Tech publishing has long been a battlefield where independence clashes with sustainability. Advertisers pull strings, platforms shift policies, and creators struggle to be heard. HackerNoon, a platform led by its founder, David Smooke, has quietly carved a niche that redefines the rules.
In 2019, Smooke made a risky call. He moved HackerNoon off Medium, a platform synonymous with easy publishing but tight control. With Medium behind them, HackerNoon built its own publishing system. Smooke saw potential where others saw roadblocks. “It was more interesting to build the software ourselves,” he says. The decision allowed the outlet to chart its own course, free from restrictions that had begun to chafe. The platform aimed to address a growing void: the space between quick-hit blog posts and inaccessible academic papers. “Between the blog post and the research paper is where we’re going to see a lot more content on HackerNoon,” Smooke notes.
In 2022, the platform leaned on AI to scale its operations without sacrificing focus. Imagine sorting 100,000 stories manually, each needing careful categorization. Impossible, right? HackerNoon’s AI did it. “AI categorized 100,000 stories into 22 categories, a task that would’ve taken humans weeks,” Smooke explains. By using AI, HackerNoon opens doors to niche audiences. Readers interested in data science don’t want to wade through cryptocurrency posts, and AI ensures they don’t have to. “How do you distribute it? How do you get content to 12 data science sites across these social networks?” Smooke asks. The answer lies in precision, not breadth.
HackerNoon thrives on community. Contributors range from coders to startup founders, each vetted by a team of editors. Quality matters. “If it’s coherent, and you’re an authority on something, we want to work with you more,” Smooke says. The platform isn’t a free-for-all. It’s a curated space where expertise rises to the top. Smooke knows the stakes. “We’re simultaneously building and serving writers, readers, advertisers, editors, and admins,” he says. Each group has demands, and satisfying them isn’t easy. But HackerNoon has managed to keep the balance, offering value without losing its edge, fixing a broken system by refusing to play by its rules
The result? A platform that feels less like a business and more like a movement: one story, one reader, and one writer at a time.
Greg Grzesiak is an Entrepreneur-In-Residence and Columnist at Grit Daily. As CEO of Grzesiak Growth LLC, Greg dedicates his time to helping CEOs influencers and entrepreneurs make the appearances that will grow their following in their reach globally. Over the years he has built strong partnerships with high profile educators and influencers in Youtube and traditional finance space. Greg is a University of Florida graduate with years of experience in marketing and journalism.
