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Ask HN: How does Hacker News make money?

7 points by gorpo85 ↗ HN

14 comments

[ 3.2 ms ] story [ 53.3 ms ] thread
dave4420
It makes money for YC, by publicising YC, and allowing YC-funded startups to post job ads that don’t follow the same rules as other posts.
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greyKnight
Exactly what the FAQ says:

Y Combinator owns and funds HN. The HN team is editorially independent.

HN gives three features to YC: job ads (see above) and startup launches get placed on the front page, and YC founder names are displayed to other YC alumni in orange.

jgrahamc
It doesn't.
fuzzfactor
Maybe when the website itself doesn't actually have to make money, or even try, that could be one of the things that make it more worthwhile to visit.
gorpo85
but you have to stand on your own two feet somehow!
pvg
It operates without money. Every company accepted into YC contributes a family-sized container of maple syrup which is poured into a tank in which dang floats, absorbing nutrients, moderating and maintaining the site.
joshxyz
oh god the visual.
pvg
The red and white Cherenkov glow of canadons in maple syrup is quite beautiful.
wojciii
Ah .. folding space. The spice must flow.
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paulcole
It doesn’t need to make money.

It’s a marketing campaign that benefits (and is run by) Y Combinator.