Structures launch-day announcement posts for X and LinkedIn to platform mechanics - a single long-form X post with a native clip and the link in a reply as the default (the multi-post thread is the escape hatch for genuinely serial stories), no outbound link in the ranked unit, the LinkedIn founder post timed to the golden-hour window with the URL in the first comment, and first-hour reply choreography. Use when someone asks "where should the link go in our launch thread", "structure our launch announcement for X and LinkedIn", "when should the founder post the launch on LinkedIn", "why do launch posts with links in them get no reach", or launch day is set and the announcement posts need their platform shape. Do NOT use for a general educational or story thread - use tweet-thread-builder instead - or for everyday LinkedIn content - use linkedin-post-writer instead; for the Product Hunt page itself, use product-hunt-launch.
---
name: launch-thread-anatomy
description: Structures launch-day announcement posts for X and LinkedIn to platform mechanics - a single long-form X post with a native clip and the link in a reply as the default (the multi-post thread is the escape hatch for genuinely serial stories), no outbound link in the ranked unit, the LinkedIn founder post timed to the golden-hour window with the URL in the first comment, and first-hour reply choreography. Use when someone asks "where should the link go in our launch thread", "structure our launch announcement for X and LinkedIn", "when should the founder post the launch on LinkedIn", "why do launch posts with links in them get no reach", or launch day is set and the announcement posts need their platform shape. Do NOT use for a general educational or story thread - use tweet-thread-builder instead - or for everyday LinkedIn content - use linkedin-post-writer instead; for the Product Hunt page itself, use product-hunt-launch.
---
# launch-thread-anatomy
Founders keep paying a reach penalty out of habit - the outbound link in the ranked post - and then blame the product. The announcement's distribution is decided by structure before a single reader judges the words: link placement, native media, timing, reply speed. This skill encodes the structure so the copy gets its audition.
## Operating procedure
Run the steps in order. The hook asset decides the post's shape, so it is chosen before any body copy is written; timing and reply choreography come last because they operate on the finished posts.
### Step 1: Gather the inputs
Elicit exactly these, and ask before assuming any of them. If any input is a guess, label it a guess and move on.
1. **Charter**: the client's brand charter, which sets the copy register and any visual slots. Paste the charter block if one exists. If the client has a charter but the foundations pack is not installed, elicit the needed values directly and label them provisional. If no charter exists at all, halt and route to premium-design-foundations - never substitute worked-example values.
2. **Story spine**: the locked five-line spine (problem, insight, demo, proof, ask) from launch-asset-orchestrator. Never re-derive it; if the orchestrator was not run, elicit the five lines directly and clarify which line carries the strongest proof.
3. **Hook asset**: the strongest single number, or a native product clip of 60 seconds or less. Default to the clip. If neither exists, stop and flag it - a hookless launch post is a caption.
4. **Founder handles**: the founder's personal accounts on both platforms. Personal accounts outperform company pages on LinkedIn, so the founder posts and the page reshares.
5. **Audience timezone**: the dominant timezone of the audience, which anchors every posting time.
6. **Visuals available**: clips, screenshots, or a document carousel already produced.
### Step 2: Build the X announcement