No, it's wrong to make this the goal in and of itself. The purpose, according to the guidelines, is to post something that is intellectually stimulating to ones

No, it's wrong to make this the goal in and of itself. The purpose, according to the guidelines, is to post something that is intellectually stimulating to oneself. If it makes it on the front-page, then this is an indication that others share the same perception. This is perhaps a fine distinction. One more thing, your suggestion encourages groupthink and is something that I have been observing on HN since I've signed up.