Launch plan · Developer tools
Where to launch a developer tool
Developers judge a tool by trying it. The launch that works is the one with a public repository or live demo, clear docs, and a technical write-up, shared where engineers already talk.
What to have ready
- A public repository or live demo, with the docs, a quick start and the licence linked from the first screen.
- Packages published where developers install them, with two-factor authentication or trusted publishing turned on for npm and PyPI.
- A technical write-up of how the tool works and why you built it, to post in full on DEV or your own blog.
- A DevHunt date booked early: a free launch there waits about six months.
01
Before launch: make it easy to evaluate
A developer should be able to understand and run the tool in minutes.
DEV Community
Write the full tutorial on the platform; link-only posts are not allowed.
Free submission
PyPI
Free to publish, with 2FA required; a Trusted Publisher lets CI release without a token.
Free submission
02
Launch week: technical audiences
Share something people can try right away, then stay for the questions.
Hacker News (Show HN)
Must be something you made and people can try; landing pages and sign-up pages are off topic.
Free submissionStep-by-step guide
DevHunt
Voting needs a GitHub login; a free launch waits about six months, or $49 to pick your week.
Free + paid options, paid from $49 to skip the queueStep-by-step guide
Lobsters
Invitation only, and self-promotion should stay under a quarter of your activity.
Free submission
03
First month: writing and distribution
Turn the launch into posts and listings that keep being found.
Hashnode
Free blogging, with posts mirrored from GitHub and your own domain supported.
Free + paid options
Console
A free editorial pick by email; it does not do sponsored reviews and the main user must be a developer.
Free submission
Changelog News
Free to submit your own work after signing in; commercial products are pointed to sponsorship.
Free submission
04
Ongoing: where developers install tools
If the tool lives in an editor, its marketplace is a distribution channel in itself.
VS Code Marketplace
Free to publish; icons cannot be SVG and README images must use HTTPS.
Free submission
JetBrains Marketplace
Free to upload, with your own licence agreement and a 400 MB limit.
Free submission
GitHub Marketplace
Free listings for apps that integrate with GitHub beyond sign-in; paid plans need 100 installs.
Free submission
Raycast Store
Free, published by pull request; approved extensions appear in the Store automatically.
Free submission
Mistakes to avoid
- Posting a landing page to Show HN, where only things people can try are on topic.
- Link-only posts on DEV, which are not allowed. Write the full post on the platform.
- Treating Lobsters as a promotion channel: it is invitation only, and self-promotion should stay under a quarter of your activity.
How to tell if it worked
- Installs, downloads or stars per week, set against where the traffic before them came from.
- Issues and questions from new users, which show where the docs fall short.
The launch tracker keeps each channel's cost and results in your browser, and launch receipts shows what other founders got from the same channels.
More tips
- Link docs, a quick start and the licence from the first screen of the repository.
- Answer technical questions in the thread itself; that is where most evaluation happens.
Fees, queues and rules change. Every channel page shows when it was last checked and links to the site's own pages.
See every channel for developer toolsQuestions about launching developer tools
Where should I launch a developer tool first?
- Somewhere developers can try it straight away. Show HN is free and only takes things people can try. DevHunt voting needs a GitHub login, and a free launch there waits about six months. Have the repository, docs and quick start ready before either.
How far ahead should I book DevHunt?
- A free DevHunt launch waits about six months on average, so book it as soon as you know roughly when you will launch, or pay to pick your week.