We made $0 on our PH launch. Here's why?

Hello there, We are the team behind VC_OS, an ecosystem designed to help founders navigate the busy world of venture capital and we want to share a story with you. It's not a success story, but a tale of failure, of lessons learned, and of how important it is to critically evaluate every aspect of a product launch. A while back, our Product Hunt launch didn't go as expected. We finished #41 instead of being the top product of the day, and most painfully, made no money whatsoever. We have spent time analyzing where we went wrong and here's what we discovered. 1. Not Talking to Users Beforehand In our case, the old saying "Assumption is the mother of all failures" rung true. Sadly, we thought we knew what our users wanted without actually reaching out to them prior to the launch. In retrospect, this was a major blunder. User interaction before any product launch is absolutely essential as it not only helps in validating your idea but also provides insights into what the users actually need, their pain points, and expectations. Not having this information meant that extra mile of personalization and user-centered design was missing from our platform. Our lack of direct interaction with potential users left us operating on assumptions that eventually didn't meet the actual needs of our users. 2. Too Much Building, Not Enough Selling The second reason for our unsuccessful launch was our overemphasis on product building. We wore the badge of "Minimum Viable Product" as an excuse to neglect other important aspects of a product launch like crafting a compelling landing page or writing the perfect copy. Though product development is essential, focusing solely on building and not on selling was a big mistake. Not only is a balanced approach between the two crucial to drive a successful product launch, it's important for the sustainability of any business. The inequitable focus reflected on our launch day when despite having a functioning platform, we couldn't make a single conversion. A potential customer's first impression often comes from the landing page and copy. Without having these optimized, we lacked the necessary tools to attract and retain potential customers. 3. Unfortunate Timing: The Role of Luck The third reason was simply bad luck. On our launch day, we found ourselves head-to-head with a direct competitor that was also launching. This competitor had focused heavily on marketing their product, overshadowing our less-optimized launch. The significance of timing and a little bit of luck must not be underestimated in the startup world. The simultaneous launch of our competitor affected our visibility and reach to our potential users. This dire circumstance emphasized the importance of market research and strategic planning in picking the most opportune time for a product launch. Wrapping up Failure can be a tough pill to swallow, but every failure brings with it important lessons. We've learned ours the hard way. Now, although VC_OS's Product Hunt launch didn’t go as we imagined, these reasons aren’t meant to serve as excuses, but reflections and learnings. We share this with the hope that our dear readers and fellow startup builders can avoid these pitfalls and build a more successful product launch. Let's Connect We urge entrepreneurs and founders to check out VC_OS, our easy-to-use ecosystem designed to ease your venture capital journey. And for those who've had similar experiences, we'd love to hear your stories and the lessons they came with. Because no matter how often we stumble and fall, we're all in this together! So, let's connect, share, and grow together.