Free launch playbook · verified 2026 · $0 budget

Launch Gainers
to the whole world.

One founder, one weekend of outreach, ~70 free channels. The plan below turns “nobody’s heard of it” into “everyone’s talking about it” — without spending a dollar. Global first, Ukraine as a second front.

70+
free channels
14
day sequence
6
ready-to-send emails
$0
total cost
2
languages · EN / UK
01

Your unfair angle

Before any outreach, agree on the one sentence you’ll repeat everywhere. You are not “another goal app.” You have three things almost nobody else has — lead with them or you’ll be ignored.

A1

An AI coach that phones you

After it builds your plan, a real AI voice coach calls your phone to keep you moving — not another notification you swipe away. Rare, demo-able, headline-worthy.

Lead with this to tech & AI press.
A2

Solo, bootstrapped, from Ukraine

One founder shipping a full AI product through wartime Ukraine. A genuine human story journalists and communities respond to — not a pitch, a person.

Lead with this to founders & feature writers.
A3

Real accountability, not reminders

Most apps stop at a to-do list that guilt-trips you. Gainers is behavior change with a voice, streaks that forgive a slip, and friends competition.

Lead with this to wellness & productivity.
The one line

“Gainers is an AI coach that builds your action plan and phones you to keep you moving.”

Say the phone-call in the first sentence of every email, post and listing. It’s the thing that makes people stop scrolling.

02

The press kit — build this first

A press kit exists so a journalist can write the whole story without emailing you back. If they have to ask for a logo, you’ve lost them. Host it at one stable URL — do gainers.app/press (static HTML on your VPS; you own it, it’s on-brand, it never expires). Check items off as you go.

Press kit
0%

Facts & copy

Visuals — the part indies skip and regret

Logistics

Don’t want to hand-build the page? ImpressKit is a hosted press-kit builder made for apps. A public Notion page works as a zero-effort v1 — but migrate to your own domain before pitching tier-1 press. ⚠️ Skip the old dopresskit.com (unmaintained) and presskit.gg (game-only).

03

The copy pack — paste this everywhere

Write these once, reuse them in every form, listing and pitch. Every directory asks for the same fields — having them ready turns a 20-minute submission into a 2-minute one.

One-liners by lengthfor forms with char limits
≤ 60 charsAI coach that phones you to keep your goals moving.

≤ 120 charsGainers turns any goal into an AI action plan — then an AI voice coach phones you daily to keep you moving. Free, iOS.

≤ 15 words (headline)Gainers is an AI coach that builds your action plan and phones you to keep moving.
Short description~50 words
Gainers is a free iOS app that turns any goal into an AI-built action plan — then an AI voice coach actually calls your phone to keep you moving. Daily motivation, streaks with a forgiveness system so one missed day doesn’t wipe your progress, and friendly competition with friends. Bilingual English + Ukrainian.
Long description~150 words · the story
Most goal apps stop at reminders you learn to ignore. Gainers goes further: tell it a goal, and an AI builds you a concrete, step-by-step action plan. Every day it sends real motivation — and then an AI voice coach literally phones you, talks you through your next step, and holds you accountable like a person would. Miss a day? A forgiveness system keeps your streak alive instead of punishing you. Compete with friends to stay honest. It’s free, live on the App Store, and fully bilingual in English and Ukrainian.

Gainers was built solo, from Ukraine, by a founder who wanted momentum you can’t swipe away. The name says the whole philosophy: keep moving. Small wins, compounded daily, with a coach in your corner who actually calls.
Category tagspick per directory
AI · self-improvement · productivity · habit tracker · goal setting · motivation · coaching · mental wellness · voice AI · iOS
04

Ready-to-send emails & posts

Under 150 words each. Personalise the first line (reference a real recent piece of theirs), link — never attach, send Tue–Thu morning their time, and follow up once. Replace the [highlighted] parts.

A · Tech / app journalistEN · TechCrunch, Verge, 9to5Mac…
Subject: An AI coach that actually phones you when you slack offHi [Name],

Your piece on [specific recent article] is why I’m writing — I built the thing you’d probably poke holes in.

Gainers is a goal app with a twist: after it builds your action plan, an AI voice coach literally calls your phone to keep you moving — not another silent notification you swipe away. It’s free, live on the App Store, bilingual EN/UK, and I built the whole thing solo from Ukraine.

30-sec demo of the coach making a call: [link]
Press kit (screenshots, video, logos): gainers.app/press

Happy to give you early access or hop on a quick call. Worth a look?

[Your name] · Founder, Gainers · [phone] · [links]
B · Productivity / wellness bloggerEN · Lifehacker, MakeUseOf, listicles…
Subject: For [Outlet] readers who set goals and never finish themHi [Name],

Loved your [specific post]. Wanted to put a tool in front of you your audience might actually stick with.

Most goal apps stop at reminders. Gainers turns a goal into an AI-built action plan, sends daily motivation, and then an AI coach phones you — real accountability, not a to-do list that guilt-trips you. It has streaks (with forgiveness, so one missed day doesn’t wipe your progress) and friendly competition. Free, iOS, English + Ukrainian.

I’m a solo founder building this in public from Ukraine — happy to share the behind-the-scenes for a piece.

Try it free: [App Store link] · Press kit: gainers.app/press

Would you be open to taking a look?

[Your name] · [links]
C · Ukrainian press pitchUK · AIN, dev.ua, Speka, DOU…
Тема: AI-коуч, який телефонує тобі, щоб ти не кидав свої ціліПривіт, [Ім’я]!

Читав ваш матеріал про [конкретна стаття] — тому пишу саме вам.

Я зробив Gainers: застосунок ставить ціль, AI будує покроковий план, а далі AI-коуч реально ТЕЛЕФОНУЄ тобі голосом і веде до наступного кроку — не чергове сповіщення, яке гортаєш. Безкоштовно, вже в App Store, двомовний (укр/англ). Зробив соло, з України.

Демо дзвінка коуча (30 сек): [посилання]
Прес-кіт: gainers.app/press

Готовий дати ранній доступ або розповісти історію створення для матеріалу. Цікаво?

[Ім’я] · засновник Gainers · [контакти]
D · Micro-influencer DMEN/UK · TikTok, Reels, Shorts
Hey [Name] — your video on [specific topic] was spot on, especially the part about accountability.

I built an app that fits that exact problem: Gainers turns a goal into an AI plan and then an AI coach actually *calls your phone* to keep you on track. Solo founder, shipping from Ukraine.

No budget to throw around, but I’d love to give you free lifetime PRO + a custom promo code for your audience, and I can send a ready-made 20-sec clip of the coach calling so it’s zero effort to post. Down to check it out?
E · Community post (Reddit / IH / Show HN)story-first, never a bare link
Show HN / title: An AI coach that phones you to keep your goalsI got tired of goal apps that just send notifications you learn to ignore, so I built one that calls you.

Gainers: you set a goal → an AI writes a step-by-step plan → every day an AI voice coach actually phones you, talks through your next step, and keeps you accountable. Streaks forgive a missed day; you can compete with friends. Built solo from Ukraine, bilingual EN/UK, free on iOS.

The voice-call part was the hard bit (real-time STT → LLM → TTS over a phone-style call). Happy to go into the stack.

What I’d love feedback on: does an AI *calling* you feel motivating or annoying? Genuinely want to know.
[link]
F · The one follow-up~3–4 days later, then stop
Quick nudge in case this slipped, [Name] — happy to send the 30-sec demo of the coach calling if it’s easier. Either way, thanks for the work you do.
05

The 14-day launch sequence

Don’t blast everything on day one. Concentrate the high-impact channels into one launch day so momentum clusters, then drip the long tail. Here’s the countdown.

T-14 → T-10 · Foundations

Build the assets

  • Ship gainers.app/press + record the coach-calling demo video (everything hinges on this)
  • Write the copy pack (§03) once
  • Create free accounts on the journalist-request platforms (§10)
  • Create the Product Hunt teaser / “notify me” page — those become day-one supporters
T-10 → T-3 · Warm-up

Build in public + seed creators

  • Start posting daily on TikTok + X (the coach-calling clips)
  • DM 30–50 micro-creators with the gifting offer (Template D)
  • Submit to the free AI directories (§07) — fire-and-forget, 10 min each
  • Draft your PH first comment, launch thread, and press release
T-3 → T-1 · Pitches out

Email the press

  • Send personalised pitches to ~15–20 hand-picked journalists (Templates A/B/C)
  • Offer one exclusive to a single high-value outlet if one bites
  • Email the easy iOS roundups: 9to5Mac Indie Spotlight, Indie Watch, Indie Dev Monday
T-0 · LAUNCH DAY · Tue or Wed

Go loud, then answer everyone

  • Go live on Product Hunt at 12:01 AM PST (≈ 10–11 AM Kyiv). Post the maker comment immediately
  • Fire the X thread + LinkedIn story + TikTok
  • Submit the Tier-1 launch directories (§06) — Show HN, Peerlist, Fazier, Uneed…
  • Email your waitlist: “we’re live — tell me what you think” (feedback, never “upvote”)
  • Fire the one free EIN Presswire release; mirror it on /press
  • Reply to every comment within 30–60 min, all day. This is the highest-leverage thing you do.
T+1 → T+7 · Orbit

Compound the momentum

  • One follow-up nudge to non-responding journalists (Template F), then stop
  • Post the result as fresh content: “we hit #X on Product Hunt”
  • Answer journalist requests daily (§10) — the highest hit-rate channel there is
  • Drip 2–4 Tier-2/3 directories per week; pitch outlets using your PH badge as proof
  • Post in the Ukrainian communities + write the Speka/DOU founder column (§08–09)
06

Launch directories & Product Hunt alternatives

Where founders submit products for launch-day votes, discovery and backlinks. Concentrate Tier 1 in launch week; drip the rest. “Free?” is honest about free-vs-pay-to-skip-queue.

Show free-only
Tap a name to open it.
Tier 1 — must-do, do these launch week
PlatformCostReachHow + tip
Product HuntFREEvery highThe single highest-leverage $0 launch. Prep 4–6 wks, launch Tue/Wed 12:01 AM PST, reply all day. See §09.
Hacker News · Show HNFREEvery high“Show HN: an AI coach that phones you…”. Post ~8–9am ET weekday. Plain title, no marketing words. Reply to every comment.
FazierFREEhighOne of the few boards giving a do-follow backlink on the free tier. Moderated daily leaderboard. Do it.
Peerlist LaunchpadFREEhighWeek-long community vote, winner Sunday. Fairer, less-gamed than PH; great early-adopter overlap.
UneedFREEhighSupportive indie crowd, low competition. Free = no-follow; paid unlocks do-follow/featured.
Indie Hackers · ProductsFREEhighProduct page + share the build-in-public story in the forum. Founder narratives win.
BetaListFREE / $99 skiphighPosition Gainers as “early access.” Free queue is weeks long; targeted early-adopter audience.
There’s An AI For ThatFREE thread / $347very highHuge AI-seeker traffic. Skip the paid tier — chase their monthly free submission thread on X (one winner/thread).
Tier 2 — solid, drip over launch month evergreen discovery + backlinks
PlatformCostReachHow + tip
AlternativeToFREEvery highList as an alternative to Fabulous / Habitica / Finch. Users find you searching competitors.
SaaSHubFREEhighTag against habit/goal-tracking alternatives. Evergreen backlink + discovery.
AppShopperFREEhigh (iOS)iOS-App-Store-native directory — a real fit for a mobile app. Submit your App Store listing.
AppAdviceFREE pitchhigh (iOS)Editorial — pitch for a themed roundup (“apps for self-improvement”). Not auto-listed.
148AppsFREE pitchmed (iOS)iOS review site — email a short pitch + promo codes.
Startup StashFREEhighCurated resource directory; aim for the productivity / self-improvement category.
Launching NextFREEmedFree permanent do-follow backlink — one of the best free SEO plays. Just fill the form.
Startup FameFREEmedDo-follow listing on a healthy domain. Low effort, good SEO.
MicroLaunchFREEmedMicro-SaaS/indie community voting + feedback. Solo-founder tone.
TinyLaunchFREE badge / $39medSoft landing for first launches. Free do-follow needs their badge embedded; $39 skips queue.
Tiny StartupsFREEmedAlso a weekly newsletter — bonus distribution beyond the web listing.
Twelve ToolsFREEmedFast launch board, decent do-follow value for indie tools.
Tier 3 — batch these in one sitting mostly SEO backlinks · low individual traffic
Fill your copy pack once, then blast these in an hour. Several give a free do-follow link (flagged ★):
Skip / don’t waste time

AppGrooves (no free indie path) · TouchArcade / GameZebo / AppSpy (games only) · G2 / Capterra / GetApp (B2B software — weak fit for a consumer app) · “submit to 100+ directories” paid blasts (spammy, Google discounts them). And Futurepedia is now fully paid — don’t pay $497.

07

AI-tool directories

You’re an AI product — there’s a whole parallel ecosystem of AI directories. Submit the same copy pack everywhere. Two honest catches for 2026: most free tiers now give no-follow links, and several ask for a reciprocal “Featured on…” badge. Decide up front if you’ll add that badge to your footer — it unlocks faster/do-follow listings on several.

Tier 1 — genuinely free + high reach
DirectoryCostReachNote / catch
Future ToolsFREEhighHand-curated by Matt Wolfe (900K+ YT). Rejects “widely available” tools — your novel voice-coach use-case clears the bar. Lead with it.
Toolify.aiFREE tierhighListed in 24–48h; pages rank in Google → real referral traffic. Free link is no-follow; $99 fast-track optional.
TopAI.toolsFREEhigh19,000+ tools, fast listing, well-indexed.
AIxploriaFREEhighBig EU/global reach — extra value for a bilingual EN/UK app. Reviewed ~48h.
Dang.aiFREEmed-highWell-indexed. Often asks for a reciprocal badge to verify + unlock do-follow.
AiToolHuntFREEmed-high“Completely free, no card.” 6,700+ tools, 150 categories.
Product Hunt (AI)FREEvery highSubmit under AI + productivity/coaching. Same launch as §06 — one shot, prep first.
Tier 2 — free / free-tier, solid mid-reach
DirectoryCostReachNote
AI ScoutFREEmedCurated (manual review), good for backlink profile.
Insidr AIFREEmedFree listing; featured is paid. Decent DR.
SaaS AI ToolsFREEmedNewsletter + directory; good productivity fit.
AITools.fyiFREEmedClean curated directory, free submission.
AIToolMallFREEmedAuto-listed, fast.
OpenTools.aiFREEmedChat-search UI → good discoverability.
AIChiefFREEmedFree submission + review; sometimes wants a reciprocal badge.
OpenFuture AIFREEmedLarge free directory, simple form.
Futurepedia (free tier)FREE tiermed-highFree self-serve submission still exists (editorial approval). Skip the $497 verified tier.
Tier 3 — free long-tail batch for backlinks · ★ = free do-follow
08

Press & newsletters — who to email

Real contact routes, verified 2026. Confirm the address on the site before sending (email patterns drift). Pitch individual writers on your beat, not firehose inboxes. Start with the “easy” iOS roundups — they exist to feature exactly you.

Global · English — start with the easy wins
OutletContactDifficultyHow / what they want
9to5Mac · Indie Spotlightmichaelb@9to5mac.comeasyWeekly column built for indie iOS apps. New app / big update / “interesting app.” Your best warm start.
Indie Watchsite formeasyWeekly hand-curated newsletter of best iOS apps. Free submission; they contact you if featuring.
Indie Dev Mondaysite formeasyWeekly indie-dev spotlight newsletter. Indie-first, free.
The Rundown AIrundown.ai/submitmed~2M-sub daily AI newsletter with a real free submit form + “tool of the day.” Rare and worth it.
Ben’s Bitessubmit to feedmedAI newsletter for founders (~160K). Free account → submit; top-upvoted hits the newsletter. Discord too.
Lifehackerpitches@lifehacker.commedProductivity/self-improvement — strong niche fit. Send an outline, not a full article. (tips@ for tips.)
MakeUseOfsite “work with us”medRuns app + AI-tool roundups you can land in.
XDA Developerscontact pagemedGood for the “AI voice coach” tech angle.
Cult of Macnews/contact pagemedApple/app-review consumer audience.
TechCrunchtips@techcrunch.comhardBetter: pitch the specific AI/consumer-apps writer. 2–4 lines, links not attachments, no tracking pixels.
The Vergewriter emailhardNo generic inbox — pitch a specific writer on the AI/apps beat, concise, morning send.
Android Authoritynews@androidauthority.commedSave for your Android launch. Apps/AI/mobile.
“Best self-improvement apps 2026” authorsemail the authoreasyGoogle the live ranked listicles, email each author to be considered. Cheap, high-fit, evergreen SEO.
Ukraine — a whole second front free editorial pitches · confirm address on-site
OutletContactCostFit / how
AIN.Capitaleditor@ain.capitalFREEYour best English-language UA outlet — CEE-startup focus. Send the EN pitch here.
Spekahello@speka.mediaFREEMost indie-friendly. Pitch a first-person “building Gainers” column, not just coverage.
DOU.uaeditors@dou.ua + blogsFREEHuge dev readership. Self-publish a “як я побудував AI-застосунок” community post.
AIN.uaredakity@ain.uaFREE pitchVery indie-friendly; runs Ukrainian-founder + launch items.
dev.uaredaktor@dev.uaFREE pitchStrong startup/IT coverage. Needs a real news peg.
Vectorhello@vctr.mediaFREEDesign-forward, likes fresh product stories — good taste fit.
MC.todayredaktor@mc.todayFREE / paidLoves founder-journey narratives; the free slot is competitive.
Highload.todayeditor@highload.todayFREE pitchBest for the technical angle — the AI voice pipeline/architecture.
ITC.uanews@itc.uaFREE pitchLarge consumer audience; send a tight launch news item.
The Pageredaktsiya@thepage.uaFREE pitchBusiness/tech angle; solid mainstream hit.
Bazilik Mediahello@bazilik.mediaFREEStartup/innovation focus; good indie fit.
Two-language split

EN pitch (Template A/B) → AIN.Capital + all of Global. UA pitch (Template C) → dev.ua, MC.today, Speka, DOU, ITC, Vector, Highload. Best free bets, ranked: Product Hunt → 9to5Mac Indie Spotlight → The Rundown AI → Ben’s Bites → Speka/DOU columns → AIN.ua.

09

Communities — where users actually come from

Directories give backlinks; communities give users and word-of-mouth. Three rules keep you unbanned everywhere: (1) contribute before you promote (aged account, real comments), (2) lead with story or a specific feedback/tester ask — never a bare link, (3) use each community’s designated day/thread/channel. Unique copy per place — identical cross-posts trip spam filters.

Reddit — your core five (most promo-friendly)
SubredditReachRule / how to post
r/SideProject~620KMost self-promo-friendly. Post the build story (what/why/tech/feedback wanted), not an ad. Reply to comments. Tue–Thu 8–11am EST.
r/indiehackers~117KShare the journey + real numbers. “No ideas without traction.” Pure ads get downvoted.
r/IMadeThis~440K“Show what you made.” Humble framing beats corporate.
r/alphaandbetausers~88KBuilt for recruiting testers. “Looking for 10 people building a habit to test an AI voice-coach.”
r/RoastMyStartup~45KDirect links allowed. Great for landing-page / onboarding critique — if you can take heat.
Reddit — iOS-specific, high intent (drop free PRO codes)
SubredditReachRule
r/TestFlight~40KRecruit iOS beta testers via TestFlight links — perfect for you. Say what to test; reciprocity expected.
r/apphookup~250KDeals-focused — post only with a genuine free/discount hookup (free PRO promo codes). Title format matters.
r/iosapps~60KUse the right flair, one post per app, engage. Read pinned rules — some restrict to a weekly thread.
r/habits~40KNiche-relevant, tolerant of “I built this to solve X.” Still lead with value.
Reddit — big & strict value-first, mention in comments only, use the promo thread
r/startups (→ “Share Your Startup” megathread) · r/Entrepreneur · r/EntrepreneurRideAlong · r/buildinpublic · r/getdisciplined · r/productivity · r/selfimprovement · r/artificial · r/SaaS
⚠ In getdisciplined / selfimprovement / decidingtobebetter / GetMotivated a bare app link gets removed fast — only recommend when someone asks for a tool.

Founder / maker

  • Show HN — plain, substantive title, reply to every comment. Anti-hype crowd.
  • Indie Hackers — journey/lessons + transparency. Post in Tech/Growth groups.
  • Peerlist Launchpad — fairer PH alternative for devs/designers.
  • WIP.co + Makerlog — daily-progress / streak communities; launches welcome in context.
  • dev.to + Hashnode — write “How I built an AI voice coach that calls users.” Use #showdev. Teach; the tool sells itself.

Discord · Telegram · X

  • Indie Hackers Discord — the default indie Discord. Post in #launched / #share-your-work only.
  • The Hive Index — searchable directory to find active Slack/Discord communities (AI, productivity). Join 3–5 that fit.
  • X · #buildinpublic — the biggest informal builder community. Launch thread + metrics; engage with other builders to earn reciprocal support.
  • Universal rule: there’s always ONE promo channel (#i-made-this). Posting in #general is the fastest ban.
Ukraine
CommunityWhereHow
DOU · Стартапиdou.uaPost your launch/story in the startups forum; a good UA write-up performs. Ukraine’s #1 tech hub.
IT KPIt.me/itkpiLargest UA student IT community — big young audience overlapping self-improvement. Contribute, don’t ad.
Awesome UA IT CommunitiesdirectoryThe master list — mine it for current UA Telegram chats (product/marketing/JS) where your bilingual app fits.
Ukrainian Startup Fundt.me/usfofficialEcosystem channel + events (Venture Nights). Engage via community, not raw promo.

Master directory of free places to post a startup: PlacesToPostYourStartup (GitHub, maintained).

10

Product Hunt — your single best free spike

Still the best free burst of traffic + credibility for an indie app. The 2026 game is engagement, not upvote-farming — a pre-built audience and a page optimised for comments.

Do

  • Launch 12:01 AM PST (≈ 10–11 AM Kyiv — convenient) on a Tue or Wed.
  • Build a teaser / “notify me” page 1–2 weeks out — those become instant day-one supporters (winners get 60%+ of day-one traffic from it).
  • Self-launch is totally fine in 2026. A hunter helps only if they genuinely know your space.
  • First gallery item = the coach-calling demo video. That’s your scroll-stopper.
  • Post your maker comment the moment you go live: who you are + why (the solo-Ukraine story), what it does in 2 sentences, where to start, and a question to the community.
  • Reply to every comment within 30–60 min, all day. Active threads stay ranked. Block the whole day.

Never (gets you unfeatured)

  • Never ask for upvotes — in DMs, tweets, groups. Say “check it out on Product Hunt” instead, always.
  • No incentives/discounts in exchange for upvotes.
  • No coordinated voting from brand-new accounts, no bought votes. The algorithm flags it and can nuke the launch.

Mobilise legitimately: email your list “we’re live — I’d love your honest feedback,” share the story on X/LinkedIn/TikTok, ask friends to genuinely try & comment. A real comment beats a drive-by upvote — and it’s allowed.

11

Journalist requests & free PR

The highest hit-rate channel for a solo founder: reply to journalists who are already writing a story and asking for sources. Far better odds than cold pitching. Set up alerts for “app / AI / productivity / habits / founder / Ukraine startup” and reply within the hour — reporters pick early.

PlatformCostWhat it is
Featured / ConnectivelyFREE tierThe revived HARO (Cision’s HARO → Connectively → acquired by Featured, Apr 2025). Highest volume. Your default.
QwotedFREE tierVerified experts + journalists, generally higher-quality/DR placements.
Help a B2B WriterFREEB2B/SaaS-focused. Good for the productivity/founder angle.
SourceBottleFREELong-running; decent for lifestyle/wellness queries.
Source of Sources (SOS)FREEHARO founder Peter Shankman’s new curated one — classic email-digest format.

Position yourself as an expert source on: AI in behaviour change · voice AI · solo founding · building tech in wartime Ukraine. Each is a genuine angle a reporter might want a quote on — that’s how you get named + linked without a product pitch.

Free press-release distribution — honest take

Free PR distro rarely produces real coverage — it gets your release indexed (a little SEO/credibility), not a journalist writing about you. Do one: use EIN Presswire’s free first-release slot for the actual launch announcement, mirror it on gainers.app/press, and move on. (OpenPR is a fine second.) Don’t sink hours blasting 20 free-PR sites — your time pays off far more on the journalist-request platforms above and direct pitches.