HN Hall of Fame Weekly email

Giving a shit as a service

allenpike.com Essays & writing Essays & articles Economics & business Candidate
Screenshot of allenpike.com captured 2026-07-20
Page preview · captured 2026-07-20

Submission timeline

2007–2026

One slot for every year since HN launched. Height is that year's peak points; orange marks a 100+ point or 50+ comment breakout. Select a bar to open its strongest thread.

Top comments

One of the interesting aspects of giving a shit is that it will lead sometimes to you doing things which are not in your short-term selfish narrowly-defined "best interest" but because you give a shit you'll do it anyway. Some of these lead to long-term value that is very significant but you can't know at the time. I was once asked by a client (bank) to take a call with one of _their_ clients (a pretty important hedge fund). I…

I always carry a two dollar bill and fifty-cent piece, for when (e.g.) an entry-level store-clerk does something which most-other-clerks wouldn't resolve, I can say to them "Thank you for giving. a . shit." As a blue-collar electrician (although retired), I want to hire anybody that seems to give even the tiniest shit. While working, it took me a decade to realize that "if you're the only person that 'gives a shit,' YOU'RE GONNA HAVE A BAD TIME."

The first top-level comment from each of the four biggest threads, in HN’s own order. Excerpts are shortened; open a comment for full context.

HN stats

Breakout years
2

100+ points or 50+ comments

Total points
1098

reference only — not used in Hall rules or ranking

Total comments
413

reference only — not used in Hall rules or ranking

Every submission

DateTitle as submittedByPointsComments
2022-07-12Giving a shit as a serviceFirst breakout · Best threadpimterry603152
2023-10-29Giving a Shit as a ServiceLatest 20+ point returndamir494261
2025-06-02Giving a Shit as a Servicelopespm10