As part of our mission to empower makers, our Stories & Essays blog is a place to dive deeper into learnings, expertise, insights, and ideas from your peers and the tech community at large.
That includes you! We’re so glad you’re interested in pitching a story to Product Hunt.
Types of Content
There are typically three types of articles we receive from individuals who want to contribute.
Opinion essays
Maker Stories
How-Tos
Opinion
Opinion guest essays offer an interesting perspective or vision of an emerging space or technology, drawing on the author’s own experience and expertise.
If you’re submitting an Opinion, make sure the piece gives context to readers (think: current and historical state of the space, trends, and “the big picture.”) If you are a founder, you’re more than welcome to talk about how your product fits into that trend or space, but the leading idea should be your argument or hypothesis, not your product or its features.
Your opinion doesn’t have to be the first or counter-culture — it can go completely with the grain if you like. Just make sure it helps give readers an idea to chew on, backed by thoughtful reasoning.
Here’s an example of an Opinion essay: https://www.producthunt.com/stories/re-imagining-search-by-sridhar-ramaswamy
Makers Stories
Maker stories are articles that share interesting or insightful experiences as a maker.
What maker stories want to hear (for example):
Your learnings. Tell us about when...
You tried something and failed/succeeded (preferably with numbers)
You raised money and learned what went right/wrong
You bootstrapped your way out of a tough spot
Your experiences. Tell us about how...
You collaborated with someone else in the community
You raised that funding
You have a crazy story that will make us go 🤯
Your expertise. Show us...
Your system or process for [fill in the blank]
The steps and tips you have from all your experience with [fill in the bank]
What not to send us:
Here’s an example of a Maker Story: https://www.producthunt.com/stories/6-lessons-on-series-a-fundraising-from-flatfile-s-cofounder
How-Tos
How-Tos are instructional essays that provide readers with actionable insights on entrepreneurship, startups, and topics related to growing a business. If you are interested in writing a how-to piece, you should have expertise on the topic, either from personal experience (like founding a company) or education (from an institution or professional courses).
Here’s an example of a How-To: https://www.producthunt.com/stories/the-crazy-story-of-how-my-first-mac-app-got-acquired
For all articles, keep in mind:
Remain authentic to the story you pitched. Our audience smells inauthentic from a mile away.
Don't bait and switch! Give the readers what they came for when they read the title/preview.
We may kindly provide edits if we are concerned about any of the above.
Articles often range from 600 to 1,200 words but there is no requirement on length.
We accept blog articles from people, not companies. Please submit as an individual.
What to send us when you’re ready:
Have an idea or an article that’s already drafted? Tell us about it. We’ll tell you if we’re interested in publishing the full article.
You’ll need:
An outline (about 2-4 sentences) of the story
A sample headline
A short bio or explanation about the author’s expertise and experience on the topic
Your LinkedIn profile, Twitter profile, and Product Hunt profile (if you have one)
When you’re ready, submit your pitch here.