A Few Thoughts On Product Hunt

As someone who has an itch for new technology, both hardware and software, I fell in love with Product Hunt almost instantly. I feel fortunate to have watched it grow from the very beginning, but I’ll admit I didn’t really understand how the site would go from an enthusiast haven into a full business.

Here’s a few things I’ve observed as Product Hunt has grown.

The site is better at searching for apps, tools, and services than Google or any App Store.

The first place I go when I need a digital tool is PH. Here’s an example: I had the idea to mock up a basic app just to convey an idea. I had no idea what to use or even what was available, but I knew I’d find at least a handful of things to choose from that would help me get the job done. I also knew that if I didn’t find what I was looking for, it likely didn’t exist. That’s the kind of depth PH has managed.

The difference between it and other sites is its frictionless community.

Maybe it’s the combination of how PH has done invitations for commenting and good moderators, but the growth in users hasn’t had negative effects on the site. Just the opposite, having people that are critical but fair being able to comment has strengthened the site as it’s grown.

There are plenty of paths for PH to move forward.

Before the site had different sections like Books and Games, it was hard to imagine how PH would scale. It’s become clear, however, there’s enough guidance and clever ideas flowing behind the scenes that scaling won’t be a problem, even if you or I can’t see it at any one time.

Product Hunt is probably a lot of different things to different people, but one of the things it’s become for me is indispensable. I no longer use it exactly the same way I did at its inception, but this product feed, App Store search, services collection, has managed to keep its hooks in me despite both of us changing.