Pre-Launch Checklist for HN & Reddit Announcement

✅ COMPLETED TASKS

Critical Items (DONE)

• ✅ Version consistency - All docs updated to v3.0.1

• ✅ Playground exists - https://larcjs.com/playground/ returns HTTP 200
• ✅ Main website works - https://larcjs.com returns HTTP 200
• ✅ CI/CD passing - All tests green
• ✅ Security audit - 0 vulnerabilities
• ✅ npm packages published - v3.0.1 live

🔴 CRITICAL (Must Do Before Launch)

1. Verify All Demo URLs Work

Test each URL manually in a browser (incognito mode):

• [ ] Playground: https://larcjs.com/playground/

• [ ] Examples: https://larcjs.com/examples/

• [ ] Docs Site: https://larcjs.com/

• [ ] Hybrid Dashboard: https://larcjs.com/examples/hybrid-dashboard.html

• Fix it immediately, OR
• Remove references from HN post

2. Test Key User Flows

#### Quick Start Flow

• [ ] Visit main GitHub repo
• [ ] Click "Quick Start" in README
• [ ] Follow installation instructions
• [ ] Verify code examples work

# Test these commands work:
npm view @larcjs/core version
npm view @larcjs/ui version
npm install @larcjs/core@3.0.1
npm install @larcjs/ui@3.0.1

• [ ] Packages download successfully
• [ ] No installation errors
• [ ] Files are present after install

3. Prepare Community Infrastructure

#### Discord Server

• [ ] Visit: https://discord.gg/zjUPsWTu
• [ ] Invite link works
• [ ] Server has clear channels:

• [ ] Rules/guidelines posted
• [ ] You're ready to be active for 2-3 hours

• [ ] Issues enabled
• [ ] Discussions enabled
• [ ] Templates in place (bug, feature)
• [ ] CONTRIBUTING.md visible
• [ ] GitHub Actions badges showing green

4. Polish First Impressions

#### README.md Review

• [ ] Hero section is clear (first 3 lines)
• [ ] Installation command prominent
• [ ] Key benefits visible above fold
• [ ] Badges showing (tests, version, license)
• [ ] No typos or broken formatting

• [ ] Title under 80 characters
• [ ] First comment ready to paste
• [ ] Links are correct
• [ ] Statistics are accurate (261 tests, v3.0.1, etc.)
• [ ] No typos

🟡 HIGHLY RECOMMENDED (Should Do)

5. Create Demo Assets

• [ ] Screenshot of playground (for social sharing)

• [ ] GIF/Video demo (30-60 seconds)

• [ ] Code examples prepared

6. Optimize Social Sharing

#### Add Meta Tags to Main Site

<!-- In main landing page -->
<meta property="og:title" content="LARC - Zero-dependency web component framework">
<meta property="og:description" content="Build framework-agnostic components with PAN messaging. 9KB core, 261 tests passing.">
<meta property="og:image" content="https://larcjs.com/images/social-card.png">
<meta property="og:url" content="https://github.com/larcjs/larc">
<meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image">

• [ ] Create social card image (1200x630px)
• [ ] Add meta tags to main pages
• [ ] Test with: https://cards-dev.twitter.com/validator

7. Prepare Response Templates

Create quick-response docs for common questions:

• [ ] "How is this different from Lit/Stencil?"

• [ ] "Production ready?"

• [ ] "Bundle size?"

• [ ] "Browser support?"

🟢 NICE TO HAVE (Optional)

8. Advanced Preparation

• [ ] Analytics setup

• [ ] Monitoring

• [ ] Backup plans

• [ ] Press kit

📋 Launch Day Checklist

T-Minus 1 Hour

• [ ] Run final URL verification (all links work)
• [ ] Test playground in 3 browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Safari)
• [ ] Check Discord is ready
• [ ] Review HN post one more time
• [ ] Have FAQ.md open for quick copy-paste
• [ ] Clear your schedule for 2 hours
• [ ] Get team on standby (if applicable)

Launch Time (7:30-9:00 AM PT recommended)

• [ ] Post to HN
• [ ] Post first comment within 2 minutes
• [ ] Share HN link with team
• [ ] Begin monitoring every 5 minutes
• [ ] Respond to EVERY comment within 10 minutes (first 2 hours)

First 2 Hours (Critical Window)

• [ ] Stay online and engaged
• [ ] Be humble, helpful, technical
• [ ] Share code samples generously
• [ ] Acknowledge criticisms gracefully
• [ ] Fix broken links immediately if reported
• [ ] Track metrics (upvotes, comments, stars)

After 2 Hours

• [ ] Continue monitoring every 30 minutes
• [ ] Respond to all new comments within 1 hour
• [ ] Thank people who try it out
• [ ] Welcome new Discord members
• [ ] Track GitHub stars/forks

🎯 Success Metrics

Optimistic Goals

• 100+ points on HN
• 50+ GitHub stars
• 10+ npm downloads
• 5+ Discord joins

Realistic Goals

• 50+ points on HN (front page)
• 25+ GitHub stars
• 5+ npm downloads
• 2-3 Discord joins
• Quality technical discussions

Success Indicators

• Positive technical feedback
• Feature requests (not just bug reports)
• "I'll try this" comments
• Shared to Twitter/Reddit
• Zero broken demo links!

⚠️ Red Flags to Avoid

• [ ] ❌ Playground is down/broken
• [ ] ❌ Main GitHub repo has failing tests
• [ ] ❌ Discord invite doesn't work
• [ ] ❌ npm packages aren't installable
• [ ] ❌ You can't commit to 2 hours of responses
• [ ] ❌ Multiple URLs are returning 404s

• [ ] ⚠️ You're tired or distracted
• [ ] ⚠️ It's Friday afternoon (bad timing)
• [ ] ⚠️ Major bugs discovered in last 24 hours
• [ ] ⚠️ Someone else just launched similar project

🚀 Quick Verification Script

Run this before launch:

# 1. Check versions are consistent
grep -r "v3.0.1" README.md docs/guides/HN_FAQ.md docs/guides/HN_POST_DRAFT.md

# 2. Test npm packages
npm view @larcjs/core@3.0.1 version
npm view @larcjs/ui@3.0.1 version

# 3. Verify tests pass
npm run test --workspace @larcjs/core

# 4. Check for vulnerabilities
npm audit

# 5. Verify URLs (manually in browser)
# - https://larcjs.com/playground/
# - https://larcjs.com/examples/
# - https://larcjs.com/
# - https://larcjs.com
# - https://discord.gg/zjUPsWTu

📞 Emergency Contacts

• Playground down: Share CodeSandbox alternative
• GitHub Actions failing: Acknowledge, say fixing
• Discord broken: Create GitHub Discussions thread
• Getting ratio'd: Stay positive, focus on helpers
• Server overload: Have backup hosting ready

✅ Final Go/No-Go Decision

✅ All CRITICAL items completed ✅ At least 2/3 HIGHLY RECOMMENDED items done ✅ All demo URLs tested and working ✅ 2-hour time block available ✅ Feel confident and excited

• Critical items: 5/6 complete (need URL verification)
• Highly recommended: 3/7 complete
• Nice to have: 0/4 complete

📅 Recommended Launch Timeline

• Complete all CRITICAL items
• Do URL verification
• Test user flows
• Prepare Discord

• Final verification (30 min)
• Launch at 7:30-9:00 AM PT
• Stay engaged for 2-3 hours