Show HN: I am Building a Producthunt alternative

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Perceived problems with Product Hunt

  • Many commenters feel Product Hunt is heavily gamed: success goes to those who can mobilize or spam the most votes.
  • Complaints about low‑quality launches (listicles, minor updates, shallow products) crowding out “real” products.
  • Some see PH as more of a time‑waster or marketing channel than a genuine maker community now.

Differentiation and Positioning of the Alternative

  • The new site proposes an “Instagram‑style” algorithm where users see all products once per visit regardless of votes; readers question whether this is actually desirable.
  • Multiple people argue that a generic PH clone cannot win; it needs a clearly unique angle and distribution strategy.
  • Suggestions include: niche directories (e.g., open source tools, non‑LLM wrappers, non‑commercial / free tools), and stronger curation to avoid spammy or shallow products.

Branding and Naming Feedback

  • The name “Huntlie” is widely criticized: many read it as “hunt lie” (negative, scammy), others as “hun tile” or otherwise confusing.
  • Several advise dropping “hunt” entirely to avoid looking like a knockoff and to choose a clearer, original brand.
  • Tagline “LAUNCHES WORTH YOUR SCROLL” is called cringey; alternatives like “next big thing” are discussed, with debate over ambiguous phrases like “next best thing.”
  • General advice: prioritize clarity over cleverness and add an “About” page that plainly explains what the site is and how it works.

UX, Reliability, and Feature Issues

  • Many reports of broken functionality:
    • Product submission fails (HTTP 500), especially when uploading icons or submitting forms.
    • Login, including Google sign‑in, often appears not to work; users see no change after logging in.
    • No way to edit/delete submitted products.
    • Required fields (icon, discount) are unclear; error messages appear even when data is supplied.
    • Switching between “newest” and “featured” jumps to the top of the list, which is annoying.
  • Some find the UI visually fatiguing (too many identical black buttons).

Desired Features and Improvements

  • Requests for:
    • Dedicated product pages with comments, reactions, screenshots, and the ability for makers to update posts.
    • Search, RSS feed, dark mode, and clearer submission flow.
    • Better moderation/curation to avoid PH’s drift toward marketers and discount‑driven “selling” rather than showing what people build.

Meta Views on Launch/Discovery Platforms

  • Several note there are already many PH alternatives; most struggle due to limited eyeballs and high founder supply.
  • Some argue PH’s early success came from strong personal evangelism and timing, not just the product itself.
  • A few users are enthusiastic and submit their products despite the bugs; others feel the site looks AI‑generated or unlikely to last.