Get established product hunter or launch myself?

Hunters have a lot of benefits, but you aren't screwed if you opt against it. If you look at the top hunters, they have some amazing successes and some duds. It's the same if you hunt yourself. I agree that building a community is the real key, but unfortunately that's easier said than done.

If there are any hunters who are particularly active in this space, for us, it's Design. Please reach out to one of them and ask nicely. The Product Hunt community is great and really does help each other out.

You should be fine either way I think.

IMHO, product hunters today aren't worth it if you are active on the community and make lots of friends :)

Launch yourself 🤞🏻

If you social media, or have a lot of private groups, then by all means

You just have to make sure its someone who is incredibly active within the community. I do think success is possible either way. I have seen hunters with thousands of followers hunt a product that ends up on no.20 for example, and I have seen some hit no.1 - i think you also have to be strategic that the hunter is someone who actually cares about your product thus the community would relate to the product! But i think success is possible by yourself too

I think both are fine, and get through the process is the best part of this journey

The age old quandary - I'll probably see what engagement looks like prior to rolling out and if I am concerned - I might reach out to a few hunters.

Depends... You can do fine both ways. If you feel like you could use some help, you don't really have to get a hunter. You can ask the community members to have a chat.

Reduced Burden: Partnering with a hunter can take a significant load off your shoulders, allowing you to focus on other aspects of your business. Expert Guidance: Experienced hunters can provide valuable insights and guidance throughout the launch process. They can help you optimize your product listing, craft compelling messaging, and engage with the Product Hunt community effectively. Increased Exposure: Established Product Hunt hunters have a proven track record of generating buzz and driving traffic to Product Hunt launches. They have a large network of followers and connections who are likely to upvote and comment on your product.

On top of my head I see 3 ways to make informed decision: 1. Look the top 3 for last 30+ days and collect how many products was launched by a hunter 2. Look at products of top and medium hunters. And collect proportion of top ranked products 3. Ask teams who launched by a hunter about theirs experience

I recommend you give it a shot on your own. We recently launched our product independently and achieved a commendable feat, garnering 1300+ upvotes within 24 hours.