Initially, never. Then, when I started working on my previous project, I thought about it more and more, especially towards the end. However, the end result for me is always a maximum of two points, so when I published my last project here (just yesterday [0]), I set my expectations to zero and did it just for the sake of learning (without even thinking about HN).
The best option is probably to work on projects for yourself and then publish them here without overthinking or clinging to the outcome.
Another thing I learned while making memes during the golden era is that the Internet is a strange place. You never know what and why something goes viral, especially in the nerdy environment.
[0]: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=40535780