Hacker News lets founders post but not to promote

The workload

Hacker News does not ask a founder to fill out a form or accept a separate agreement to post a Show HN; the workload sits in meeting the bar the community enforces through comments and moderation. Per the site's own Show HN page, a qualifying post must be something people can run or hold, made by the poster personally, ideally usable without barriers such as signups, and non-trivial enough that the poster is around to discuss it. A hardware project needs video or documentation; a book needs a sample chapter. A blog post, landing page, newsletter, or list does not qualify at all, in the page's own words, because those cannot be tried out.

What the documents show

Verified: the general site guidelines state a founder may post their own stuff part of the time, but add that the primary use of the site should be for curiosity, and separately instruct users not to solicit upvotes, comments, or submissions. The Show HN page adds a rule the general guidelines do not state as directly: never ask friends to upvote or comment. Together the two documents describe a channel that tolerates occasional self-interest but treats solicitation, not self-posting itself, as the violation. Neither publishes a conversion rate, a typical comment count, or any other benchmark; any number describing what a Show HN usually does is not something either source supports.

The operating cost

Neither document names a fee, since Hacker News does not charge for a submission. Editorial: the real cost is preparation, since the Show HN page states the community accepts early-stage work but not unfinished work, meaning a founder needs a live, triable product rather than a placeholder, and needs to be present to answer comments, which for a one-person team means clearing a block of that day's hours. A post that violates the no-solicitation rule risks removal or a lasting reputation cost in a community that, per the guidelines, discourages commenting on the voting itself.

The stop condition

The documents do not name a relaunch window, but the Show HN page implies one, stating minor new features and upgrades generally do not qualify as a fresh Show HN, meaning the channel is not built for repeated use without a substantive change. Editorial: the practical stop condition is the day's comment thread closing, after which Hacker News offers no ongoing distribution mechanism the way an SEO page or directory listing would; treat the post as a single, non-repeatable event tied to a real milestone.

• Is the product truly triable without a signup, per the page's stated preference?
• Is there a specific person available to answer comments for the hours after posting?
• Has enough changed since any prior Show HN post to justify a new one under the guidelines?

Hacker News publishes some of the plainest rules in this batch: try it, do not ask for votes, and do not come back until something real has changed. The absence of a stated conversion number is not an oversight; it reflects a site that has chosen not to make that kind of promise.