Launch Post Skill

Developers smell marketing from a mile away. A launch post that lands with them is concrete, honest about trade-offs, and leads with what it does and why you built it — not adjectives. This skill writes that post (Show HN, Product Hunt, dev blog, or a tweet thread), tuned to the channel, with title options and a strong first comment to seed the discussion.

Required Inputs

Ask for these only if they aren't already provided:

• What you built — the tool/library/API, in one plain sentence.
• The problem & why now — what was painful before; why you made it.
• What's different — how it compares to the obvious alternatives (honestly).
• Proof — a code snippet, benchmark, demo link, repo, or "how it works" detail.
• Channel & ask — Show HN / Product Hunt / blog / X thread, and what you want (feedback, stars, signups).

Output Format

[Channel] launch post

Title options (3) — concrete and specific; for Show HN follow the Show HN: [Name] – [what it does] form. No hype words.

The post

• Opening (1–2 lines): what it is and the problem it solves — no preamble.
• Why we built it: the honest origin / the gap in existing tools.
• How it works / what's different: the technical substance — a snippet or concrete detail beats claims.
• Honest limits: what it doesn't do yet, known trade-offs. (This builds credibility with devs.)
• The ask: try it / feedback / repo link — one clear next step.

First comment (seed) — a ready-to-post reply adding technical context or answering the obvious first question, to kick off discussion.

Channel notes — tweaks for the chosen channel (HN: no marketing tone, be in the thread to reply; PH: tagline + first comment; X: thread hook + cadence).

Quality Checks

• Leads with what it does and the problem — not "excited to announce"
• Includes concrete proof (snippet, benchmark, demo, or how-it-works detail)
• Honestly states limits/trade-offs — credibility, not spin
• Title options are specific and channel-appropriate (e.g. correct Show HN format)
• One clear ask, and a first comment ready to seed the thread

Anti-Patterns

• Do not use marketing hype ("revolutionary", "game-changing") — devs downvote it
• Do not hide limitations — naming them earns trust and pre-empts the top comment
• Do not bury the what-it-does under backstory — lead with substance
• Do not make claims without proof — show the code/benchmark/demo
• Do not write a generic post — tune tone and format to the actual channel

Based On

Developer-launch craft (Show HN / Product Hunt norms): substance over hype, honest trade-offs, seed the discussion.