viral-launch

viral-launch

Use this skill when a user wants to launch a project, make a repo marketable, improve discoverability, or build shareable launch assets.

This skill is opinionated: virality is not a promise. The goal is to make the project easy to understand, easy to share, and easy to act on.

Trigger phrases

• make this repo launch-ready
• set this up to go viral
• prepare a product launch
• create marketing assets for this project
• improve the README for launch
• prepare Product Hunt / Hacker News / X / LinkedIn launch copy
• set up an open-source repo for growth

Workflow

1. Inspect the project first:

• product purpose
• target user
• core use case
• current README and docs
• install or demo path
• screenshots, videos, or visual proof
• analytics or waitlist capture if present

2. Define the launch angle in one sentence:

• who it is for
• what painful job it solves
• why now
• what makes it different

3. Make the repo launch-ready:

• clear README headline and first paragraph
• demo or quickstart within the first screen
• installation steps that work from a clean checkout
• screenshots, GIF, or demo link where possible
• feature list based on outcomes, not implementation trivia
• examples for the highest-intent use cases
• badges only when they add trust
• license, contributing notes, and issue templates when useful

4. Create launch assets:

• short tagline
• 1-paragraph announcement
• 5 social post variants
• Product Hunt tagline and description when relevant
• Hacker News title candidates when relevant
• launch email or DM when relevant
• creator/influencer outreach list criteria, not spam copy

5. Design share loops:

• a reason users would show the output to someone else
• a public artifact worth linking
• a before/after demo
• a template, benchmark, checklist, or gallery that can travel
• referral or waitlist loop only if it fits the product

6. Define proof and metrics:

• activation event
• share event
• conversion event
• retention proxy
• launch-day dashboard or simple tracking checklist

7. Keep claims grounded:

• do not invent traction, logos, benchmarks, testimonials, or user counts
• mark assumptions explicitly
• prefer specific proof over hype
• avoid dark patterns and spam

Output format

When planning, produce:

• Launch angle
• Repo changes
• Launch assets
• Share loops
• Metrics
• Risks and assumptions
• Next actions

When editing a repository, make the smallest useful set of changes first, then validate by reading the README from a new user's perspective.

References

• references/launch-checklist.md
• references/external-skills.md