You built something technical and need early adopters
A well-crafted Show HN post can drive thousands of technical early adopters in a single day.
When to use
You built something with a technical angle that HN readers would appreciate. Your product is live and usable.
Hypothesis template
If we post a Show HN with [compelling angle], we'll get [target] upvotes and [target] signups because HN readers are early adopters who try new tools.
Method
The problem: You need technical early adopters who give honest feedback and share tools they like.
What works: A Show HN post that leads with the problem and your unique approach, not features. HN rewards authenticity, technical depth, and founders who engage in comments.
The result: A front-page Show HN can drive 5,000-20,000 visits in 24 hours. These are high-quality technical users who give real feedback.
How to do it:
- Title: "Show HN: [Product] – [one-line problem it solves]"
- First comment: explain why you built it, what's different, what tech you used
- Be honest about limitations — HN respects transparency
- Post between 8-10am ET on weekday mornings
- Respond to EVERY comment within the first 3 hours — this is critical
- Don't be defensive about criticism — thank people for feedback
Key insight: HN front page is earned by engagement, not marketing. The founders who respond thoughtfully to every comment are the ones who stay on the front page.
Success metrics
- •HN upvotes
- •Unique visitors on launch day
- •Signups from HN
- •Comments and engagement
Prerequisites
- A working product
- A Hacker News account with some history
- Availability to engage for 4-6 hours on launch day
Common pitfalls
- •Posting and disappearing (you MUST engage with comments)
- •Writing a marketing-speak title
- •Being defensive about criticism
- •Posting on weekends or evenings
Source: Common launch pattern. Front-page Show HN posts drive 5,000-20,000 visits in a day.
Suggested ICE scores
Ready to run this experiment?
Sign up free to use this playbook with step-by-step guidance and track your results.