Komorebi

"A tiling window manager for Windows that sells individual commercial use licenses, targeting developers whose employers reimburse productivity tools."

A few months this year hit $500 from individual commercial use licenses; not consistent

lgug2z.com/software/komorebi

Maker: bsnnkv

A few months this year hit $500 from individual commercial use licenses; not consistent

Marketing Channels

Primary

Hacker News

Shared in HN threads reaching developer audience familiar with tiling window managers

Ongoing

Word of mouth among developers

Developers who use tiling WMs on Linux/Mac discover Komorebi when forced onto Windows at work

Growth Levers

Create an enterprise/team licensing tier for companies with multiple developers using Komorebi
Build a landing page specifically targeting corporate procurement and IT teams
Target Windows developer communities (Reddit, Discord) where tiling WM demand exists
Produce comparison content (Komorebi vs. FancyZones, PowerToys) for SEO
Offer a one-time personal license at a lower price point to capture individual buyers
Create onboarding content showing common workflows to reduce the learning curve

First Customer Strategy

The creator targets developers at large corporations who use employer reimbursement mechanisms to purchase commercial licenses. The strategy is described as 'end-user mediated wealth redistribution from large corporations,' meaning individual developers expense the license through their companies.

Pricing Insight

Commercial use license model (individual licenses, not per-seat enterprise). A commenter suggested they would buy at $20 one-time, but the creator's focus is on corporate reimbursement rather than individual consumer pricing. Personal/non-commercial use appears to be free.

New Market Opportunities

Corporate IT departments The licensing model explicitly targets corporate reimbursement, suggesting an untapped opportunity for direct enterprise sales
Developers forced onto Windows by employers Bookmarked for when forced by work into Microsoft operating systems, indicating reluctant Windows users as a clear segment

Key Takeaways

• Corporate reimbursement is a viable go-to-market channel for developer tools; employees will expense tools if the process is easy
• Open-source tools can monetize through commercial-use licensing without alienating the community
• Niche developer tools (tiling WMs for Windows) have small but loyal audiences willing to pay
• Inconsistent revenue suggests the need for either more marketing, higher pricing, or volume-based licensing
• Building for a platform where alternatives are scarce (tiling WMs on Windows) creates a natural monopoly in the niche

Sentiment Analysis

2 Pos / 1 Neu

Notable Quotes

"The experiment is end-user mediated wealth redistribution from large corporations by leveraging reimbursement mechanisms — bsnnkv"