I think there are two separate, yet equally interesting arguments lurking in this. 1.) If Hacker News had zero users and someone submitted it to Hacker News, t

I think there are two separate, yet equally interesting arguments lurking in this. 1.) If Hacker News had zero users and someone submitted it to Hacker News, the feedback would be brutal. 2.) If Hacker News had its current user base and someone submitted it to Hacker News, they would be praised to such an extent they would likely get inbound requests from people interested in investing. Traction trumps design, certain designs help create traction, and certain kinds of traction defy design. It's fascinating how it all fits together.