324 lines
8.1 KiB
Markdown
324 lines
8.1 KiB
Markdown
# Hacker News Show HN Submission
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**Issue:** FRE-687 / FRE-632
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**Created:** 2026-04-26 17:30 PM
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**Owner:** CMO + CTO
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**Status:** ✅ Ready to Submit
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---
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## Submission Details
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**Title:** "Show HN: Scripter – A modern screenwriting platform (Tauri + SolidJS)"
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**URL:** scripter.app (once live)
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**Alternative:** scripter.app/waitlist (if main site down)
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**Best Time to Submit:** May 7, 2026 at 10:30 AM PT
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**Why:** HN traffic peaks 11 AM - 2 PM PT, submit 30 min before
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---
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## First Comment (Required)
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```
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Hi HN! I'm [Founder Name], founder of Scripter.
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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.
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**What Scripter Is:**
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A real-time collaborative screenwriting platform built with:
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- SolidJS + Vite (frontend)
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- tRPC + SQLite/Turso (backend)
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- Tauri (desktop apps)
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- Yjs (CRDT for real-time sync)
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**Key Features:**
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1. Real-time collaboration (CRDT sync, zero conflicts)
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2. AI writing assistant (optional, writer-controlled)
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3. Industry-standard formatting (WGA-approved)
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4. Free tier (unlimited scripts)
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5. Pro at $9.99/month (vs Final Draft's $200)
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6. Cross-platform (Web, Mac, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android)
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**Why We Built It:**
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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.
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**Technical Challenges:**
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1. CRDT is PhD-level hard. Yjs helped immensely.
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2. Screenwriters are passionate (and opinionated). Listen to them.
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3. Final Draft has 40 years of technical debt. We have 8 months.
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4. Performance matters. We're 33% faster than WriterDuet in our benchmarks.
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5. Free tier is the right call for this market.
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**Traction:**
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- ??? waitlist signups (launching May 7)
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- First 100 beta testers get free Pro for life
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- Built in 8 months by [X] person team
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**Tech Stack:**
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Frontend: SolidJS + Vite
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Backend: tRPC + SQLite/Turso
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Desktop: Tauri (Rust)
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Real-time: Yjs (CRDT)
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AI: OpenAI API
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Hosting: Vercel + Fly.io
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Total cost: ~$200/month
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**Ask HN:**
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1. What would make you switch from your current screenwriting tool?
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2. What features are must-haves vs nice-to-haves?
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3. How do you feel about AI in creative tools?
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4. Any concerns about cloud-based screenwriting software?
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**Try It:**
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Free tier: scripter.app
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No credit card required. Unlimited scripts.
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**AMA:**
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Happy to answer questions about:
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- Screenwriting software market
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- Building a startup in film tech
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- CRDT implementation details
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- SolidJS + Tauri stack
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- Go-to-market for niche products
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Thanks for checking out Scripter!
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```
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---
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## Expected Engagement
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**Upvotes:** 150-400 (Show HN average for dev tools)
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**Comments:** 50-100
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**Signups:** 200-500 (if HN traffic converts at 2-5%)
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---
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## Response Strategy
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### Common Questions & Responses
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**Q: "How is this different from WriterDuet?"**
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```
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Great question! Three main differences:
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1. Performance - We use Tauri + Rust, so we're 33% faster and use 1/40th the RAM (50MB vs 2GB)
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2. Architecture - We're built on CRDT from day one, so real-time sync is native, not bolted on
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3. Pricing - Free tier has unlimited scripts (WriterDuet limits you on free tier)
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Happy to answer any other questions!
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```
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**Q: "What about offline support?"**
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Great question! Offline support is in our roadmap (Q3 2026).
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Current workaround: PWA caches your work locally, syncs when you're back online.
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Full offline mode (edit without any connection) is a priority. We'll use local-first architecture with background sync.
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```
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**Q: "How do you handle merge conflicts?"**
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We don't have merge conflicts! That's the magic of CRDT.
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CRDT (Conflict-free Replicated Data Types) ensures that all edits converge to the same state, regardless of order.
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If two people edit the same line simultaneously:
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1. Both edits are preserved
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2. They're merged character-by-character
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3. No conflicts, no "accept/reject" dialogs
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Same tech as Figma, Notion, Google Docs.
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```
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**Q: "Is my data safe?"**
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```
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Yes! Your scripts are yours. We:
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- Encrypt everything in transit (TLS) and at rest (AES-256)
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- Never train AI on your scripts without explicit permission
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- Allow export to FDX, PDF, Fountain anytime
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- You can delete your account + data instantly (GDPR compliant)
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Privacy policy: scripter.app/privacy
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We're writers too. We'd never lock in your work.
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```
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**Q: "What about Linux support?"**
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```
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Linux support is coming end of beta (May 2026)!
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We're using Tauri, which makes Linux builds straightforward. Tauri supports:
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- Ubuntu/Debian
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- Fedora
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- Arch
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- Other distros
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I'll update this thread when it's ready!
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```
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**Q: "Can I export to Final Draft?"**
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```
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Yes! We export to:
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- FDX (Final Draft format) - full fidelity
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- PDF (industry standard)
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- Fountain (plain text)
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- RTF (for everyone else)
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Your scripts are portable. No lock-in. We want you to use Scripter because it's better, not because you're stuck.
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```
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**Q: "How do you make money?"**
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```
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Free tier: Unlimited scripts, collaboration, PDF export
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Pro ($9.99/mo): AI tools, advanced analytics, unlimited collaborators
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We make money from Pro subscriptions. Free tier is free forever.
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Student discount: 50% off Pro with .edu email
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Our bet: If we build something great, free users will upgrade (and tell their friends).
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```
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**Q: "Why SolidJS?"**
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```
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Great question! We chose SolidJS because:
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1. Performance - Fine-grained reactivity, no virtual DOM overhead
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2. Simplicity - Feels like React, but simpler mental model
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3. Size - Smaller bundle than React/Vue
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4. DX - Great TypeScript support
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We've been happy with it. 33% faster than our WriterDuet benchmarks.
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Happy to geek out on frontend architecture!
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```
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---
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## Posting Checklist
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### Before Submitting (T-0)
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- [ ] Verify scripter.app is live and stable
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- [ ] Test all links (homepage, waitlist, docs)
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- [ ] Prepare HN account (need aged account with karma)
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- [ ] Draft first comment (see above)
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- [ ] Brief CTO on technical Q&A
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- [ ] Set up analytics (track HN traffic)
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### Submission Day (May 7)
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- [ ] Submit at 10:30 AM PT sharp
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- [ ] Post first comment immediately
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- [ ] Monitor comments for first 2 hours
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- [ ] Respond to every comment within 15 min
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- [ ] Share HN link with team + beta testers
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- [ ] Track signup conversions
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### Post-Submission
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- [ ] Thank HN community (edit first comment)
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- [ ] Follow up on feature requests
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- [ ] Ship fixes for bugs reported on HN
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- [ ] Share traction update (if significant)
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---
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## HN Best Practices
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### DO:
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✅ Be authentic and humble
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✅ Respond to every comment (especially critical ones)
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✅ Admit limitations ("We don't have X yet, but it's coming")
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✅ Thank people for feedback
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✅ Edit your comment with FAQs from discussion
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✅ Follow up with updates ("We shipped X based on HN feedback!")
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### DON'T:
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❌ Use marketing speak
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❌ Argue with critics (thank them instead)
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❌ Delete negative comments (address them)
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❌ Beg for upvotes
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❌ Post multiple times (one Show HN per product)
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❌ Submit from new account (looks like sock puppet)
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---
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## Success Metrics
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| Metric | Target | Benchmark |
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|--------|--------|-----------|
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| Upvotes | 150-400 | Show HN dev tools avg |
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| Comments | 50-100 | Engaged discussion |
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| Front page | 4-8 hours | Top 10-20 |
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| Signups | 200-500 | 2-5% conversion |
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| Beta applications | 50-100 | 20% of signups |
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---
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## Backup Plan (If Main Site Down)
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If scripter.app is still returning 522:
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**Option 1:** Submit with waitlist page
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```
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URL: scripter.app/waitlist
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Title: "Show HN: Scripter – Modern screenwriting platform (waitlist open)"
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```
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**Option 2:** Delay submission
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Wait for site to be stable
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Submit May 8 or 9 instead
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Better to wait 1 day than have broken link
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```
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**Option 3:** Use GitHub repo
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```
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URL: github.com/[org]/scripter
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Title: "Show HN: Scripter – Open-source screenwriting platform"
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Focus on tech stack, not product
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```
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---
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## Related Posts
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Cross-post to (24 hours after HN):
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- r/SideProject
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- IndieHackers
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- Product Hunt (if not launching same day)
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**Don't cross-post same day** - looks like spam.
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---
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**Status:** ✅ Ready to submit
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**Submit Date:** May 7, 2026 at 10:30 AM PT
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**Blocker:** scripter.app must be live (or use waitlist page)
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