sales-tinylaunch

What this skill does

# TinyLaunch Platform Help

Helps the user submit to, optimize listings on, and get the most from TinyLaunch — a weekly product launch platform for indie makers and early-stage startups.

## 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) Submitting a product to TinyLaunch
   - B) Understanding the backlink value (DR60-71 dofollow)
   - C) Choosing between free and premium launch ($39)
   - D) Comparing TinyLaunch with other directories
   - E) Newsletter sponsorship or featured placement
   - F) Something else — describe it

2. **What's your product?**
   - A) SaaS / software tool
   - B) Browser extension
   - C) Digital product / productized service
   - D) Mobile app
   - E) Something else

3. **What's your primary goal?**
   - A) SEO backlinks (dofollow)
   - B) Newsletter exposure (~11,000 subscribers)
   - C) Community visibility and social proof
   - 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 different skill, route:
- Multi-directory launch strategy → `/sales-launch-directory`
- Product Hunt launch → `/sales-producthunt`
- Email marketing to subscribers → `/sales-email-marketing`
- Landing page optimization → `/sales-checkout`
- Audience growth strategy → `/sales-audience-growth`
- Other specific directory platforms → hand off to that platform's skill

Otherwise, answer directly from the TinyLaunch reference below.

## Step 3 — TinyLaunch 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

### For users submitting (free tier)

1. Create an account at tinylaunch.com
2. Prepare: clear product name, problem-focused tagline, screenshots, working product URL
3. Add UTM tracking: `?utm_source=tinylaunch&utm_medium=directory&utm_campaign=launch`
4. **Aim for Top 3** — only Top 3 get the dofollow backlink on free tier. Promote your launch on X/Twitter, especially within the indie maker community where TinyLaunch has strong presence
5. **Embed the badge properly** — the dofollow backlink requires your badge to link back to TinyLaunch's homepage
6. Submit early in the week — weekly batches mean timing affects competition level

**Note**: DR60-71 dofollow is among the highest free directory backlinks available. If you can't make Top 3, the $39 Premium is still excellent value compared to alternatives.

### For users considering Premium ($39)

The $39 premium launch is competitive value:
- **Guaranteed dofollow backlink** from a DR60-71 domain
- **Skip the queue** — launch sooner
- **Showcased between 3rd and 4th place** — prominent visibility

**Compare with alternatives:**
- Open Launch Premium ($12) — DR65 dofollow, cheaper but different audience
- OpenHunts Premium ($9.90) — DR50 dofollow, cheapest guaranteed
- DevHunt Featured ($49) — DR57-62 dofollow, developer tools only
- Super Launch ($49/mo) — DR59 dofollow, recurring cost

At $39 for a DR60-71 dofollow, TinyLaunch Premium offers strong DR-per-dollar value.

### For newsletter sponsorship ($50)

The newsletter reaches ~11,000 subscribers with a 33% open rate (~3,600 opens per issue). At $50/issue:
- **CPM**: ~$4.55 per 1,000 subscribers — very affordable
- **Open-rate adjusted CPM**: ~$13.89 per 1,000 opens — still cheap
- Compare with Tiny Startups newsletter (17,500+ subscribers, sponsorship pricing not public)

Best for: products targeting indie makers and early-stage founders.

### For multi-directory launchers

TinyLaunch fits into **Phase 2 — Paid fast-track** at $39 for a guaranteed DR60-71 dofollow backlink. For the free tier, it's **Phase 3 — Free editorial queues** since it uses weekly launch batches. The high DR makes it one of the most valuable backlinks available from a directory, rivaling Open Launch (DR65) and surpassing MicroLaunch (DR59).

## Gotchas

*Best-effort from research — review these, especially items about features and pricing that may change.*

- **Free backlinks are conditional.** Only Top 3 weekly launches get the dofollow backlink on free tier. If you don't make Top 3, you get no backlink (unlike platforms where every submission gets a backlink).
- **Badge linking requirement.** The dofollow backlink requires your Top 3 badge to embed a link back to TinyLaunch's homepage. If you remove or modify the badge link, you may lose the backlink.
- **DR varies significantly by source.** LaunchDirectories reports DR71, other sources report DR60. Treat it as "high 60s to low 70s" — either way, it's among the strongest directory backlinks.
- **Weekly cadence means waiting.** Unlike instant-listing platforms, you'll wait for the next weekly launch window. Premium ($39) skips the queue but still launches in a batch.
- **Organic traffic is very modest.** ~87/mo per LaunchDirectories (likely undercounted but still small). The real value is the high-DR backlink and newsletter reach, not referral traffic.
- **Premium placement is between 3rd and 4th.** The $39 premium doesn't guarantee Top 3 ranking — it places you between 3rd and 4th with a guaranteed backlink regardless of votes.
- **Submission service is a separate business.** The $179/$279 directory submission service is offered by TinyLaunch but submits to other directories, not TinyLaunch itself.

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

## Related skills

- `/sales-launch-directory` — Coordinates submissions across 10+ startup directories with sequencing, backlink stacking, and budget allocation
- `/sales-openlaunch` — Open Launch platform help (open-source PH alternative, DR65 backlinks)
- `/sales-openhunts` — OpenHunts platform help (weekly launch cycle, DR50 backlinks)
- `/sales-tinystartups` — Tiny Startups platform help (curated directory + newsletter, DR50 dofollow)
- `/sales-devhunt` — DevHunt platform help (developer tool launch, DR57-62 dofollow)
- `/sales-microlaunch` — MicroLaunch platform help (30-day leaderboard, DR59)
- `/sales-superlaunch` — Super Launch platform help (7-day front page, DR59 dofollow for paid)
- `/sales-productburst` — ProductBurst platform help (daily/weekly rankings, DR46)
- `/sales-solopush` — SoloPush platform help (no-pressure indie maker community, DR46)
- `/sales-producthunt` — Product Hunt platform help (largest launch platform, DR91 dofollow, 5M+ visits/mo)
- `/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: Submit an indie SaaS to TinyLaunch
**User says**: "I built a solo SaaS tool and want to launch it on TinyLaunch for backlinks"
**Skill does**:
1. Walks through the submission process
2. Explains Top 3 requirement for free dofollow backlink
3. Recommends promoting on X/Twitter during voting window
4. Suggests $39 Premium if guaranteed backlink is important
5. Notes the DR60-71 backlink value
**Result**: Product submitted with strategy to maximize Top 3 chances or clear Premium recommendation

### Example 2: Compare TinyLaunch backlink value
**User says**: "Is TinyLaunch worth it compared to other directories for SEO?"
**Skill does**:
1. Shows DR60-71 dofollow — among the highest directory backlinks
2. Compares: Open Launch (DR65), DevHunt (DR57-62), MicroLaunch (DR59), SoloPush (DR46)
3. Notes the conditional nature (Top 3 only for free) vs guaranteed ($39)
4. Recommends $39 Premium as strong DR-per-dollar value
**Result**: Clear backlink value ass