firstthousandusers
  1. Idea and validation
  2. Waitlist
  3. Private beta
  4. Launch
  5. First 100 users
  6. First 1,000 users
Launch platformsCommunities

Post a Show HN on Hacker News

Share something people can try right away, write a plain first comment, and answer every question for the rest of the day.

What's requiredA day, most of it spent replying. Plus a few weeks of commenting beforehand if your account is new.
Accounts
A Hacker News account, ideally a few weeks old with some real comments.
Assets
A live product or public repo someone can try immediately, a plain one-line description, a first comment drafted in advance.
Time
A day, most of it spent replying. Plus a few weeks of commenting beforehand if your account is new.
Cost
Free.
Prerequisites
A working product with no signup wall, or a demo mode. Show HN is for things people can try, not landing pages or waitlists.

What to do

  1. Read the Show HN rules before you build the post. They are short: a Show HN must be something you made that people can try. Blog posts, landing pages, waitlists, fundraising and sign-up-only pages do not qualify. Read the guidelines and the Show HN page linked from the site footer, and follow them to the letter.
  2. Warm up your account for two to four weeks if it is new. Brand-new accounts that show up only to post their own product are treated with suspicion by readers and by the site’s filters. Comment genuinely on threads in your field a few times a week: answer questions, share what you know, disagree politely. You do not need much karma, you need a history of being a normal participant.
  3. Remove every barrier to trying it. No signup, or a clearly labeled demo account, or a public repo with a one-command install. If it needs an account, say so in the first comment and explain why. On HN, a login wall costs you most of your comments.
  4. Write a plain title. Use Show HN: Name – what it does in plain words, for example Show HN: Tallyfile – turn a folder of receipts into a CSV. No superlatives, no “revolutionary”, no exclamation marks, no emojis. Link directly to the product or repo.
  5. Study recent posts before you submit. Browse news.ycombinator.com/shownew to see what is being posted and how titles and first comments read. Also look at news.ycombinator.com/showlim, which relates to how Show HN posts from newer accounts are handled, so you know what to expect with your account.
  6. Post the first comment immediately after submitting. Explain who you are, why you built it, how it works technically, what is rough or missing, and what feedback you want. HN readers reward honesty about limitations. Use the template below.
  7. Post on a weekday morning, US time, and clear your day. Most activity is during US working hours. Stay available for at least six to eight hours after posting.
  8. Answer every comment with specifics. Thank critics and answer the substance: numbers, trade-offs, why you chose X over Y. Say “you’re right, that’s a gap” when it is. Never argue tone, never get defensive.
  9. Do not ask anyone to upvote, and do not share the direct link asking for votes. HN detects voting rings and penalizes or kills posts that get coordinated votes. You can tell people you posted, but let them find it and decide on their own.

If it flops, and a first comment template

Most Show HN posts get a few points and drop off /shownew within hours. That is normal and not the end:

  • HN moderators run a second-chance pool, where they pick overlooked posts and give them another shot on the front page. You cannot request placement, but you can send a short, polite email to hn@ycombinator.com explaining what you built and asking if it would be a fit. Do not argue or push. Sometimes they reply with a yes, sometimes with advice.
  • If nothing happens, a small number of reposts is acceptable when the first one got no real attention. Wait a while, improve the product, and repost with a clearer title rather than resubmitting the next day.
  • Use the feedback you did get. Even three comments often reveal the confusing part of your pitch.

First comment template:

Hi HN, I’m [name]. I built [product] because [specific problem you had, one or two sentences].

It works by [short technical explanation: stack, approach, the interesting part].

What it does not do yet: [honest list of gaps].

You can try it at [link], no signup needed [or: demo login is demo / demo].

I’d especially like feedback on [one or two specific questions]. Happy to answer anything about how it’s built.

Why it works

Hacker News readers actually try things and write detailed, candid feedback, especially on developer tools, open source and technical projects. The audience is large and influential, and a single post that reaches the front page puts your product in front of more technical people in one day than most early products see in months. The culture rewards plain speech and honest trade-offs, which suits a small founder with no marketing budget.

How it gets users

Unpredictably. Most Show HN posts get a handful of points and a few comments, which still gives you useful feedback and sometimes your first real users. If a post reaches the front page, expect a traffic spike that lasts a day or two, often several thousand visitors, with a small share signing up or starring the repo. Developer tools and open source tend to convert better than consumer apps. Some of the best outcomes are indirect: newsletter mentions, a blog post that links to you, or one commenter who becomes a long-term user. After the spike, send each new signup a short note (see personal welcome emails).

Common mistakes

  • Posting a landing page, waitlist or signup-only product as Show HN.
  • Using a brand-new account whose only activity is the launch post.
  • Marketing language in the title, or a title that does not say what the thing does.
  • Asking friends, coworkers or a Slack group to upvote.
  • Posting and then leaving, or arguing with critics instead of answering them.
  • Reposting the same day or several days in a row after a flop.

Next steps

This guide is connected to these guides on the map. Numbered ones come next.

01 Idea02 Waitlist03 Beta04 Launch05 First 10006 First 1kLaunch on Product Hunt1Submit to startup directories2Share your launch on Reddit3Email every new signup personally4This guide04 Launch05 First 100Launch on Product Hunt1Submit to startup directories2Share your launch on Reddit3Email every new signup personally4This guide
  1. 104 Launch · Launch platformsLaunch on Product HuntPrepare the listing and assets in advance, launch at 12:01 a.m. Pacific time, and tell your own list and communities on the day.
  2. 204 Launch · DirectoriesSubmit to startup directoriesList your product on relevant startup and software directories for a steady trickle of visitors and links back to your site.
  3. 304 Launch · CommunitiesShare your launch on RedditPost in the few subreddits that allow project posts, follow each one’s rules, and write as a member rather than an advertiser.
  4. 405 First 100 users · Direct outreachEmail every new signup personallySend each new user a short personal email asking why they signed up, and reply to every answer.