Engaging with your community on platforms like Hacker News and Product Hunt is undervalued and can significantly benefit your startup's visibility.

Engaging directly with customers as a founder can create a strong impression and foster trust, making it easier to build relationships and gain feedback.

Great founders engage with future customers even before having a product, as this helps them understand user motivations and gather honest feedback.

Many successful founders funded by Y Combinator had little to no online presence in the early stages of their companies, and focusing too much on establishing thought leadership can distract from what truly matters: making your company work.

Building an audience before launching a product is crucial; it ensures that there are people ready to engage and provide feedback from the start.

When launching your product, consider using Hacker News as it's a community of developers who can provide valuable feedback.

Launching to strangers can provide valuable feedback; for example, DoorDash founders learned about delivery issues by talking to small business owners.

It's crucial for founders to engage directly with users and the market rather than relying on external opinions to gauge their startup's potential.

Y Combinator is a great starting point for companies looking to successfully launch, providing expertise and resources for incorporating and achieving product-market fit.