Ask HN: What are your interests outside tech? (Developer marketing research)

1 sneurgaonkar 3 9/8/2025, 9:06:55 AM
I'm working on a marketing strategy for a developer-focused product and want to understand the community beyond the usual stereotypes. Rather than relying on personas from surveys or AI, I'd love to hear directly from HN folks about your actual interests and preferences.

A few things I'm curious about:

* How do you spend your free time? Any hobbies, sports, or creative pursuits? * What content do you consume? (podcasts, YouTube channels, books, shows) * Do you have side projects outside of work? What motivates those? * How do you prefer to learn about new tools/products relevant to your work? * What marketing approaches actually resonate with you vs. what feels tone-deaf?

I realize the HN community is incredibly diverse, so I'm not looking for a single "developer type" but rather hoping to understand the breadth of interests and personalities.

If you're willing to share, what would you want companies targeting developers to know about effectively reaching people like you?

Thanks for any insights you're willing to share!

Comments (3)

eb0la · 9h ago
Comics Not just reading, but drawing them. For me nothing is better at inking than a Pentel Pocket brushpen. I do some lino engraving from time to time as well.
gidellav · 9h ago
Cycling, movies, music, DnD, tabletop games.
sneurgaonkar · 9h ago
Awesome. If I may ask a follow-up question - what type of movies and what genre of music?

Btw, I have just started learning DnD