Launch catalog / Playbook
SideProjects
Conditional free route launch-board
Researched from public pages — no submission was run · sources read 2026-09-25. Rules change — recheck the platform's own pages before submitting.
What the free route requires
- Free launch requires a registered account (email + password at /register)
- Free launches go into a queue and go live 'when a slot opens, usually within a few weeks' — no date control
- Only paid Skip-the-line ($29) lets you pick an exact launch date and guarantees newsletter inclusion
Requirements
- A real side project / indie product to launch
- Account registration is mandatory before the submit form is reachable
- Project is placed into a daily launch list; top 3 by unique reactions win a badge at midnight
Prepare before opening the form
- Account credentials (email + password)
- Project name, tagline/one-liner, and URL
- Category selection (AI, Developer tools, Productivity, Design, Marketing, Writing, Health, Audio, Community, Games, etc.)
- Decide free queue vs $29 Skip-the-line vs $15 Relaunch for an existing project
Workflow
- Register at https://sideprojects.net/register
- Open https://sideprojects.net/projects/submit
- Fill the project submission form (name, URL, tagline, categories)
- Free route: join the queue and wait for an open launch slot
- Paid route: pick a date via Skip-the-line ($29, Stripe checkout)
- On launch day the project appears in 'Launching today' and collects emoji reactions/comments; top 3 win a badge
Watch for
- Submit URL redirects unauthenticated users to /login — account creation is unavoidable
- Free tier explicitly warns of multi-week queue time; Do not promise a launch date on the free plan
- Upsells at checkout-adjacent pages: $99/week featured spot, $150 newsletter sponsor, $120 written review
- Relaunch ($15) only applies to a project already launched once
- Reactions count for the daily top-3 badge; engagement on launch day affects visibility
What counts as live
Project appears on the homepage 'Launching today' list on its launch day and has a permanent /projects/<slug> page accepting reactions and comments
Not verified
- Exact queue length / wait time for free launches beyond 'a few weeks'
- Whether submissions can be rejected and on what grounds
- What fields beyond name/URL/tagline/categories the logged-in submit form contains