/community-outreach
Find relevant community threads (Reddit, Hacker News, ProductHunt) and draft contextual, value-first responses. NOT spam — genuine helpful answers that naturally mention the product.
MCP Tools (use if available)
web_search(query, engines, include_raw_content)— search Reddit, HN, webkb_search(query)— find related methodologyproject_info(name)— get project details
If MCP tools are not available, use WebSearch/WebFetch as fallback.
Steps
- Parse project from
$ARGUMENTS.
- Read PRD/README to understand: problem, solution, ICP, key features. - If empty: ask via AskUserQuestion.
- Extract search keywords:
- Problem keywords (what users complain about) - Solution keywords (what users search for) - Category keywords (the market/niche) - Competitor names (for "vs" and "alternative" threads)
- Search communities (run searches in parallel): 3a. Reddit For each keyword group, search via MCP
web_search(query)or WebSearch: For each result, extract: subreddit, title, URL, post date, comment count. Filter: prefer threads < 6 months old, > 5 comments (active). 3b. Hacker News Search viasite:news.ycombinator.com: Extract: title, URL, points, comment count. 3c. ProductHunt Search viasite:producthunt.com: Extract: product names, launch dates, upvote counts, taglines. 3d. Other Communities (optional)
- "{problem} reddit" — pain point threads - "{solution category} recommendations reddit" — recommendation requests - "{competitor} alternative reddit" — competitor frustration - "{competitor} vs reddit" — comparison threads - "Show HN: {similar product category}" — similar launches - "Ask HN: {problem domain}" — questions in the space - "{competitor name} site:news.ycombinator.com" — competitor mentions - "{product category} site:producthunt.com" — similar launches - "{competitor} site:producthunt.com" — competitor pages - site:indiehackers.com "{problem}" — Indie Hackers - site:dev.to "{solution category}" — Dev.to (if technical product)
- Forced reasoning — outreach strategy: Before drafting, write out:
- Best 5 threads to engage with (highest relevance + activity) - Tone per community: Reddit (casual, self-deprecating), HN (technical, data-driven), PH (enthusiastic, builder) - Value-first angle: What genuine help can we offer BEFORE mentioning the product? - Red lines: No astroturfing, no fake accounts, always disclose you're the builder
- Draft responses for top 5 threads: For each thread:
### Thread: {title} **URL:** {url} **Subreddit/Community:** {community} **Why relevant:** {1 sentence} **Draft response:** {2-4 paragraph response that: - Directly addresses the question/problem - Provides genuine value (tips, experience, data) - Mentions the product naturally (last paragraph) - Includes "disclaimer: I'm the developer" for transparency} - Generate ProductHunt launch checklist:
## ProductHunt Launch Checklist ### Pre-Launch (1 week before) - [] Hunter identified (or self-hunting) - [] Tagline ready (< 60 chars): "{tagline}" - [] Description ready (< 260 chars) - [] 5+ screenshots/GIF prepared - [] Maker comment drafted (story + problem + solution) - [] Launch day scheduled (Tuesday-Thursday, 00:01 PST) ### Launch Day - [] Post live and verified - [] Maker comment posted immediately - [] Share in relevant communities (not vote-begging) - [] Respond to all comments within 1 hour - [] Share progress on Twitter/LinkedIn ### Post-Launch - [] Thank supporters - [] Collect feedback from comments - [] Update product based on feedback - Write outreach plan to
docs/outreach-plan.md:# Community Outreach Plan: {Project Name} **Generated:** {YYYY-MM-DD} **Product:** {one-line description} **ICP:** {target persona} ## Target Communities | Community | Relevant Threads Found | Priority | |-----------|----------------------|----------| | r/{subreddit} | N | high/medium/low | | Hacker News | N | high/medium/low | | ProductHunt | N | high/medium/low | ## Top Threads to Engage {5 thread drafts from step 5} ## ProductHunt Launch Checklist {checklist from step 6} ## Search Keywords Used - {keyword1}: N results - {keyword2}: N results --- *Generated by /community-outreach. Review all drafts before posting.* - Output summary — communities found, top 3 threads to engage, PH readiness.
Critical Rules
- Value first, product second — every response must genuinely help the person
- Always disclose — "I'm the developer" or "disclaimer: I built this"
- No vote manipulation — never ask for upvotes
- No astroturfing — never pretend to be a user
- Respect community rules — check subreddit rules before posting
- Quality over quantity — 5 great responses > 50 generic ones
Gotchas
- Reddit shadowban triggers — posting links in your first comment on a subreddit, multiple self-promotional posts in 24h, or using shortened URLs. Always build comment karma in a subreddit before mentioning your product.
- Subreddit self-promotion rules vary wildly — r/SaaS allows Show posts, r/startups requires flair, r/webdev bans affiliate links. Always check sidebar rules before drafting. Some require 10:1 comment-to-promotion ratio.
- PH vote manipulation detection — ProductHunt detects coordinated upvotes from same IP/network/timing. Never share direct PH links in Slack/Discord asking for upvotes. Share on social media with context instead.
- Old threads are locked — Reddit threads >6 months old are archived (can't comment). Filter by date, not just relevance. HN threads don't lock but old ones get zero visibility.
- "I built this" disclosure backfires if too early — lead with value (3-4 sentences of genuine help), THEN disclose. Opening with "disclaimer: I'm the dev" makes the entire comment read as an ad.
Common Issues
Web search not available
Cause: MCP web_search tool not configured or WebSearch not accessible. Fix: Use WebSearch/WebFetch as primary. For better results with engine routing (Reddit, HN), set up SearXNG (private, self-hosted, free) and configure solograph MCP.
No relevant threads found
Cause: Niche too small or wrong keywords. Fix: Broaden search terms. Try competitor names, problem descriptions, or adjacent categories.
Responses sound promotional
Cause: Product mention too prominent or lacks genuine value. Fix: Rewrite with value-first approach: 80% helpful answer, 20% product mention. Always include builder disclosure.