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I understand this is SOP for startups - put up a form, start getting emails, start making money, then at some point down the road maybe actually offer a minimally viable product.

But a "Show HN" to me should definitely include more than this, I believe. The audience for these threads isn't potential customers but fellow programmers, hackers and entrepreneurs.

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Correct. Show HN is for something you've made that people can play with. Landing pages, email signups, and fundraisers aren't things people can play with, so we edit "Show HN" out in such cases.

For example, instead of an email signup, Show HN is for the thing you email people about once it's ready; instead of a fundraiser, Show HN is for what you build with the funds you raise; and so on.

Agreed. I haven't been tuned-in long enough to know, but have any companies tried landing pages (or similar) offering an "exclusive" first look at a product via a Show HN link?

I wonder what the community response to something like that might be. I know I'd personally appreciate a company taking the time to put it together, particularly if they tout the "hacking" aspects of the product or how it came about.

I can't remember if it was on HN or DN, but I have seen exclusive access to a site for readers recently.

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