# 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)