from $5
A paid board where the company that has contributed the most sits at the top. Ranked by money only, and it never touches a vote.
- Product review $19
A structured review built from your listing and your public website, shown in its own block on your listing and marked as commissioned by the maker; it adds no vote or rating.
- Editorial founder feature $29
One of our editors edits an article about you, the founder, written from your story and listing facts. Nothing made up.
Prices are in US dollars; VAT is added where it is due.
Questions
- Can I ask my users to vote?
- Share the launch freely and let people choose. Votes can never be bought, and each person has one vote on one account.
- Is there anything to do after launch week?
- Review what worked, keep your page accurate, and relaunch when you have a new version or a milestone.
- Is it worth using several launch directories?
- A short list of well-matched directories beats a long list. Read the terms and compare price and link type for each.
- When do I announce my launch?
- On launch day, as soon as the listing is live, and once more later in the week with an update or a lesson learnt.
Keep this page handy for launch day. The Orvian Launch help centre has the details on each step. Open the help centre