This is a totally skippable part of the onboarding. Sorry if this is off putting. I had just really enjoyed this part of other apps like Substack where I can see when people I know join and follow them. Totally understand if this is something you want to skip or don't find it appealing.
HN is an unrepresentative crowd. Don't focus too much on what people here hate/want, unless it's your target market. Very successful businesses have famously not found approval here.