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I don't think of HN like a product meant to make money though, more like a big ad for YC

A big ad and recruiting board for the right demography.

> more like a big ad for YC

That is dumbing HN down a lot. This community is much more than that: hackers share cool articles, have vibrant discussions and the comments section is probably the least toxic of all comments sections. YC related posts are very popular and YC itself is promoted heavily, but the community is much more than just YC.

He doesn’t mean Hacker News promotes YC in the literal sense. He means Hacker News is a popular hub for developers which are a target audience of YC. By association, Hacker News as a property of YC helps YC stay in the minds of developers.

I think the point he's making is that its business purpose is advertising for YC. Come for the discussion, and if you happen to have an idea, YC is the first thing in your mind that pops into place when you think, "How can I get this off the ground?"

Hell, as a casual user and a corporate employee, YC is the only startup incubator that I know of.

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