Subscribe
Sign in
Why Product Hunt needs Premium Subscriptions and Direct Messages.
I insist that Product Hunt needs a premium subscription and direct messages, similar to what Telegram and X have.
Why does Product Hunt need this?
1) A premium subscription for $5-8 per month would allow for greater earnings, hence more resources for product improvement.
2) Accounts with premium subscriptions would carry more weight, aiding in combating spam and new accounts.
3) Most communication happens on LinkedIn. Adding direct messages would significantly increase user engagement on the site, benefiting advertising. But users would find it much more convenient.
As for benefits to Product Hunters there are plenty:
1) Premium subscription - an opportunity to thank and support Product Hunt for its excellent work.
2) Verification checkmark - always a nice touch.
3) Direct messages - I believe for most it would be like Christmas.
What do you think? Please comment and support the discussion to ensure more people see it
68
Replies
Best
@jgani this is really interesting, I would love to try it if it has a dm thing.
@orchyan When are you launching Garen? Don't forget to share your teaser so we can support you :)
@irsa_doham Thanks Irsa. Quick market research: what do want want to use DM for?
@orchyan I totally agree! I would definitely subscribe to a premium plan if it meant more features and helped them keep improving.
I'd recommend to add custom lists also? I love finding cool new products but keeping track of them all can be a nightmare. Custom lists would be a game changer for me! I could create one for work tools, another for future gift ideas, and another for anything that sparks my interest.
This would be great. Being able to message active SaaS founders is really valuable
@ruben_boonz we saw the potential value like you did, thats why faindrr will have a chatfunction, check my teaser
I totally agree with you. Also they should do something with those kitty coins like get exclusive access to networking events with people at the same coin level. 🪙
Uhm, so now I'd have to deal with spam both on Linkedin and in here. I think you're not seeing the difference between a community and a social network. In my opinion, if they will turn PH into a social network, it will be the end of it. And in fact I'm pretty sure they will not. You can still connect in here, through the forums and through following. When that happens both ways, it's only natural to get in touch on Linkedin, and even to ask for reciprocal support. If you introduce direct messaging on PH you'll encourage spam voting at an even greater scale that it is already. I don't even wanna think of what will happen in places like Fiverr, once you can DM people in here (PH marketing experts becoming the new trend). The professionals will turn off the option so nothing will change for them; the early adopters will leave the platform. My 2 cents of course.
As per Premium Subscriptions, it would become a pay-to-get-listed system, completely defying what makes PH a successful platform. Verification checkmarks? They're there already. People hunt products in here (HUNTER) and if makers hunt their own, they have the MAKER checkmark. I fail to see how useful it is to verify a user, when the core of the platform is the product.
What I think it would be really useful, instead, is to be able for makers to update their listing page with news, announcements and milestones whenever they see fit (without touching the original launch bits); traffic on listings tend to die pretty quickly after the launch, when instead it would be just natural to keep engaging with users interested in the product, in my opinion. This could be done even through a specific section in the forums where makers can start and curate one thread for each of their launched or pre-launching apps. And yeah, the forums could definitely do with an improvement.
@noah_jessica @leo_fournier thanks alot! I can't share a link to the teaser of the launch in here, but this is the landingpage: faindrrr.carrd.co
Agreed, having a native way to reach connections here would make things much easier. There would need to be a way to avoid spam copy/paste messages tho because that would create havoc! A filtering system would also help to streamline convos and label lists of "fave products" etc...
You make some compelling points. Giving users a way to directly support Product Hunt while receiving additional benefits in return seems like it could be a win-win. And direct messaging fills a current gap in the platform's functionality.
That said, implementing these properly would require careful design to avoid issues like spam and maintaining Product Hunt's curated feel. But overall, I think these are ideas worth serious consideration from the Product Hunt team to improve the user experience!
Thank you for your post.
feels the same when Telegram added Premium plans: PH team can keep the current version free forever but ship new features to paid users only.
That's an interesting perspective!
Direct messages would be def super useful
Interesting points, Garen. Introducing premium subscriptions and direct messages could indeed offer valuable benefits to both Product Hunt and its users. Generating additional revenue for product improvement while enhancing user engagement sounds promising. A premium subscription could also foster a sense of appreciation and support from users. Direct messages could provide a more convenient way for users to connect and communicate, potentially increasing platform activity. Your suggestions could definitely be worth exploring further.
Someone just shared what I had in my mind for so long. Way more stuff can be built on this idea!
Unofficial Product Hunt Chrome Plugin