What is a maker?

Maker, explained

The term comes from Product Hunt, where it has a specific meaning. Product Hunt's help center separates two roles. The hunter posts the product to the platform. The makers are the people who created it, and are tagged on the launch so they can answer questions with a maker badge next to their name. Many founders now hunt their own products, so one person is often both.

Being listed as a maker matters because launch communities reward the people behind the product, not just the product. Comments from makers get attention. Makers who answer every question openly, share what's coming next and take criticism well tend to have better launches and more goodwill afterwards.

Maker profiles also build up over time. On most platforms, your profile collects every product you've launched, your comments and your followers. A founder who has launched a few things and helped others will reach more people on their next launch than one with a brand-new account.

There's a practical side too. List everyone who actually built the product. Keep your profile's name, photo and links consistent with your site and social accounts, which helps both people and search engines connect the dots. And launch from your own account where the platform allows, so the relationship with the audience stays with you.

Across launch platforms, the word has become shorthand for indie founders and small teams building in public. Some platforms call their users makers generally, not only on a specific launch.

Why it matters for founders

People buy from people, especially from new companies. Showing up as the maker, answering questions yourself, turns a launch from an ad into a conversation, and that's what earns early users.

Example

Two co-founders tag themselves and their designer as makers on their launch. The designer answers UI questions, the technical co-founder answers integration questions, and the post gets detailed, useful threads.

Common mistakes

• Launching from a brand-new account with no history.
• Leaving team members off the maker list.
• Posting a launch and not answering comments.
• Using different names and photos across platforms.