Devtools distribution: GitHub stars vs. Show HN vs. content

How to do it well: time the launch (Tuesday/Wednesday early US morning), have a working demo not a waitlist, respond in the comments thread for 8+ hours, and prepare for the "OP, this seems similar to X" comment — you'll get it every time.

Content marketing — the only one that produces sustained pipeline

What it signals: that you understand the problem better than alternative solutions.

What it does: every published piece compounds. A technical tutorial that ranks for a specific search query produces 50-200 visitors per month for years. Realistic conversion from technical content to free-tier sign-up: 1-3%. Free-tier to paid: 2-10% depending on product.

What works for devtools content:

• Deep technical comparisons (Tool X vs Tool Y, with a real benchmark). High-intent traffic; converts well.
• "How to X in Y" tutorials that solve a specific problem and naturally use your tool. These rank for the search and convert at 3-5x the rate of brand-led content.
• Engineering blog posts on hard problems you solved. Builds credibility; converts slower but produces enterprise inbound.
• Open-source guides where you're the author. "How we built X" with code, lessons, and your tool referenced in passing.

What doesn't work: generic listicles, "What is X?" content with no opinion, content shorter than 1,200 words, content optimised for keywords that don't have buying intent.

The realistic founder allocation

If you have 10 hours/week for distribution and a devtools product:

• 1-2 hours/week maintaining the GitHub repo (issues, PRs, README, releases).
• 1 hour/week in 2-3 relevant communities (HN reading, one Discord, one Slack), participating as an engineer first.
• 4-6 hours/week on content — one piece per 2-3 weeks at 1,500-3,000 words.
• Save Show HN / Product Hunt for milestones. Once a quarter at most. Each launch should accompany a real product step, not a quiet week.

The founders who try to do all three at high volume burn out and produce mediocre versions of each. Pick the one that compounds (content) and treat the others as supplementary.

What to do next

1. Audit the last 90 days: how much time on each channel, how many paying customers from each?
2. Reallocate to the highest-leverage channel for the next 90 days.
3. If you're <100 paying customers, the answer is almost always content. The other two are accelerators after you have a working content engine.