Simplest explanation is "hyper"=above/beyond and "linear"=straight line. So the revenue should do better than a straight up-and-to-the-right line, i.e. curve u

Simplest explanation is "hyper"=above/beyond and "linear"=straight line. So the revenue should do better than a straight up-and-to-the-right line, i.e. curve up. He could have just said "exponential" except some HNers would pick nits about whether that was the only acceptable curve.