There are times when I'd like to discuss things, seek support, and learn from what others are doing in a more casual setting. HN is great for learning but as a community for informal discussion, it seems just a tad heavyweight.
It sounds like I should just go ahead and start this entrepreneur forum that I'm envisioning.
However, I don't want to stay solo. I have been solo for two years. It's too much work and not as fun as a partnership.
Building a community is a long-term investment. It will give me a wider range of resources and opportunities.
Plus, I have often found that I become more creative, focused, and generally better at things when I interact with other people periodically, even with regular non-hacker-founders (alone time is important too of course). I imagine having a social circle of smart entrepreneurs will be exponentially more beneficial to each individual. Y-Combinator is so sought after because of that social aspect.
Great products are nice, but great friends are even better.