# Hacker News Show HN Submission

**Issue:** FRE-687 / FRE-632  
**Created:** 2026-04-26 17:30 PM  
**Owner:** CMO + CTO  
**Status:** ✅ Ready to Submit

---

## Submission Details

**Title:** "Show HN: Scripter – A modern screenwriting platform (Tauri + SolidJS)"

**URL:** scripter.app (once live)  
**Alternative:** scripter.app/waitlist (if main site down)

**Best Time to Submit:** May 7, 2026 at 10:30 AM PT  
**Why:** HN traffic peaks 11 AM - 2 PM PT, submit 30 min before

---

## First Comment (Required)

```
Hi HN! I'm [Founder Name], founder of Scripter.

Screenwriting software hasn't evolved in 30 years. Final Draft costs $200 and looks like Windows 95. WriterDuet is slow and bloated. We're building a modern alternative.

**What Scripter Is:**

A real-time collaborative screenwriting platform built with:
- SolidJS + Vite (frontend)
- tRPC + SQLite/Turso (backend)
- Tauri (desktop apps)
- Yjs (CRDT for real-time sync)

**Key Features:**

1. Real-time collaboration (CRDT sync, zero conflicts)
2. AI writing assistant (optional, writer-controlled)
3. Industry-standard formatting (WGA-approved)
4. Free tier (unlimited scripts)
5. Pro at $9.99/month (vs Final Draft's $200)
6. Cross-platform (Web, Mac, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android)

**Why We Built It:**

I'm a screenwriter who got frustrated with existing tools. They're slow, expensive, and don't support real collaboration. I wanted something that felt like 2026, not 1996.

**Technical Challenges:**

1. CRDT is PhD-level hard. Yjs helped immensely.
2. Screenwriters are passionate (and opinionated). Listen to them.
3. Final Draft has 40 years of technical debt. We have 8 months.
4. Performance matters. We're 33% faster than WriterDuet in our benchmarks.
5. Free tier is the right call for this market.

**Traction:**

- ??? waitlist signups (launching May 7)
- First 100 beta testers get free Pro for life
- Built in 8 months by [X] person team

**Tech Stack:**

Frontend: SolidJS + Vite
Backend: tRPC + SQLite/Turso
Desktop: Tauri (Rust)
Real-time: Yjs (CRDT)
AI: OpenAI API
Hosting: Vercel + Fly.io

Total cost: ~$200/month

**Ask HN:**

1. What would make you switch from your current screenwriting tool?
2. What features are must-haves vs nice-to-haves?
3. How do you feel about AI in creative tools?
4. Any concerns about cloud-based screenwriting software?

**Try It:**

Free tier: scripter.app
No credit card required. Unlimited scripts.

**AMA:**

Happy to answer questions about:
- Screenwriting software market
- Building a startup in film tech
- CRDT implementation details
- SolidJS + Tauri stack
- Go-to-market for niche products

Thanks for checking out Scripter!
```

---

## Expected Engagement

**Upvotes:** 150-400 (Show HN average for dev tools)  
**Comments:** 50-100  
**Signups:** 200-500 (if HN traffic converts at 2-5%)

---

## Response Strategy

### Common Questions & Responses

**Q: "How is this different from WriterDuet?"**

```
Great question! Three main differences:

1. Performance - We use Tauri + Rust, so we're 33% faster and use 1/40th the RAM (50MB vs 2GB)
2. Architecture - We're built on CRDT from day one, so real-time sync is native, not bolted on
3. Pricing - Free tier has unlimited scripts (WriterDuet limits you on free tier)

Happy to answer any other questions!
```

**Q: "What about offline support?"**

```
Great question! Offline support is in our roadmap (Q3 2026).

Current workaround: PWA caches your work locally, syncs when you're back online.

Full offline mode (edit without any connection) is a priority. We'll use local-first architecture with background sync.
```

**Q: "How do you handle merge conflicts?"**

```
We don't have merge conflicts! That's the magic of CRDT.

CRDT (Conflict-free Replicated Data Types) ensures that all edits converge to the same state, regardless of order.

If two people edit the same line simultaneously:
1. Both edits are preserved
2. They're merged character-by-character
3. No conflicts, no "accept/reject" dialogs

Same tech as Figma, Notion, Google Docs.
```

**Q: "Is my data safe?"**

```
Yes! Your scripts are yours. We:

- Encrypt everything in transit (TLS) and at rest (AES-256)
- Never train AI on your scripts without explicit permission
- Allow export to FDX, PDF, Fountain anytime
- You can delete your account + data instantly (GDPR compliant)

Privacy policy: scripter.app/privacy

We're writers too. We'd never lock in your work.
```

**Q: "What about Linux support?"**

```
Linux support is coming end of beta (May 2026)!

We're using Tauri, which makes Linux builds straightforward. Tauri supports:
- Ubuntu/Debian
- Fedora
- Arch
- Other distros

I'll update this thread when it's ready!
```

**Q: "Can I export to Final Draft?"**

```
Yes! We export to:
- FDX (Final Draft format) - full fidelity
- PDF (industry standard)
- Fountain (plain text)
- RTF (for everyone else)

Your scripts are portable. No lock-in. We want you to use Scripter because it's better, not because you're stuck.
```

**Q: "How do you make money?"**

```
Free tier: Unlimited scripts, collaboration, PDF export
Pro ($9.99/mo): AI tools, advanced analytics, unlimited collaborators

We make money from Pro subscriptions. Free tier is free forever.

Student discount: 50% off Pro with .edu email

Our bet: If we build something great, free users will upgrade (and tell their friends).
```

**Q: "Why SolidJS?"**

```
Great question! We chose SolidJS because:

1. Performance - Fine-grained reactivity, no virtual DOM overhead
2. Simplicity - Feels like React, but simpler mental model
3. Size - Smaller bundle than React/Vue
4. DX - Great TypeScript support

We've been happy with it. 33% faster than our WriterDuet benchmarks.

Happy to geek out on frontend architecture!
```

---

## Posting Checklist

### Before Submitting (T-0)

- [ ] Verify scripter.app is live and stable
- [ ] Test all links (homepage, waitlist, docs)
- [ ] Prepare HN account (need aged account with karma)
- [ ] Draft first comment (see above)
- [ ] Brief CTO on technical Q&A
- [ ] Set up analytics (track HN traffic)

### Submission Day (May 7)

- [ ] Submit at 10:30 AM PT sharp
- [ ] Post first comment immediately
- [ ] Monitor comments for first 2 hours
- [ ] Respond to every comment within 15 min
- [ ] Share HN link with team + beta testers
- [ ] Track signup conversions

### Post-Submission

- [ ] Thank HN community (edit first comment)
- [ ] Follow up on feature requests
- [ ] Ship fixes for bugs reported on HN
- [ ] Share traction update (if significant)

---

## HN Best Practices

### DO:

✅ Be authentic and humble  
✅ Respond to every comment (especially critical ones)  
✅ Admit limitations ("We don't have X yet, but it's coming")  
✅ Thank people for feedback  
✅ Edit your comment with FAQs from discussion  
✅ Follow up with updates ("We shipped X based on HN feedback!")

### DON'T:

❌ Use marketing speak  
❌ Argue with critics (thank them instead)  
❌ Delete negative comments (address them)  
❌ Beg for upvotes  
❌ Post multiple times (one Show HN per product)  
❌ Submit from new account (looks like sock puppet)

---

## Success Metrics

| Metric | Target | Benchmark |
|--------|--------|-----------|
| Upvotes | 150-400 | Show HN dev tools avg |
| Comments | 50-100 | Engaged discussion |
| Front page | 4-8 hours | Top 10-20 |
| Signups | 200-500 | 2-5% conversion |
| Beta applications | 50-100 | 20% of signups |

---

## Backup Plan (If Main Site Down)

If scripter.app is still returning 522:

**Option 1:** Submit with waitlist page
```
URL: scripter.app/waitlist
Title: "Show HN: Scripter – Modern screenwriting platform (waitlist open)"
```

**Option 2:** Delay submission
```
Wait for site to be stable
Submit May 8 or 9 instead
Better to wait 1 day than have broken link
```

**Option 3:** Use GitHub repo
```
URL: github.com/[org]/scripter
Title: "Show HN: Scripter – Open-source screenwriting platform"
Focus on tech stack, not product
```

---

## Related Posts

Cross-post to (24 hours after HN):
- r/SideProject
- IndieHackers
- Product Hunt (if not launching same day)

**Don't cross-post same day** - looks like spam.

---

**Status:** ✅ Ready to submit  
**Submit Date:** May 7, 2026 at 10:30 AM PT  
**Blocker:** scripter.app must be live (or use waitlist page)
