# The 7-Day Solo Launch Checklist

## Day 1: Validate & Define
- [ ] Define your product in one sentence: "I help [audience] achieve [outcome] by [method]"
- [ ] Identify 3 direct competitors and study their positioning
- [ ] List 3 ways your product is different/better
- [ ] Write your ideal customer profile (ICP): age, role, pain point, willingness to pay
- [ ] Set a launch goal: "X sales / $Y revenue in first 7 days"

## Day 2: Build the MVP
- [ ] Strip features to the absolute minimum needed for value delivery
- [ ] Build version 0.1 — functional, not polished
- [ ] Test end-to-end: purchase → delivery → customer receives product
- [ ] Prepare the deliverable file(s): format, name, size
- [ ] Write release notes / changelog

## Day 3: Pricing & Payment
- [ ] Research competitor pricing (low, mid, high)
- [ ] Pick a price: charge more than you think — price signals value
- [ ] Set up payment processor (Gumroad, Lemon Squeezy, Stripe)
- [ ] Test a $1 purchase yourself to verify the flow
- [ ] Configure VAT/tax settings if needed
- [ ] Set refund policy (recommended: 7-day for digital products)

## Day 4: Landing Page & Assets
- [ ] Write compelling headline (outcome-focused, not feature-focused)
- [ ] Write product description: problem → solution → features → social proof → CTA
- [ ] Create or source cover image (1280x720px minimum)
- [ ] Write 3-5 bullet points highlighting key benefits
- [ ] Set up FAQ section with 5+ common questions
- [ ] Add "Who is this for?" and "Who is this NOT for?" sections

## Day 5: Distribution Channels
- [ ] Post on Product Hunt (schedule for Tuesday-Thursday, 12:01 AM PST)
- [ ] Share on Twitter/X with a thread (problem → journey → solution → link)
- [ ] Post in 3 relevant Reddit communities (r/SideProject, r/SaaS, r/Entrepreneur)
- [ ] Submit to 5+ launch directories (Hacker News, Indie Hackers, Betalist)
- [ ] Write a LinkedIn post about the problem you're solving
- [ ] Post in 2 relevant Discord/Slack communities
- [ ] Reach out to 5 people who might benefit from your product (personal, non-spammy)

## Day 6: Amplify & Engage
- [ ] Respond to every comment, question, and DM within 2 hours
- [ ] Share any early traction (first sale, positive feedback) as social proof
- [ ] Write a "lessons learned" thread documenting your build process
- [ ] Offer limited-time launch discount (20-30% off, first 48 hours)
- [ ] Ask early customers for testimonials (offer a small incentive)

## Day 7: Analyze & Iterate
- [ ] Review analytics: visits, conversions, revenue
- [ ] Calculate conversion rate (sales ÷ unique visitors)
- [ ] Identify top 3 traffic sources — double down on those
- [ ] List 3 things you'd improve for v1.1
- [ ] Set next week's goal based on actual data
- [ ] Send a follow-up email to buyers asking for feedback

---

## Quick Reference: Traffic Sources Ranked by Conversion Rate

| Source | Typical CVR | Effort | Best For |
|--------|------------|--------|----------|
| Warm outreach (DM/email to known contacts) | 5-15% | High | B2B, SaaS |
| Product Hunt | 1-5% | Medium | Dev tools, SaaS |
| Reddit (niche subreddits) | 1-3% | Medium | Any niche product |
| Twitter/X threads | 0.5-2% | Medium | Indie products |
| LinkedIn posts | 0.5-2% | Medium | B2B tools |
| Hacker News | 0.5-3% | Low | Dev tools |
| Indie Hackers | 0.5-2% | Low | Indie products |
| SEO / Blog posts | 0.5-1% | High (long-term) | Any |
| Paid ads | 0.5-3% | Low effort, $$ | Validated products |