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Comment by michaelbuckbee | Hacker News Reader

I don't think anyone (including the authors) would disagree that this is a very basic introduction to marketing for developers.

A point that's very separate from whether or not it has value.

There are still way too many developers who are making awesome products and then failing to get traction because they neglect the marketing basics. Something like this article that plainly lays out the basics is very helpful for setting a baseline.

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You're right, everyone figured out it was a very basic intro.

My point is it's so basic that it isn't useful.

> There are still way too many developers who are > making awesome products and then failing to get traction

Can you give some examples? My experience is that the "Build it and they will come" approach works surprisingly well.

It works if you can hit upon the sequence of events to get some viral attention. Hitting HN at the right time of day, or getting some other attention among your target users. That can be a matter of chance but usually requires at least some effort on your part.

Just creating a product and a website with no marketing whatsoever is unlikely to get the attention of anyone.

How do you find out / when is the right time of day to post to HN?

Google indeed can be your friend here.

One analysis I like is from 'minimaxir: http://minimaxir.com/2014/02/hacking-hacker-news/

There's also a Quora answer: https://www.quora.com/When-is-the-best-time-to-post-on-Hacke...

And wouldn't you know it, a submission on Hacker News itself for a post entitled "Best Time to Post? It’s Irrelevant": https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9426040

I'm sure there are others as well.

This has and hasn't worked for me in the past. The difference being that the successful project was something that people actually wanted. So much of the success hinges on finding the right product for the right niche. If you get that it will grow organically regardless of your marketing. Then the marketing is just a way to accelerate the growth.

In business school, marketing is defined as the 4Ps.

They include Product + Place.

So, finding the right product for the right niche is the key part of marketing strategy.

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