Hacker News Show HN Guidelines

Launching a side project in front of thousands of critical developers is a rite of passage. This section covers the conventions around Show HN style announcements, tips for presenting work to technical forums, and stories from makers about what happened after they hit submit.

Articles frequently dissect what separates a warmly received launch from one that sinks without comment: an honest title, a working demo, a maker who engages with criticism gracefully. Retrospectives from builders describe traffic spikes, first paying customers, and the occasional brutal takedown.

For indie developers, these community norms are practical knowledge rather than trivia, because a single well-received post can deliver more genuine users than months of marketing. Even seasoned founders revisit this material before unveiling something new to a technical crowd.