How is PH Launch helping with final goal of customers for the product?

My understanding is that we can launch on PH for validating ideas while right now we can just reach out to our friends who are not the user persona and get upvotes. Is PH adding any value in this context? I have personally done it, got a rank while didn't get final customers in to the product. Is this only me or are others also facing the challenge? any alternative to understand PMF?