HN itself doesn't make any money, but it serves as a community that attracts people who apply for YC, and in turn generate returns (similar to the playground at

HN itself doesn't make any money, but it serves as a community that attracts people who apply for YC, and in turn generate returns (similar to the playground at a McDonalds). There are other startup accelerators that don't have a community like HN, and they miss out on this source of potential applicants.