# LaunchNests Ship Documentation

> The AI-native product distribution platform and CLI.

## Introduction

LaunchNests Ship bridges the gap between software development and distribution. It coordinates AI coding assistants (such as Claude Code, Cursor, and Codex) with a cloud control plane to execute product submissions across curated launch platforms, SaaS directories, and communities.

## Core Concepts

### 1. Products vs. Launch Projects
- **Product**: Represents the permanent entity being distributed (name, website, tagline, description, screenshots, pricing model, founder info).
- **Launch Project**: A discrete launch campaign. A single product can have multiple launches over time (e.g., V1 MVP Launch, Major V2 Feature Launch).

### 2. Launch Targets & Submissions
- **Target**: A platform destination selected for a launch project with a computed relevance score.
- **Submission Attempt**: A specific execution instance against a target. Multiple attempts are preserved historically to maintain an accurate audit log.

### 3. Human Handoff
LaunchNests is designed with safety as a core priority. Whenever authentication (Google/GitHub OAuth, passwords), CAPTCHA, or final payment/publish confirmation is required, the agent issues a `needs_human` event and waits for the user to confirm completion before continuing.

## Getting Started

### Step 1: Create an Account
Visit [https://ship.launchnests.com](https://ship.launchnests.com) and sign in using Google OAuth.

### Step 2: Configure Your Product
In the web dashboard:
1. Navigate to **Products** -> **New Product**.
2. Fill in your canonical details (tagline under 60 chars, description, logo, screenshots).

### Step 3: Run the CLI
In your local project terminal:
```bash
npx launchnests-ship init
```
This authenticates your local environment and generates the MCP configuration file for your AI coding assistant.

### Step 4: Execute Submissions
Instruct your AI agent:
```text
"Distribute our product across all tier-1 launch platforms using LaunchNests Ship."
```
The agent connects via MCP, fetches the validated playbooks, prepares tailored copy adhering to platform character limits, opens the browser, and navigates submission workflows.

## Support & Resources
- Website: [https://ship.launchnests.com](https://ship.launchnests.com)
- Directory Catalog: [https://ship.launchnests.com/directory](https://ship.launchnests.com/directory)
- How It Works Architecture: [https://ship.launchnests.com/how-it-works](https://ship.launchnests.com/how-it-works)
- Full LLM Specification: [https://ship.launchnests.com/llms-full.txt](https://ship.launchnests.com/llms-full.txt)
- Playbooks Catalog: [https://ship.launchnests.com/playbooks.md](https://ship.launchnests.com/playbooks.md)