That would bring a lot of badly targeted traffic. Sure, maybe better targeted than from a general interest site, but if your startup is targeting a specific pro

That would bring a lot of badly targeted traffic. Sure, maybe better targeted than from a general interest site, but if your startup is targeting a specific profession, HN traffic is a drive-by, not exposure. Targeting is as valuable as raw traffic numbers, hence why Google is rich beyond the dreams of mortal men.