CodeApprove

"A faster, Critique-inspired code review interface for GitHub teams that surfaces what needs your attention with keyboard-driven workflows."
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codeapprove.com
Maker: habosa
no rev. info provided; described as not enough for full-time but enough to sustain interest over 3+ years)

Marketing Channels

Secondary

Hacker News

Posting in HN threads to reach developer audiences

Ongoing

Google/Xoogler community

UX inspired by Critique, resonating with Googlers and ex-Googlers who miss the tool

Growth Levers

  • Target ex-Googler communities and Slack groups where Critique nostalgia is strong
  • Create comparison content showing CodeApprove vs. native GitHub review workflow
  • Offer a generous free tier to drive team adoption (one person adopts, whole team benefits)
  • Build integrations with popular developer tools (Slack notifications, VS Code extension)
  • Leverage keyboard shortcut power-user content to attract productivity-focused developers
  • Publish blog posts on code review best practices to drive SEO traffic

First Customer Strategy

Targeted developers who know and love Google's internal Critique code review tool by building an external equivalent for GitHub. This appeals directly to ex-Googlers who miss that workflow and are frustrated with GitHub's native code review UX.

Pricing Insight

No specific pricing details mentioned. Revenue is enough to sustain a side project for 3+ years but not enough for a full-time income, suggesting either a low price point or limited customer base.

Key Takeaways

  • • Recreating beloved internal tools from large companies (Google's Critique) is a viable niche product strategy
  • • Developer tools can sustain a side project for years even without reaching full-time income levels
  • • Code review workflow improvements have a natural viral component — one team member adopting pulls in the whole team
  • • 3+ years of sustained development on a side project suggests strong product-market signal even at low revenue
  • • The ex-Googler/ex-FAANG community is a specific, reachable audience with known tool preferences

Sentiment Analysis

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