How we count votes for startup launches
Cast your vote as a reader, understand the safeguards, and learn why the community's voice remains authentic.
Updated
Casting your vote
To vote for a launch, sign in and confirm your email address. Each person can vote once per listing, and only for launches that are currently live. There's one exception: you're welcome to vote for your own launch, but only after you've voted for someone else's first.
Keeping votes genuine
We run quick human checks from time to time to ensure the integrity of the vote. We also set limits on how many votes can arrive per hour and per day. Should a suspicious burst of votes appear, they're held back and reviewed before they're counted.
Votes stay separate from money
Votes belong to the community. They sit apart from our other systems: the billboard (paid ranking), verification badges, and factual data like Domain Rating. No payment can move a vote count in either direction. This separation is clear on every launch page.
Active members of our community do earn influence over time, and their votes can carry more weight. But that influence comes from thoughtful participation here, never from spending.
Questions people ask
- Can I vote if I haven't confirmed my email?
- No. You'll need to sign in and confirm your email address before you can vote on any launch.
- What happens if lots of votes arrive all at once?
- Our system flags suspicious bursts. Those votes are held back and reviewed by a human before they're counted.
- Does paying for ranking affect my vote count?
- No. Paid ranking, votes, verification and data are entirely separate. Money cannot change how many votes a launch receives.