Like many online communities, HN has some productive and informed individuals, but it has a much larger peanut gallery of haters and naysayers. HN is a great place to get insights and inspiration sometimes, but nobody should stop, or not start, a project based on a fear of HN's reaction. Peanut galleries don't matter.

For the most part, generative people give constructive and positive feedback anyway. Unless you are doing somethig horrible, those people are supportive. That's been my experience at least.