How to launch a product in the USA
Everything you need to launch in the USA: where the community gathers, how people actually pay, what the law requires, and what it costs to reach #1 right now.
What #1 costs today
The throne is empty — the first bid of $1 takes #1.
Where makers gather
Post where American builders already spend time. Lead with the problem you solve, not with a link.
- Hacker News (Show HN)
- Product Hunt
- Indie Hackers
- r/SideProject
- r/SaaS
- X/Twitter #buildinpublic
- BetaList
How people pay
Offering the methods locals trust moves conversion more than lowering the price.
- Cards
- Apple Pay
- Google Pay
- Link
- Cash App Pay
- Amazon Pay
Local stack
- Stripe Atlas — Incorporate a Delaware company and open Stripe in days.
- Mercury — Startup banking that pairs well with Stripe payouts.
- Hacker News — Show HN: the toughest, most valuable launch crowd.
What the law requires
Selling online here means publishing: Terms & Refund Policy.
There is no statutory cooling-off for digital services delivered immediately — but state your refund policy clearly.
Search engines that matter
Besides Google, these engines send real traffic here:
- Bing
- ChatGPT Search
- Perplexity