This question is semi-philosophical, but I recall my ex-classmate she had quite rich parents and really didn't need to work. As an only child, she had everything first (all technology, all pricy vacations, they even bought her own flat in 18 + car). Since she had a lot of money from her parents and a lot of free time, she only enjoyed life (some dr*gs and other stuff). As a person, she didn't look like someone who would appreciate money or time at all because it was "normal" to have everything from all above mentioned.

(And I don't want to sound bad, but I honestly don't know what skill she would have that she could use to make a living - the only thing she was really good at was being sassy, which, oddly enough, earned some people's respect.)

I graduated 4 years ago, and I had the opportunity to go on to a PhD, but I gave up on that option.

Instead, I chose the "real world".

Many public universities in my country offer free tuition, while in the US tuition is very high, and people take out student loans that take decades to pay off.

With AI, it seems to be everything possible:

Everybody is a builder, maker, marketer, founder, (vibe)coder/developer.

I noticed that Product Hunt discontinued the teaser / coming soon section this week, and I m curious if it did help you build genuine traction? 

My take (from hunting PH launches):

I remember many people getting demotivated after not being featured and leaving the platform.

In my opinion, that's not the best idea.

Our first Product Hunt launch didn t go well. We put something out there, pushed for votes, and hoped for the best. It didn t work.

For our relaunch, we took a completely different approach. Here s what changed:

• Engage, don t just post. We spent weeks commenting on other launches, supporting makers, and building trust. This time, people recognized us, not just the product.

• Conversations > upvotes. What made the difference were detailed comments and feedback. The algorithm rewards authentic engagement.

• Storytelling > specs. Instead of listing features, we shared why we built it and the problem it solved.

• Timing is everything. Launching at midnight PST gave us momentum when the U.S. audience woke up.

• Expectation reset. PH is less a sales channel, more a credibility engine. The real ROI shows up later, in awareness, trust, and partnerships.

What stood out the most: The community. The honest feedback, encouragement, and tough questions shaped our roadmap more than any internal discussion could.