Only for non-hackers: How do you benefit from Hacker News?

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=110489

by rokhayakebe • 18 years ago

11 19 18 years ago

news.ycombinator.com

I have been using Hacker news since its launch. although i am not a coder i can say that i benefit from it tremendously. i get to stay up to date and i try to apply some of the lessons i have learned here to my email startup. the best lessons i have learned come from startups which launched here and asked for feedback. how are you (hackers not allowed) benefiting from HN? you can give one example if you like.

ballred2• 18 years ago

Finally something I'm qualified to comment on! Like you, I'm not a coder but I read Hacker News frequently. I have started 2 web-based businesses, so I like talking to coders and finding out what they're working on. It's a great source of inspiration for the next idea. I also have to admit that there's a part of me that wishes I would have learned to write code so that I could do more prototyping on my own. I have a lot of respect for a software programmer that designs an elegant solution to a problem that we've identified.

Kaizyn• 18 years ago

How do you start a web based business without knowing how to code yourself? Did you take on partners who knew how to code or did you hire someone to implement your business ideas?

immad• 18 years ago

Quite a few people do this. They find cofounders or raise money to recruit programmers or outsource programming all the way or till they can raise money

gnaritas• 18 years ago

Try not calling us coders, I don't know any programmer/developer who likes being called a coder.

cstejerean2• 18 years ago

Yes, I prefer "code ninja".

thorax• 18 years ago

I'm fine with being called a coder, but probably only because I'm not given much opportunity to do it these days.

euccastro• 18 years ago

FWIW I'm one that doesn't care either way.

ballred2• 18 years ago

Thanks for the correction, I'll remember that.

brlewis• 18 years ago

I don't mind being called a coder, but then I don't mind being called an information plumber either.

mainsequence• 18 years ago

I work in public television and like the thoughtful articles and threads on trends in media and meta-cognition (like the "how do you learn" thread). I don't code, but have have mad respect for the hackers.

kajecounterhack2• 18 years ago

Well...I'm a programmer, not a hacker. So do I count?

YC is how I get my tech news. Just YC, Slashdot and Engadget for me.

sonink• 18 years ago

i think everyone here assumes hackers means programmers..and also sometime those who build stuff often creatively..the word hacker i guess is much abused by the media to refer to whom most hackers call crackers

doubleplus• 18 years ago

I get references to lots of great blog posts, online tools, and news items that allow me to stay informed about important issues in the tech and programming worlds. This has saved me countless amounts of time, since I'm able to act as if I know what I'm talking about without ever having to put in any effort/thought of my own. Thanks Hacker News! :)

ALee• 18 years ago

I don't read any other tech news. This source is generally the stuff that matters.

It also lets me see what are the new trends to spot in the web industry.

Lastly, it teaches me how to think like a hacker, which gets me closer and closer to being useful at our early stage.

Harj• 18 years ago

if you're not a hacker, you have to at least understand technology and be able to hold your own in tech conversations. hacker news is the best resource to do that.

Only for non-hackers: How do you benefit from Hacker News?

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