The classic problem with any leaderboard is that the top of it is sticky. Once a product reaches a certain altitude, sheer momentum keeps it there, even if interest is fading underneath. LaunchLoop is built around an explicit counterweight: alongside the main rolling rank, the platform pays attention to velocity, the rate at which a product is gaining upvotes relative to its own baseline.
Designed for underdogs
A small launch picking up upvotes quickly can show up beside a much bigger product cruising on inertia, because what we are measuring is acceleration, not size. That is, in our view, the only fair way to give a brand-new product a chance against a launch that has been compounding for days.
How gaming is prevented
Velocity signals are catnip for anyone who has ever tried to manipulate a leaderboard, so they inherit the same anti-abuse stack as the main loop: rate limits per account, per IP, and per device fingerprint, plus heuristic filters that discount obviously coordinated voting. A small surge of upvotes from accounts that all signed up in the same few minutes will not move the needle.
What it does not do
Velocity is intentionally not a second leaderboard. It does not have a top ten, it does not award badges, and it does not factor into Featured Founder selection. It is, by design, a discovery surface, a way to stumble into a product you would never have found through the main rankings. We will be watching closely to see whether founders treat it that way, or whether it becomes another arena to optimise for. The answer will shape what we ship next.