The waitlist unlock

The product is announced but access is gated. People join a waitlist or hunt for invite codes, and the scarcity itself becomes the story on X. It works when the product is genuinely exciting and capacity is genuinely limited; it backfires when it looks like a growth trick.

Anatomy of the launch

1. 1Teaser phase. Problem posts and short clips build curiosity for one to two weeks.
2. 2Announcement. A video post with a waitlist link and a clear promise about access.
3. 3Codes. Invite codes go first to creators and early fans, who post about getting in.
4. 4Waves. Access opens in batches; each wave produces a fresh round of posts.
5. 5Open day. A second launch moment when access opens to everyone.

When it works

• Real capacity limits (compute, onboarding, support).
• Products people want to show off once they are in.
• Teams that communicate wave timing honestly.

Where it breaks

• The waitlist is a gate with nothing behind it for weeks.
• Codes are resold and the story turns to the resale market.
• No plan for the open day, so the second moment is wasted.

How to run it

1. Decide the real capacity and the wave schedule before announcing.
2. Reserve codes for creators, early users and replies on the launch post.
3. Post each wave as news: what changed, who got in.
4. Treat open day as a launch with its own thread and video.

Check how ready you are for this pattern with the launch readiness score, then work through the launch checklist.