Show HN Benchmark

Before you post a Show HN, learn from the Show HN posts that did best: which kinds collect points, which start discussion, and how they were titled.

v0.1.0

View example draft · How to use

Example draft

The top 30 Show HN posts

All Show HN posts, highest scoring first.

The answer

Builds collect the most points (median 1,652). Alternatives to existing products start more discussion: 23 comments per 100 points against 17 for builds.

Title patterns

A concrete before-and-after number ("I replaced a $120k bowling center system with $1,600 in ESP32s"), who made it ("I’m an airline pilot"), or "from scratch".

For a hardware project

Title it with the cost saving or the "from scratch" angle. In the first comment, give the parts list with prices, the code link and how long it took.

From a real run on 2026-11-08.

What you get

  • Top Show HN posts grouped by kind
  • Title patterns from the best posts
  • Title options, expected questions and a first comment

Good fit

  • Planning a Show HN launch
  • Rewriting a launch title

Not for

  • Feedback on a launch that is already live; use hacker-news-launch-feedback
  • Posting or voting

How to use

An Agent that can read the complete Skill folder. Live research also needs a SandBase connection; supplied material can be used without a lookup.

Download and unpack the complete Skill folder, keep its references, and use it with a local Agent that supports Skills.

Download Skill v0.1.0

Ask your Agent

Use hacker-news-show-hn-benchmark. I am posting a Show HN for a hardware side project. What kind of Show HN does well, and how should I title it?

  1. Search Show HN

    Pull the top Show HN posts, overall or in your field.

  2. Group them

    Sort posts into builds, alternatives and tools, and jokes, and compare points and comments.

  3. Plan your post

    Write title options and a first comment that answers the expected questions.

FAQ

How do I use this Skill?

Download and unpack the whole Skill folder, including references, into your Agent’s supported Skill directory. You can also ask the Agent to read its SKILL.md and follow the instructions. Run it locally with your own material.

Are old posts a fair benchmark?

Partly. 11 of the top 30 are from 2025 or 2026, so recent posts still reach the same level.