Product Hunt didn't bring paying users
Hacker News readers are technical, opinionated, and willing to pay. A good Show HN post stays discoverable forever—unlike Product Hunt's 24-hour cycle.
When to use
You have a product that appeals to technical users, developers, or privacy-conscious people. Your product has a genuine story or contrarian angle.
Hypothesis template
If we launch on Hacker News with a Show HN post about [unique angle], we'll get [target] signups because HN readers are technical buyers who pay for tools they respect.
Method
The problem: You launched on Product Hunt, got upvotes, but most users were other makers—not paying customers. You need an audience that actually buys software.
What Plausible did: Posted a Show HN about their privacy-focused Google Analytics alternative. The post resonated because HN users care about privacy and open source. Thousands of signups followed.
The result: Plausible went from side project to $1M+ ARR, with Hacker News as a key early growth driver. HN posts keep getting traffic for months via search, unlike Product Hunt's one-day window.
How to do it:
- Find your angle: HN loves: open source, privacy, simplicity, contrarian takes, technical depth. What's yours?
- Write the post: Start with "Show HN: [Product] – [One sentence that hooks]". Be honest about what it is and isn't
- Post timing: Weekday mornings US Eastern time (9-11 AM ET) work best
- First comment: Explain why you built it, what's different, and be transparent about limitations
- Engage relentlessly: Answer every question honestly. HN users smell marketing a mile away
- Don't game it: No asking friends to upvote. HN detects and penalizes this
Key insight: HN is not Product Hunt. Don't pitch—share. The audience rewards honesty, technical depth, and genuine problem-solving over polish and hype.
Success metrics
- •HN upvotes
- •Signups from HN traffic
- •Paying customers from HN cohort
- •Post longevity (traffic after week 1)
- •30-day retention of HN users
Prerequisites
- A product that HN audience would respect
- Genuine technical story or unique angle
- Thick skin for blunt feedback
- Time to engage with comments for 24+ hours
Common pitfalls
- •Writing marketing copy instead of being honest
- •Asking friends to upvote (HN detects this)
- •Getting defensive in comments
- •Launching without a unique angle
- •Ignoring the feedback you get
Source: Plausible Analytics. HN as a key driver to $1M+ ARR.
Suggested ICE scores
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