/open-source-marketing

open-source-marketing

Market OSS projects without being cringe.

What It Does

Guides you through marketing open source projects authentically. Covers GitHub optimization, community building, contributor experience, launch strategies, and sustainable growth.

When to Use

• Launching an open source project
• Growing an existing OSS project
• Improving contributor experience
• When you say "open source marketing," "promote my library," "grow stars," or "launch open source"

Quick Start

/open-source-marketing

I'm launching an open source React component library.
Target: React developers who need accessible UI components.
Goal: Get first 100 stars and 5 contributors.

The skill will:

1. Load your developer audience context
2. Optimize your GitHub presence
3. Plan your launch strategy
4. Build contributor experience
5. Create sustainable growth tactics

Key Frameworks

The Growth Equation

Growth = (Real value) x (Discoverability) x (First-use experience)

README Structure

1. One-line description
2. Badges (build, version, license)
3. Visual (GIF > Screenshot > Nothing)
4. Why this project? (3 benefits)
5. Quick start (<5 lines)
6. Installation, Usage, Docs, Contributing

Launch Day Timeline

Contributor Funnel

User → Star → Issue → PR → Regular Contributor → Maintainer

Files

Included Guidance

• README optimization checklist
• Issue/PR templates
• CONTRIBUTING.md template
• Launch playbook
• Sustainable growth tactics
• Burnout prevention

What Works vs. Doesn't

Tools

• Octolens — Monitor project mentions across platforms
• Star History — Track star growth
• npm-stat — Download statistics
• All Contributors — Recognize contributors

Related Skills

• developer-audience-context — Know your users
• community-building — Discord/Slack community
• developer-advocacy — Talks, podcasts