sales-firsto

What this skill does

# Firsto Platform Help

Helps the user with Firsto platform questions — from submitting a product and understanding the tiered backlink system through premium launch options, SEO-optimized pages, and editorial reviews.

## Step 1 — Gather context


If `references/learnings.md` exists, read it first for accumulated knowledge.

Ask the user:

1. **What do you need help with?**
   - A) Launching a product — submitting, writing a listing
   - B) Getting a backlink — understanding free vs paid backlink conditions
   - C) Premium/Pro/SEO Growth — evaluating paid tiers
   - D) SEO value — long-term discovery via permanent product pages
   - E) Comparing Firsto with Open Launch or other directories
   - F) Something else — describe it

2. **What stage is your product?**
   - A) Idea stage — haven't built anything yet
   - B) MVP / prototype — working but early
   - C) Launched — live product with users
   - D) Growing — looking for more visibility

3. **What's your goal?**
   - A) First users and feedback
   - B) SEO backlinks (DR59+ dofollow)
   - C) Long-term organic discovery via product pages
   - D) All of the above

**If the user's request already provides most of this context, skip directly to the relevant step.** Lead with your best-effort answer using reasonable assumptions (stated explicitly), then ask only the most critical 1-2 clarifying questions at the end.

## Step 2 — Route or answer directly

If the request maps to a specialized skill, route:
- Launch strategy across multiple directories → `/sales-launch-directory`
- Product launch strategy and funnels → `/sales-funnel`
- Email list building / audience growth → `/sales-audience-growth`
- Email marketing to subscribers → `/sales-email-marketing`
- Landing page / checkout optimization → `/sales-checkout`
- Open Launch-specific questions → `/sales-openlaunch`
- CtrlAlt.cc-specific questions → `/sales-ctrlaltcc`
- ProductBurst-specific questions → `/sales-productburst`
- MicroLaunch-specific questions → `/sales-microlaunch`
- LaunchingNext-specific questions → `/sales-launchingnext`
- SoloPush-specific questions → `/sales-solopush`
- SideProjectors buy/sell questions → `/sales-sideprojectors`
- Huzzler-specific questions → `/sales-huzzler`

Otherwise, answer directly from platform knowledge below.

## Step 3 — Firsto platform reference

**Read `references/platform-guide.md`** for detailed module documentation, pricing, integrations, and data model.

*You no longer need the platform guide details — focus on the user's specific situation.*

## Step 4 — Actionable guidance

### Submission checklist

| Step | What to do | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Prepare your listing | Clear name, problem-focused description, screenshots | First impression + permanent SEO page |
| 2. Choose your tier | Free (patient), Premium ($19.90), Pro ($59.90), or SEO Growth ($149) | Determines backlink guarantee and visibility |
| 3. Optimize for SEO | Write description with keywords your product should rank for | Product page becomes a permanent search asset |
| 4. Time your network | Launches happen at 8:00 UTC — coordinate supporters | Early engagement drives daily ranking |
| 5. Display badge (free tier) | Add Firsto badge to your site if aiming for free backlink | Required for free-tier dofollow backlink |
| 6. Share externally | Post your Firsto listing on Twitter, communities | External traffic drives rankings |

### Which tier to choose

**Free ($0) when:**
- Budget is zero AND you can wait ~180 days
- You're confident you can reach Top 3 daily
- You're willing to display the Firsto badge on your site

**Premium ($19.90) when:**
- You want the DR59+ backlink guaranteed — no conditions
- You need to launch within 24 hours
- You want direct site links on all product cards

**Pro ($59.90) when:**
- You want 30-day homepage featured placement (~3K impressions)
- A mini editorial review adds credibility
- Star ratings in Google search results matter for your brand

**SEO Growth ($149) when:**
- You want a dedicated "[Product] review" article (800-1200 words)
- Long-term Google ranking for "[Your Product] review" keywords
- You're investing seriously in SEO and want content assets

**Private Review ($249) when:**
- You want honest UI/UX feedback before a major launch
- Bug findings prioritized by severity (P0-P3)
- Confidential — not published publicly

### Multi-platform launch strategy

Firsto works best as one platform in a broader launch:

1. **SoloPush + ProductBurst** — instant listings (Day 1)
2. **Huzzler Launch Arena** — submit Monday for weekly competition
3. **Open Launch Premium ($12)** — next-day launch with DR65 backlink (cheapest guaranteed backlink)
4. **Firsto Premium ($19.90)** — 24-hour launch with DR59+ backlink + permanent SEO page
5. **MicroLaunch** — 30-day leaderboard cycle
6. **CtrlAlt.cc + LaunchingNext** — curated directories (queue or pay to skip)
7. **Product Hunt** — save for main launch event

## Gotchas

*Best-effort from research — review these, especially items about plan-gated features and integration gotchas that may be outdated.*

- **Free backlink is NOT automatic.** Same model as Open Launch — only Top 3 daily get a dofollow backlink, and you must display the Firsto badge. Regular listings get nofollow links.
- **~180 day free queue is extremely long.** This is the longest free queue of any launch directory. If timing matters at all, the $19.90 Premium is your only option.
- **DR varies wildly by source.** LaunchDirectories reports DR57, other sources report DR29. The platform claims "DR59+ backlinks." Don't rely on exact numbers — verify current metrics before purchasing.
- **Forked from Open Launch but more expensive.** Premium is $19.90 vs Open Launch's $12. SEO article is $149 vs $59. Open Launch also has higher confirmed DR (65). Evaluate whether Firsto's extras (mini reviews, homepage features, alternatives pages) justify the price difference.
- **Small platform.** 15K monthly visitors and 2K+ projects is modest. Don't expect significant direct traffic — the value is SEO and the permanent product page.
- **No public API.** Everything is manual through the web interface.
- **5 free slots per day.** Combined with the ~180 day queue, getting a free launch slot is very competitive.

- **Self-improving**: If you discover something not covered here, append it to `references/learnings.md` with today's date.

## Related skills

- `/sales-launch-directory` — Launch strategy across multiple startup directories
- `/sales-openlaunch` — Open Launch platform help (open-source PH alternative, DR65 backlinks — Firsto's parent project)
- `/sales-huzzler` — Huzzler platform help (founder community, weekly Launch Arena competition)
- `/sales-ctrlaltcc` — CtrlAlt.cc platform help (curated tool directory)
- `/sales-productburst` — ProductBurst platform help (daily/weekly rankings, badges)
- `/sales-microlaunch` — MicroLaunch platform help (30-day leaderboard, deals marketplace)
- `/sales-launchingnext` — LaunchingNext platform help (curated startup directory)
- `/sales-solopush` — SoloPush platform help (indie maker community, no-pressure launch)
- `/sales-sideprojectors` — SideProjectors platform help (buy/sell side projects)
- `/sales-funnel` — Build and optimize sales funnels for conversion
- `/sales-audience-growth` — Grow your email list and subscriber base
- `/sales-checkout` — Optimize landing pages and checkout for conversion
- `/sales-do` — Not sure which skill to use? The router matches any sales objective to the right skill. Install:
  `npx skills add sales-skills/sales --skill sales-do`

## Examples

### Example 1: Launch a product on Firsto for SEO
**User says**: "I want to launch my SaaS tool on Firsto to get long-term search visibility"
**Skill does**:
1. Walks through submission checklist: name, description optimized for keywords, screenshots
2. Recommends Pro tier ($59.90) for mini review + star ratings in Google search results
3. Explains permanent product page becomes a