How I accidentally deleted my product 48 hours before launch

Yes, it's true.

My SaaS Product (Mailr) got deleted just 48 hours before my product hunt launch 😬

Here's how it happened:

My SaaS product, Mailr, is an AI Email Writing chrome extension running on GPT-3

Just 5 days before my intended product hunt launch date, OpenAI released a new API model (ChatGPT), that was faster and more efficient. I knew that I had to migrate over, and quickly update the extension.

Quickly, I changed some code around, and submitted my update to the Chrome Web Store for approval around 75 hours before launch. I was definitely cutting it close, but knew that I would get an approval just in time for my launch. 🚀

One day later (48 hours before launch), I realized that I messed up one of the manifest JSON files and the chrome extension would not work currently when it gets approved. I quickly made the fix, and tried to publish this new update. However, I had to unpublish the current update before uploading the new manifest JSON file. ⌛

When clicking unpublish version, I accidentally unpublished the ENTIRE EXTENSION just 48 hours before launch! 😰

Everything I created was taken off the web store, and completely deleted from existence. Oh no. My product hunt launch was about to happen, and my entire extension just vanished! 🥲

I immediately contacted Google to re-uploaded my extension, but it would not get approved in time. I was forced to push back all my pre-launch activities and delay the launch another two weeks. 😓

Hopefully when I launch next time everything will go smoothly. 🙏

Here is the link to my extension that finally got approved and is back up on the web store: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/mailr-ai-email-assistant/nooogbcamojnhfkdnigljbjfjcpdfeic

Lessons Learned:

#1: Do not push out updates right before launch

#2: Expect the unexpected. ALWAYS.