As a happy subscriber to Unsplash since it first launched here, I'm glad that the team ignored the comments and kept making this.
>>> It's amazing how much the title submission can influence comments.
>>> Original title: "Hated expensive, crappy stock photos so I made this."
>>> Current title: "Free hi-resolution photos for your website. 10 new photos every 10 days"
So that explains a lot, and puts a good emphasis on how important is the title. These type of titles work out pretty well in other areas but it is a gray area here in HN. It also makes me appreciate the original title rule which we have here in HN.
I suspect a couple dozen paying customers made it really easy to ignore the negative comments from the peanut gallery. :)