Some insights and tips for launching your product on Hacker News

- Basic Introduction and Rules of the Platform Let's start by understanding what Hacker News is and what rules govern this platform. Hacker News, created by Y Combinator's founder Paul Graham in 2007, is a community primarily for entrepreneurs and developers. It is currently owned by Y Combinator and managed by Daniel Gackle. Similar to Product Hunt, Hacker News has become a primary platform for product launches. However, unlike Product Hunt, which targets a broader audience including product enthusiasts, Hacker News is mainly developer-centric, fostering a more serious community atmosphere. The content primarily focuses on technology and entrepreneurship, with some coverage of current social issues. The format is simple text and links, resembling old-style forums, with no images or videos. Posting a product on Hacker News differs significantly from Product Hunt. You only need a product link, a title, and a brief comment to launch your product, unlike the extensive images and videos required for Product Hunt. This minimalistic approach suits the developer-heavy user base, offering straightforward content presentation. When you click on a post title, it directly links to the submitted page, unlike Product Hunt, where you stay within the site. According to SimilarWeb, Hacker News receives around 12 million visits per month, more than twice that of Product Hunt. Although different data platforms might show slight variations, this highlights the potential benefits of posting on Hacker News. The platform sees a significant number of daily posts, with around 1,000 new submissions daily, including both product launches and articles. Statistics indicate that nearly half of the top posts daily are articles rather than product announcements. In terms of voting, Hacker News is stricter than Product Hunt. Votes from the same IP address count as one vote, regardless of the number of accounts. Directly sharing post links on social platforms like Twitter or LinkedIn for votes will render those votes invalid. While Product Hunt allows social sharing to gather votes (with minor ranking impact rumors), Hacker News does not count votes from direct link visits, only those originating from within the community. New users are marked with green usernames for the first 14 days, and their posts and votes are often not counted. Hacker News has a simple structure with main sections like "new" (latest posts), "past" (history of top posts), "comments" (latest comments), "ask" (questions starting with "Ask HN"), "show" (products starting with "Show HN"), and "jobs" (job postings by Y Combinator companies). There are hidden sections like "leaders" (top users), "launches" (posts by Y Combinator startups), "noobstories" (posts by new users), and "noobcomments" (comments by new users). The interface offers only two main buttons: login and submit. When you submit a product with the "Show HN" tag, it first appears in the "shownew" sub-section, then moves to the main "show" section based on votes and comments, aiming to reach the front page. - Content and Posting Tips Now, let's discuss the crucial content posting phase. Given the nature of Hacker News, which sees around 1,000 new posts daily, with a large portion being articles, it's strategic to post a high-quality technical article on your product’s blog that indirectly promotes your product. The ideal structure involves starting with a problem, discussing common solutions, highlighting their flaws, and then introducing your product as the solution. This approach mirrors the Product-Market Fit process and adds depth to your post, which Hacker News users appreciate. Remember, your target audience is developers who value in-depth content. Use technical jargon appropriately to resonate with them, and avoid marketing language that overly praises your product. Sharing your personal journey, the challenges you faced, and how your product addresses these issues is far more effective than generic promotional claims. When crafting your post, be direct and simple. Avoid clickbait titles or numbers in the title, as suggested by Hacker News guidelines. For example, "10 Ways To Do X" should be simplified to "How To Do X," and "14 Amazing Xs" should just be "Xs." The platform prefers straightforward titles without promotional language or website names, which can lead to your post being flagged or deleted. For the post itself, provide a brief introduction of your team or yourself, state the problem, describe your solution (your product), and ask for feedback. This first comment can be crucial as it sets the context for your submission. - Posting Time and Strategy Choosing the right time to post is essential. Generally, Tuesday or Thursday mornings (US Eastern Time) are good, but timing isn’t as critical as it is on Product Hunt. What matters most is your content quality. After posting, avoid directly sharing the link for votes. Instead, ask high-Karma users to find and vote for your post within the "shownew" section. Engage 20-30 people initially, then move to the "new" section using the same strategy. Avoid same-IP votes and direct link sharing to prevent your post from being flagged. Accumulate Karma by submitting breaking tech news or significant events, which are likely to get votes and reach the front page quickly. Additionally, promote your product through comments on relevant posts. Use keyword monitoring tools to find and engage with new posts, providing thoughtful responses and including your product link. - Final Note To achieve lasting success on Hacker News, focus on high-quality content and genuine community engagement. These tips and tricks can help you test the platform’s potential, but consistent participation and interaction are key to building a presence and achieving your goals. BTW, we are excited to announce that our product, Xspiral, will be launching this Friday, July 19th. We look forward to your support and feedback! here is the teaser: https://www.producthunt.com/products/xspiral