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Lead discovery on Hacker News

Customer discovery on Hacker News, without tab-hopping

Founders and engineers compare tools in public on Hacker News. Needle searches HN in the same run as Reddit and Stack Overflow and ranks every story by buying intent - useful for launch prep and daily discovery alike.

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How it works

  1. Step 1

    Research before you Show HN

    Search how people describe your category, then shape your headline and first comment from their words.

  2. Step 2

    Watch Ask HN patterns

    “What do you use for…” and “how do you handle…” posts are high intent if you show up with specifics.

  3. Step 3

    Track mentions after launch

    Auto Search reruns your brand search on a schedule and alerts your team about new threads.

Why teams search Hacker News with Needle

Included on every plan.

  • Technical buyers

    Engineers and founders discuss real constraints - performance, pricing, lock-in - not marketing copy.

  • Competitor launches

    See how a competitor’s Show HN lands and what readers ask for that it lacks.

  • Earn trust with depth

    Specific, honest answers in the right thread build credibility with a hard-to-reach audience.

What a buying signal looks like on Hacker News

Illustrative examples of the posts Needle ranks highest. Every result gets an intent label so you know which threads to open first.

  • “Ask HN: What are you using for error monitoring now that our current tool tripled its price?”
    Example · Ask HNHot lead
  • “We self-host our analytics and the upkeep is killing us. Any managed options that respect privacy?”
    Example · HN threadWorth engaging

Frequently asked questions

Setup, limits, and every platform are covered in the docs.

What does Needle search on Hacker News?
Hacker News stories, including Show HN and Ask HN posts - titles and text - with links back to the discussion.
Which plan includes Hacker News?
Hacker News is included on every plan. Every plan runs the same query across all the communities it includes.
Can I promote my product on Hacker News?
Only with care. Disclose your affiliation and lead with a substantive answer to the question - HN readers flag thin promotion quickly.
Does Needle post or reply for me?
No. Needle finds and ranks threads and can draft a reply for you to edit. You decide whether to respond, and you post it from your own account.

Start finding leads on Hacker News today

Your next customers are posting on Hacker News right now. Needle finds them, scores their buying intent, and delivers them to your pipeline.

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