It was a rhetorical question, basically. Almost nobody knows whether or not their commodity web host can stand up to an HN-like traffic surge until they actually get an HN-like traffic surge.
The alternative is to pay what might seem like a ton of money for something that they aren't going to need 364 days out of the year.
The alternative is to pay what might seem like a ton of money for something that they aren't going to need 364 days out of the year.