Ask HN: How would you monetize HN?

I'd run some sort of startup incubator on the side that I'd be able to funnel HN's incredibly ambitious audience into.

They'd get their angel round sorted in exchange for say, a 10% cut of the business, and in exchange I'd be able to connect them to industry experts that few other investors would be able to offer.

I'd probably also do monthly threads to help those startups recruit others that read HN, maybe drop the occasional in-page ad for jobs.

I think YC is already monetized in an indirect way. Think about all the curious minds that roam HN and I am sure quite a few YC startups have founders that are on HN and took some inspiration from all the great things we discuss on HN. The value of YC in my opinion is the community that is built and even though you cannot directly calculate the monetary gains, I am sure it is worth millions of dollars.

1) Get people to use it alot

2) Get people to sign up to YC

3) Have YC take a 7-11% clip of their business

4) Have the business list and use the carry to fund operations.

Through recruiting postings separated in anther section. Also compensated advice section - post a question with a bounty and the best answers get to split it. Never ads. Always align revenue with the goals of your audience, so they do well when you do well. In HN’a case the value is talent feeding YC’a investment reach and equity holdings as a multiplier.

It's already monetized, quite effectively.

Merchandise.. (stickers, coffee mugs...)

Selling coupons to devs for money from merchants would be cool...

Blockchain.