/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, web
• kb_search(query) — find related methodology
• project_info(name) — get project details

If MCP tools are not available, use WebSearch/WebFetch as fallback.

Steps

1. Parse project from $ARGUMENTS.
• Read PRD/README to understand: problem, solution, ICP, key features.
• If empty: ask via AskUserQuestion.

1. 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)

1. Search communities (run searches in parallel):

### 3a. Reddit

For each keyword group, search via MCP web_search(query) or WebSearch:

• "{problem} reddit" — pain point threads
• "{solution category} recommendations reddit" — recommendation requests
• "{competitor} alternative reddit" — competitor frustration
• "{competitor} vs reddit" — comparison threads

For each result, extract: subreddit, title, URL, post date, comment count.

Filter: prefer threads < 6 months old, > 5 comments (active).

### 3b. Hacker News

Search via site:news.ycombinator.com:

• "Show HN: {similar product category}" — similar launches
• "Ask HN: {problem domain}" — questions in the space
• "{competitor name} site:news.ycombinator.com" — competitor mentions

Extract: title, URL, points, comment count.

### 3c. ProductHunt

Search via site:producthunt.com:

• "{product category} site:producthunt.com" — similar launches
• "{competitor} site:producthunt.com" — competitor pages

Extract: product names, launch dates, upvote counts, taglines.

### 3d. Other Communities (optional)

• site:indiehackers.com "{problem}" — Indie Hackers
• site:dev.to "{solution category}" — Dev.to (if technical product)

1. 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

1. Draft responses for top 5 threads:

For each thread:

```markdown

### 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

}

```

1. Generate ProductHunt launch checklist:

```markdown

## 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

```

1. Write outreach plan to docs/outreach-plan.md:

```markdown

# 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.

```

1. Output summary — communities found, top 3 threads to engage, PH readiness.

Critical Rules

1. Value first, product second — every response must genuinely help the person
2. Always disclose — "I'm the developer" or "disclaimer: I built this"
3. No vote manipulation — never ask for upvotes
4. No astroturfing — never pretend to be a user
5. Respect community rules — check subreddit rules before posting
6. Quality over quantity — 5 great responses > 50 generic ones

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.