Launch on Hacker News

Your Show HN, written the way HN reads.

Then every comment answered within the hour.

Download RiverHow to start

How it works.

River studies the closest past launches, checks a stranger can try your product in one click, writes the post as a peer would and drafts a reply to each comment as it comes in.

  1. Pick the day and the demo

    A weekday you can spend in the thread, and the page people will try.

  2. River writes it like a peer

    A plain title, your story, how it works and how you make money.

  3. Replies ready all day

    Draft answers to new comments every ten minutes, fair points granted first.

What you get.

  • An HN launch Doc with title options, the post and the try-it link
  • Your public pages checked so a stranger can try it in one click, fixes listed
  • An HN feedback Sheet of every comment and reply, and a next-day read-out
The finished result of Launch on Hacker News in River

Start in three steps.

  1. River’s app icon

    Get River

    Download the app for your computer.

  2. River’s first question, “What’s your role?”, with Founder chosen

    Sign up as a founder

    When River asks your role, choose Founder.

  3. Start “Launch on Hacker News”

    Press + in your Dock, open Playbooks, and press Start. River asks whether it’s a Show HN or a Launch HN, and suggests the day.

A few things to know.

Show HN or Launch HN?

Launch HN is for YC companies, once each, on a day HN’s team sets, and River fills in the request form, stopping before Submit. Everyone else posts a Show HN.

What if people can’t try it without signing up?

River flags it before you post, since HN reads an email-only waitlist as too early, and lists what to fix on the first card.

What does it cost?

It uses your plan’s AI credit, like everything else in River. It posts from your own Hacker News account.

View pricing

More for founders.

All founder playbooks

Try it on your own work.

Download River, choose Founder, and press Start on “Launch on Hacker News”.

Download RiverSee every playbook