🖍️ Chrome Extensions: ChatGPT, Pink Oceans, No-Code Tools

In this Trends.vc Report, we talk about how to build Chrome extensions with no-code, turning Chrome extensions into SaaS platforms, building Chrome extensions with ChatGPT and more.

💎 Why It Matters

Google Chrome has billions of users but each person has unique needs.

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🔍 Problem

Google Chrome tries to cater to everyone.

But each of us has unique needs.

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💡 Solution

Chrome extensions improve your browsing experience with custom features.

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🏁 Players

Chrome Extensions

• Wappalyzer • Helps to see what technologies websites use
• Grammarly • Check spelling and grammar mistakes
• Mailtrack • Track your email open rate
• Loom • Record your screen, video and audio
• Keywords Everywhere • Get keyword data with traffic, cost and volume estimates
• Honey • Find coupons on 30,000+ sites

Chrome Extension Makers

• Tony Dinh • Black Magic adds analytics and CRM features to X (Twitter)
• Ajay Goel • GMass automates cold email outreach
• Peter Coles • GoFullPage takes a screenshot of an entire web page
• Rick Blyth • Merch Wizard organizes Amazon Merch on Demand items
• Glen Allsopp • Detailed SEO Extension shares SEO insights into any website

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🔮 Predictions

• No-code tools will help anyone build, test and publish Chrome extensions.

• Charles lets you build Chrome extensions in Bubble.
• Bildr lets you build Chrome extensions without code.
• PixieBrix lets you use mods to build Chrome extensions for personal use.
• Extendo lets you design, develop and publish Chrome extensions without writing code.

• More Chrome extensions will turn into SaaS platforms. They will cover complex use cases with advanced features.

• Surfe was a Chrome extension for LinkedIn which turned into a full sales CRM.
• Loom was a Chrome extension that turned into a video recording and editing platform.
• Postman was a Chrome extension for testing APIs that turned into an API testing platform. Its Chrome extension is now deprecated.

• Freelancers will offer productized services for building Chrome extensions. They will offer a clear time scope, feature list and cost.

• Thomas will build a Chrome extension for up to €380.
• Dixyantar will build a Chrome extension for up to $9,516.
• Hasan Mahmud R. will build a Chrome extension for $1,200.
• Bilawal Umer will build a Chrome extension for your Amazon store for up to $400.

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☁️ Opportunities

• Use ChatGPT to build Chrome extensions. Save time writing and debugging code.

• Jake Browatzke built a Chrome extension that turns the highlighted text into pirate speech.
• Sashank Gondala built a Chrome extension that asks questions about the highlighted text.
• Ihor Stefurak built a Chrome extension in 10 hours and got $1,000 in pre-orders in 24 hours.
• Ann Stein built a Chrome extension that shows GIFs for the highlighted text using 1 prompt.
• Adriano Interaminense built a Chrome extension that tracks real-time events in the browser.

• Index into existing markets. Take competitor risk instead of market risk.

• Alex Chernikov built Mate for translating text which grew to $260,000 ARR.
• Ajay Goel built GMass for cold email outreach which grew to $1,500,000 ARR.
• Jói Sigurdsson built CrankWheel for screen sharing which grew to $580,000 ARR.
• Joel Griffith built Browserless for browsing automation which grew to $85,000 MRR.

• Niche down to lower competition. Serve customers with unique needs that nobody else is serving.

• OneTab turns many tabs into 1 tab.
• Closet Tools helps you automate listings on Poshmark.
• PrintFriendly turns web pages into a print-friendly format.
• FlowCrypt adds end-to-end encryption to emails in Gmail.
• Web Cursors lets you interact with other visitors on the same page.
• Helperbird improves the browsing experience for people with dyslexia.
• FantasyPros helps you get expert advice for your fantasy football team.
• Momentum adds to-do lists, weather, photos and quotes to browser tabs.
• AirReview helps hosts and investors to screen guests and see average income.
• Reddit Enhancement Suite improves the browsing experience for fans of the old Reddit design.

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🏔️ Risks

• Platform Risk • Manifest V3 changed the way content-filtering extensions work. All extensions using Manifest V2 had to migrate or get shut down.
• Copycats • Chrome extensions run locally. Anyone who has knowledge can crack and copy your code.
• Competitor Risk • Many Chrome extensions focus on the same job-to-be-done. Why should users pick your PDF converter over another one?

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🔑 Key Lessons

• Chrome extensions can boost your reach. Grammarly grew from 0 users in 2009 to 1,000,000 daily active users in 2015 when it launched Grammarly for Chrome. It grew to 7,000,000 daily active users in the next 2 years.
• Having badges can help you build trust and get more users. They prove that an extension follows Google’s best practices and was published by a verified developer.
• Chrome extensions are hard to debug. They rely on third-party websites that may or may not work properly.

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🔥 Hot Takes

• Chrome Web Store is a pink ocean. There are 137,000 extensions for 3,000,000,000 Chrome users. In contrast, there are 1,600,000 apps for 2,000,000,000 Apple users.
• Many Chrome extensions are SaaS apps. They offer features for a recurring price.
• You can succeed by offering alternatives to obsolete Chrome extensions. Tim Leland says you can find many extensions that have not been updated in years and have high user counts.

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😠 Haters

“I can’t provide enough value with a Chrome extension. The problem I’m trying to solve is too complex.”
Chrome extensions often excel at doing simple actions. If you have a complex workflow, you can build a full SaaS platform with a Chrome extension being a nice-to-have.

“You underestimate how hard it is to build complex Chrome extensions.”
While you can build a simple extension in 1 day, a complex one may take months to build. Taplio’s new extension for LinkedIn outreach took months to develop.

“I can obfuscate my code so that nobody can steal my Chrome extension.”
This goes against Chrome Web Store policies.

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🔗 Links

1. Building a Report on How to Grow and Monetize Chrome Extensions • The tweet behind this report.
2. Chrome Extension that Steals Everything • Building a malicious Chrome extension.
3. Build It and They Will Come • How app stores help you get organic traffic.

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📁 Related Reports

• Ecosystems • Extend platforms with useful tools and services
• Freemium • Lower your customer acquisition costs with a free version of your product
• Competitor Risk • Index into an existing market instead of trying to create one
• No-Code • Build products faster, cheaper and better without writing code
• AI Agents • Gain limitless productivity with AI that makes decisions on your behalf

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