Probably easier to think 'what's a thing to post that would be interesting to HN users' rather than 'what are the precise conditions for maximum posting frequency'. 'We're iterating very fast and have some new features' is usually not interesting enough to get around the 'about once a year for reposts in Show HN' standard.
Of course, you can, as you point out, post outside Show HN but the same applies - the promotional effect has to be a consequence of interestingness so if you focus on interestingness, you get both and everyone wins.
As an aside, where can one find all of the various rulesets? URL modification to tellhn.html or launchhn.html just resulted in 404's.
I wonder if there's a lack of discoverability of HN rules for lots of folks or if I'm just too dense to personally figure it out.
As I've never posted one of these topics myself, is there some process hijacking in place that will divert folks to the specific applicable rules when they preface their subject with specific keywords?
Yeah, sorry I wasn't super clear. I'm not a part of OP's company, nor any Y Combinator startup. I'm just an unimportant HN member and saw a target of opportunity to ask you about where some of these rules are defined.
Specifically I was wondering where the rules are for things like Tell HN, Ask HN, or Launch HN (which I think is reserved for Y Combinator companies right?).
However in reviewing the guidelines again which you've kindly pulled out of the footer for me, I'm now noticing I should explicitly not be asking you questions here and should instead be asking through the email address. My apologies.
Re Launch HNs - yes, that's for YC startups - here's a link to the instructions I send founders, in case it's of interest: https://news.ycombinator.com/yli.html.