Personally, I don't really think there's anything wrong with a "x tips for y" title, but it does go against the submission guidelines for HN:
If the original title begins with a number or number + gratuitous adjective, we'd appreciate it if you'd crop it. E.g. translate "10 Ways To Do X" to "How To Do X," and "14 Amazing Ys" to "Ys." Exception: when the number is meaningful, e.g. "The 5 Platonic Solids."
I think the point of the guideline is to keep things fact-oriented here, and to keep the amount of sensationalism, hyperbole, and "link-baiting" on HN to a minimum.
I think the point of the guideline is to keep things fact-oriented here, and to keep the amount of sensationalism, hyperbole, and "link-baiting" on HN to a minimum.
I agree that we should respect the HN submission guidelines, but the OP seemed to be expressing approval that the original post wasn't titled as such. Additionally, I hardly think that numbering your main points counts as sensationalism or hyperbole. Maybe it's link-baiting in some cases, but I think that's a stretch.
Seriously, what is the problem with a list post? Yes, it's a hook. Why is that a problem?