If your product is Great, it doesn't need to be Good.
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Submission timeline
2007–2026One 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.
First comments on top threads
HN comment orderI'm not so sure that's what the focus of the iPad naysayers is. It's more "why do I want this?". Nobody questioned why everyone would want a tiny, pocketable device that held every song they would ever want. They questioned whether Apple's mp3 player would be the one people wanted (and, by the way, the first iPod was not, it took a few generations). Nobody questioned whether people would want a smartphone at all, they'd been popular for years, just…
> Pick three key attributes or features, get those things very, very right I think the trouble with this advice is, when you’re developing a product, isn’t not really clear which attributes are key. You have a hypothesis, but you could easily be wrong. Or perhaps this advice could be interpreted as: decide on your hypothesis, and go all in on it, and only it. If you’re right, it’ll turn out well (as discussed in the article) and if you’re…
Sublimely arrogant nonsense. I want good products. Am I in numerous company? Why would I care?
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.
- Breakout years
- 2
- Total points
- 470
- Total comments
- 128
100+ points or 50+ comments
reference only — not used in Hall rules or ranking
reference only — not used in Hall rules or ranking
Every submission
| Date | Title as submitted | By | Points | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010-02-09 | If your product is Great, it doesn't need to be Good.First breakout · Best thread | paul | 265 | 78 |
| 2015-01-29 | If your product is Great, it doesn't need to be Good [2010] | gokhan | 1 | 0 |
| 2015-02-02 | If your product is Great, it doesn't need to be Good | _pius | 2 | 0 |
| 2015-04-16 | If your product is great, it doesn't need to be good (2010) | gmays | 2 | 0 |
| 2018-03-31 | Paul Buchheit: If your product is Great, it doesn't need to be Good (2010) | wenbin | 2 | 0 |
| 2020-05-22 | If your product is great, it doesn't need to be good (2010)Latest 20+ point return | gmays | 191 | 49 |
| 2022-10-19 | If your product is Great, it doesn't need to be Good (2010) | swyx | 2 | 0 |
| 2024-01-02 | If your product is Great, it doesn't need to be Good | pinkmuffinere | 3 | 0 |
| 2024-11-27 | Paul Buchheit: If your product is Great, it doesn't need to be Good (2010) | ohong | 2 | 1 |