# How Nilkick works

> Built isn't launched. Most products that feel *done* have never actually been put in front of anyone. Nilkick measures that gap: how launched you really are. Then it hands you the map to close it, or does the closing for you.

Instant · No account · We never email you · Re-run anytime.

Nilkick is two things: a **free launch-readiness report** (instant score + personalized launch map, no account) and a paid, done-for-you **Launch** ($15 flat, one launch, one-time) where Nilkick finds the real venues, writes every post, and walks you through shipping it.

## 01 · The idea — two numbers, weighted on purpose

Whether you have users comes down to two things:

- **Readiness** is your page itself: sharp, clear, parseable?
- **Footprint** is your presence: does anyone know you exist?

The formula:

```
score = 0.40·Readiness + 0.60·Footprint
```

Footprint carries more weight, deliberately. A flawless page nobody has found is still near zero. That's the entire point: you can't polish your way to launched. Every point is rule-based and checkable.

## 02 · The steps — paste a URL, that's the whole input

No sign-up, no questionnaire, no "book a demo." Three things happen, in order, and you watch them happen.

1. **You paste your link.** Drop in `yourproduct.com`. The `https://` is optional. No account, no email gate. We don't store a lead and we don't follow up.
2. **We run the scan, never a blank spinner.** First we read your page: title, meta, Open Graph, schema, `llms.txt`, the rendered copy. Then we run a handful of public search queries to see if you're indexed and where you're mentioned. Readiness is deterministic, so the score lands first; the map streams in right after.
3. **You get a report you can share.** A persistent page at `nilkick.com/report/yourproduct.com`. It reads the same whether you just ran it or someone sent you the link. It leads with the win, frames every gap as a task (never a scold), and ends with your launch map. Shareable link · re-runnable · screenshot-ready score.

## 03 · The launch map — not "go market yourself," the actual addresses

Ranked by value to *you* specifically, read from what your product is and where it's missing. Three tiers, each with the move spelled out.

- **Tier 1 · Communities** (highest value · real humans) — Where your first actual users hang out: Hacker News, Indie Hackers, the right subreddits. We hand you the angle, the timing, and the etiquette so you don't get flagged. *Example: "Show HN: Pagewatch. Get pinged when any webpage changes." Post 9am ET, Tue–Thu, live in the thread all day.*
- **Tier 2 · Launch surfaces** (footprint + a trickle of makers) — Product Hunt and the directory circuit: BetaList, Tiny Launch, Peerlist, Uneed. Mostly backlinks and reach, but cheap and worth a focused week. *Example: Line up 5 genuine friends to comment on launch day, not 50 randoms. Once per product.*
- **Tier 3 · Owned** (compounding) — Quick wins on your own domain that close Readiness gaps and compound: the schema and llms.txt you were missing, a public demo page worth linking to. *Example: Add SoftwareApplication schema + llms.txt. Closes two gaps and makes you parseable by AI answer-engines. 20 minutes.*

## 04 · The next step — the report is free, the Launch is done for you

The map tells you exactly where to go. A **Launch** is the paid engine that goes there with you: a much deeper read of your product, a better plan built on it, and every move made ready.

- **A deeper read.** A full crawl builds a brand + ideal-customer profile, and the whole plan is rebuilt on it. You review and correct it before anything is written.
- **The venues, found.** The live threads and venues where your users are asking right now, ranked best-first. Not categories: addresses.
- **The posts, written.** Every comment, post and blurb drafted and self-critiqued, ready to paste. You review and tap submit; Nilkick never posts for you.

One flat $15 · one launch · one-time. [Start your launch](https://nilkick.com/get-launched).

## 05 · FAQ

**Is Nilkick really free?** Running a report is, completely: no account, no credit card, no email wall. We don't capture you as a lead and we never follow up in your inbox. The done-for-you Launch is the paid product, one flat fee per launch.

**Can Nilkick do the launch for me?** Yes. That's a Launch: a deep read of your product, the real venues and live threads found, every post written, and a guided walk-through, for one flat $15. You review each draft and tap submit yourself.

**Do I need to install anything?** No. Paste a URL and we read what's already public. There's nothing to embed, verify, or configure.

**Does Nilkick post or submit anything for me?** Never automatically. The map tells you exactly where to go and what to say; the doing stays in your own accounts.

**Is my report private?** Reports live at a link tied to the domain. Anyone with the link can view it (that's the point of sharing), but it isn't indexed or listed anywhere by us.

## So, how launched are you, really?

Find out in 30 seconds. Paste a URL; get your score and the map to move it. [Run your report](https://nilkick.com/). Or skip the diagnosis: [start your launch](https://nilkick.com/get-launched), $15 flat, done for you.