The Problem (Pain Level: 8/10)
“I have to wake up at 4 AM for Product Hunt launch” - a common indie hacker struggle.
Current pain points:
- Timezone Hell: Product Hunt launches at PST midnight, HN peaks in morning, Reddit at lunch… each platform has different optimal times
- Manual Posting: Launch day means manually posting to 4-5 platforms one by one
- Expensive SaaS: Buffer, Hootsuite cost $20-100/mo, too much for solo developers
- Workflow Disconnect: GUI tools can’t integrate with CI/CD pipelines
- Repetitive Work: Same launch process for every project
Target Market
Primary Target: Indie hackers, solo developers, side project builders
Market Size:
- Social media scheduling market: $1.5B → $4.2B (2033, CAGR 12.8%)
- Product Hunt monthly active projects: 10,000+
- Indie hacker community: Millions worldwide
Pain Intensity: Recurring pain with every project launch
What is Social Launch CLI?
A CLI tool that posts to multiple platforms at optimal times with a single command.
Core Concept:
# Initialize config
social-launch init
# launch.yaml
platforms:
producthunt:
tagline: "Your AI-powered productivity tool"
topics: [productivity, ai, developer-tools]
hackernews:
title: "Show HN: I built an AI tool to..."
reddit:
subreddits: [SideProject, startups, indiehackers]
twitter:
thread: true
# Schedule launch (auto-calculates optimal time per platform)
social-launch schedule --date 2026-03-01
# Or integrate with GitHub Release
# .github/workflows/launch.yml
on:
release:
types: [published]
jobs:
launch:
runs-on: ubuntu-latest
steps:
- uses: actions/checkout@v4
- run: npx social-launch auto
How It Works:
- Define platform-specific content in YAML
- Auto-calculate optimal posting time per platform
- Execute via GitHub Actions on schedule
- Notify results via Slack/Discord
Differentiators:
- CLI Native: Natural fit for developer workflows
- GitHub Actions Integration: Release tag → auto launch
- Open Source Core: Core features free, Pro features paid
- Optimal Time Algorithm: Data-driven time recommendations per platform
- YAML Config: Version controlled, reusable
Competitive Analysis
| Competitor | Features | Weakness |
|---|---|---|
| Buffer | Social scheduling | $15-99/mo, GUI only, no PH |
| Typefully | X thread focused | X only, $15/mo |
| RedUp.pro | Reddit only | Reddit only, $29-99/mo |
| Publer | Multi-platform | $12-21/mo, no CLI |
Opportunity: No CLI-based multi-platform launch tool exists
Competition Level: LOW - New category
MVP Development
Estimated Timeline: 4 weeks
Tech Stack:
- Language: TypeScript/Node.js
- CLI Framework: Commander.js + Inquirer
- APIs: Reddit API, Product Hunt API, X API, HN Firebase
- Scheduler: GitHub Actions or Cloudflare Workers
- Config: YAML (js-yaml)
MVP Features:
- Parse platform-specific YAML config
- Reddit, X, HackerNews posting
- Optimal time calculation algorithm
- GitHub Actions workflow template
- Post result logging
Future Features:
- Official Product Hunt API integration
- Analytics dashboard (views, upvotes tracking)
- A/B testing (titles, times)
- Team collaboration
Revenue Model
Model: Freemium + Usage
Pricing:
- Free: 3 launches/month, 3 platforms, open source
- Pro ($9/mo): Unlimited launches, all platforms, analytics
- Team ($29/mo): Team collaboration, API access, priority support
Revenue Projection:
- 6 months: $3K-8K MRR (open source viral)
- 12 months: $8K-20K MRR (indie hacker word of mouth)
Risk Analysis
| Risk | Level | Mitigation |
|---|---|---|
| Technical | LOW | APIs well documented, low complexity |
| Market | LOW | Clear indie hacker target, you are the user |
| Execution | LOW | 4 week MVP, fast validation |
Key Risk: API policy changes (Product Hunt API is limited)
Who Should Build This
- Indie hackers who launch side projects frequently
- Developers with CLI tool experience
- Those with Product Hunt/HN launch experience
- Developers familiar with GitHub Actions
- Those interested in building open source communities
If you’re starting a side project with this idea, or have other thoughts, share in the comments!