Show HN
What is Show HN?
Show HN is a Hacker News post format for sharing something you made that people can try: a product, a tool, a library or a project. Titles start with "Show HN:" and the maker usually adds a first comment explaining what it is and why they built it.
Hacker News has guidelines for Show HN: it should be something people can use, not a sign-up page or a blog post.
Why Show HN matters
A good Show HN can bring early users, sharp feedback and attention from a technical audience. Asking friends to upvote breaks the rules and is detected.
How to post a Show HN
- Make sure people can try it without much friction.
- Write a plain title: "Show HN: Name, what it does".
- Add a first comment: who you are, why you built it, what is different, what feedback you want.
- Stay around to answer questions honestly, including criticism.
- Never ask for upvotes.
Related marketing terms
Hacker News is Y Combinator’s community news site for technology and startups, where links and Show HN launches are voted on and discussed.
A Product Hunt launch is posting a new product on Product Hunt for a day, where the community upvotes, comments and ranks the day’s launches.
Early adopters are the first customers to try a new product, accepting rough edges because the problem matters to them and they like new things.
Vote manipulationBlack hat
Vote manipulation is artificially changing votes on a post, by buying upvotes, using multiple accounts or asking groups to vote together.