>>> It depends entirely on what type of product or service you're offering. And the luck/chance involved :) basically, the votes a new link gets in first 30min

>>> It depends entirely on what type of product or service you're offering. And the luck/chance involved :) basically, the votes a new link gets in first 30mins largely decides whether it will make to front page or not. More specifically, the first upvote because then social proof kicks in (hey it must be good if someone liked it). So while posting to HN/Reddit might help to kick in, I would take it more as 'good if it hits, fine if it doesn't'.