Product Hunt’s new Reddit AMA-like service facilitates conversations beyond product launches

Product Hunt today is launching its newest vertical: live Q&As with founders, investors, musicians, authors, creators, and makers. This Reddit Ask Me Anything (AMA)-style service creates a medium for people to talk to their favorite people and have it not be limited to a product launch.

Ryan Hoover, the cofounder and chief executive of Product Hunt, wrote in a blog post that every day will feature a live chat with a maker. Interested participants need only subscribe to the chats they want and they’ll receive an email reminding them of the conversation. You don’t have to be a user to participate.

Already Hoover has lined up celebrities such as Ashton Kutcher and Nas; entrepreneurs Dennis Crowley from Foursquare and Brit Morin from Brit + Co.; and investors Dave McClure, Ben Horowitz, Chris Sacca, and Jessica Livingston, to name but a few. There are over 100 people lined up to participate in Product Hunt LIVE.

And although Product Hunt LIVE is said to be “for anyone building something cool,” it’s not going to be an open platform where anyone can start a Q&A spontaneously. That person will have to coordinate with Product Hunt to get everything scheduled.

Prior to the official formation of a product addressing this need, there were ways for makers and creators to hold Q&A sessions on Product Hunt, but they certainly were not efficient, and they had to involve product launches. Now you can talk to people about their creations, no matter whether it’s a new album, investment deal, movie/film/show, company, or simply to address industry topics.

Product Hunt LIVE starts today, and its launch comes several weeks after the company debuted a new category aimed at helping users discover books.