hn-prospecting
Find high-intent leads on Hacker News via the free Algolia API — no API key needed. Score posts, surface Ask HN threads, and identify technical founders actively seeking tools.
Best use case
hn-prospecting is best used when you need a repeatable AI agent workflow instead of a one-off prompt.
Find high-intent leads on Hacker News via the free Algolia API — no API key needed. Score posts, surface Ask HN threads, and identify technical founders actively seeking tools.
Teams using hn-prospecting should expect a more consistent output, faster repeated execution, less prompt rewriting.
When to use this skill
- You want a reusable workflow that can be run more than once with consistent structure.
When not to use this skill
- You only need a quick one-off answer and do not need a reusable workflow.
- You cannot install or maintain the underlying files, dependencies, or repository context.
Installation
Claude Code / Cursor / Codex
Manual Installation
- Download SKILL.md from GitHub
- Place it in
.claude/skills/hn-prospecting/SKILL.mdinside your project - Restart your AI agent — it will auto-discover the skill
How hn-prospecting Compares
| Feature / Agent | hn-prospecting | Standard Approach |
|---|---|---|
| Platform Support | Not specified | Limited / Varies |
| Context Awareness | High | Baseline |
| Installation Complexity | Unknown | N/A |
Frequently Asked Questions
What does this skill do?
Find high-intent leads on Hacker News via the free Algolia API — no API key needed. Score posts, surface Ask HN threads, and identify technical founders actively seeking tools.
Where can I find the source code?
You can find the source code on GitHub using the link provided at the top of the page.
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SKILL.md Source
# Hacker News Prospecting Skill
Find warm leads in Hacker News threads — technical founders and buyers actively seeking tools. Uses the **free Algolia HN Search API** — no API key, no credentials, no rate limits worth worrying about.
## How It Works
The HN Algolia API (`hn.algolia.com`) provides full-text search over all HN content — stories, Ask HN threads, and comments — completely free with no auth. This skill searches for buying-intent posts and scores them by lead quality.
## Commands
Run with Node.js: `node {baseDir}/hn-prospecting.js <command> [args]`
- **search `<keyword>`** — Find high-intent HN posts mentioning your keyword
- **ask** — Find recent "Ask HN" threads (best for tool discovery opportunities)
- **front** — Get current front page stories (trending technical discussions)
- **score** — Score an HN post for lead quality
## Usage
```bash
node {baseDir}/hn-prospecting.js search "looking for AI agent tool"
node {baseDir}/hn-prospecting.js search "alternative to Zapier"
node {baseDir}/hn-prospecting.js ask "lead generation"
node {baseDir}/hn-prospecting.js front
node {baseDir}/hn-prospecting.js score --title "Ask HN: What do you use for outreach?" --points 45 --comments 32
```
## Environment Variables
None required. The HN Algolia API is fully public.
## Why HN?
HN readers are disproportionately technical founders, early adopters, and decision-makers — the exact ICP for most B2B SaaS tools. "Ask HN: What tools do you use for X?" threads are goldmines for qualified lead discovery.Related Skills
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