Mind fuck - product hunt is not about product hunting either.
It’s spec work. It’s not super clear that’s what it is, but the specs given to you on product hunt are the current zeitgeist. Whether you like it or not, you will build your apps for this hivemind and not for any real problem space.
That assumes the person in question gives two shits about Product Hunt. What I learned from that website is that it isn’t worth it at all. It’s procrastination. It’s a place where wannabe founders gather to look productive and cool. People actually brag about being “top hunters”. It’s cringe worthy.
Back in the real world, every time I searched for a piece of software and landed on Product Hunt, the thing is already dead less than a year after being featured. Successful products become so despite Product Hunt, not because of it. Time and again I’ve seen good products which still endure not do well on PH, while vapid VC-funded hype is praised.
On the other hand, it has become a great filter. Every time I land on a product’s website and they brag about being “Product of the Day” or whatever, it’s usually the only outside validation they can point to. It is a fantastic indicator that what the creators care about is not aligned with my values, and that they’re likely to be in it only for the profit and will abandon the software at the first sign of difficulty.
They pitch it as being able to get exposure from a large, varied audience, except that's not the case at all. Try launching something that doesn't have to do with AI. Go ahead, try, and let me know how it goes. :)
I posted it on Product Hunt and got a good response, made it to the front page even (link if anyone’s curious: https://www.producthunt.com/products/65x24#65x24)
I don’t doubt that there’s a broader metagame that can be hacked, but in my limited experience legitimate passion projects still have a shot there.