Reach developers on Hacker News
CatchIntent finds developers asking for recommendations, discussing tools, and expressing frustrations on Hacker News. Get alerts when your ideal buyers are actively looking for solutions.
Why Hacker News matters for dev tools
Hacker News is where developers discover tools, ask for recommendations, and share honest opinions. Ask HN threads are pure buying intent - developers explicitly asking for tool suggestions.
Complete HN coverage
We capture discussions from across Hacker News - Ask HN, Show HN, and all relevant threads.
AI-powered intent detection
Our AI identifies developers actively seeking solutions, not just casual mentions.
Ask HN priority
Ask HN threads are pure buying intent — developers explicitly asking for recommendations.
Multiple signal types
Tool discovery, alternatives, comparisons, pain points, pricing discussions, and more.
Developer-dense audience
Unlike broader platforms, HN is primarily developers, CTOs, and technical founders. If you sell to technical teams, your buyers are here.
Show HN tracking
Monitor competitor launches and new products in your space. Track community reactions and feedback.
Intent signals we detect on Hacker News
HN has distinct signal patterns, especially around Ask HN threads and technical discussions. Here's what we capture.
Explicit questions to the HN community seeking tool recommendations. Highest-intent signals on the platform.
"Ask HN: What's the best error monitoring service for a Node.js app? Looking for something simpler than Sentry."
Developers discussing their workflows and asking what others use. Great opportunities to share your solution.
"What tools is everyone using for API documentation these days? Our current setup is getting outdated."
Developers exploring alternatives to existing products, often due to pricing, complexity, or missing features.
"Looking for a self-hosted alternative to Notion. Any recommendations for team wikis?"
Developers comparing options and seeking community input before making technical decisions.
"PostgreSQL vs MySQL in 2024: Which should you choose for a new SaaS project?"
Developers expressing frustrations — often the catalyst for exploring new solutions.
"Is it just me or has GitHub Copilot gotten worse recently? Considering alternatives."
Community feedback on newly launched products. Reveals what resonates with developers.
"Show HN: I built a lightweight alternative to Notion for developers. Here's why..."
What you get with HN monitoring
CatchIntent finds developer buying signals across Hacker News and delivers only the conversations worth your time.
Complete coverage
Ask HN threads, Show HN launches, and all relevant discussions - we capture buying signals wherever they appear.
Beyond keyword matching
Our AI understands when developers are actively looking for solutions, not just mentioning tools.
Multiple signal types
Tool discovery, alternatives, comparisons, pain points, pricing discussions, and more.
Relevance scoring
Each signal is scored for relevance to your business. Focus on the best opportunities first.
Your keywords, our discovery
Define what's relevant to your business. We find the conversations that match.
Instant alerts
Get notified via email, Slack, Discord, Telegram, or webhooks when signals match your listeners.
Who gets the most value from HN monitoring
Hacker News is particularly valuable for companies targeting developers and technical audiences.
Developer Tools
IDEs, CLIs, libraries, and developer productivity tools - HN is where developers discover and discuss these.
DevOps & Infrastructure
CI/CD, monitoring, cloud infrastructure - technical teams discuss and compare these tools on HN.
Open Source Projects
New open source projects often launch on HN. Monitor discussions and contributor interest.
B2B SaaS
Technical SaaS products get honest feedback on HN. Monitor for feature requests and positioning insights.
AI & ML Companies
AI discussions are extremely active on HN. Track sentiment, use cases, and competitive positioning.
Startups
Startup founders are core HN users. Find early adopters and gather product feedback.
How teams use Hacker News monitoring
From finding first users to tracking industry trends, here's how companies leverage HN signals.
Developer lead generation
Find developers actively seeking tools like yours. Engage in Ask HN threads with genuine helpfulness.
Competitor tracking
Monitor when competitors launch or get discussed. Learn from community feedback and reactions.
Product feedback
See what developers say about your product category. Capture feature requests and pain points.
Launch monitoring
Track your own Show HN launches and community reception. Respond to questions and concerns quickly.
Content strategy
Discover what technical topics resonate. Create content that addresses real developer questions.
Market research
Understand developer preferences, tool adoption patterns, and technical trends.
Simple pricing,
no surprises
Pay for high-quality signals, not keyword noise. All plans include monitoring across all supported platforms.
Free Trial
$07-day free trial included with every plan. Try CatchIntent risk-free.
Basic
For solo founders testing the waters.
Pro
PopularFor teams ready to scale outreach.
Enterprise
For teams who need the best signals & full control.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is Hacker News different from Reddit for monitoring?
HN has a concentrated tech audience - mostly developers, founders, and tech professionals. Reddit has broader reach but more varied audience quality. For dev tools and technical B2B products, HN often has higher-quality signals.
Do you capture Ask HN threads?
Yes. Ask HN threads are a priority - these are developers explicitly asking for tool recommendations. Pure buying intent.
What areas of HN do you cover?
We capture buying signals from across Hacker News - Ask HN threads, Show HN launches, and all relevant discussions.
How do I engage effectively on Hacker News?
Be genuinely helpful. HN users value substantive, technical responses. Self-promotion is poorly received, but sharing expertise and answering questions authentically builds credibility.
How many signals can I expect from HN?
HN has lower volume than Reddit but higher signal quality for technical products. Most dev tools see relevant signals weekly, often with strong buying intent from qualified technical buyers.
Do you monitor HN comments?
Yes, we capture both stories and comments. The best signals often come from comment threads where developers share specific requirements.
Have more questions? Browse all FAQs or talk to the founder .