How to get 100 stars on GitHub, the hard way

I'm really into developer-first products - one's that target developers as customers and are built with developers in mind.

I had an idea to aggregate all the products I already know and new ones I find along the way, and then create an awesome list so others can use it as a reference guide.

My goal was to reach more than 100 stars, by providing value and without any dirty tricks.

If you are interested in developer first products, check it out: developer-first awesome list.

Here is the process I did to get there, which has improved over time.

1. Create enough value from the start
   You need to create a repo with value, be it a tool or a list. Just make sure that it will help people out, and that they can easily share it with friends by providing relevant sub-links inside the README (using #ids of headings).

2. Share it with relevant friends
   I got some stars from friends who liked the idea and gave me some suggestions. Use your network and don't do everything yourself. I also got some suggestions on wording and how to formalize the category list from a friend who has a knack for product marketing - something that I'm sure has helped others to understand the repo way faster.

3. Use a marketing channel
   I chose Twitter, because it's really easy to mention or tag relevant products that I've added, and also since Twitter is home to a large developer population. Once I started doing that, I got a consistent amount of stars per tweet (typically 1-5 stars from each Twitter post):

4. Use shared interests
   Try to figure out if your repo actually helps people out. This way, sharing and starring it is also in other people's interest.
   In my case, adding a product to the list is a win for the companies who build the products. Because they get free referral traffic, reaching out to them and “converting” them is an easy process, which results in a tweet or a star.

5. Leverage Github
   I forked the awesome list repo and created a PR to add my repo there, which is a great way to showcase myself to a bigger repo’s audience.
   Try to figure out if you can bring value to other repos or issues on other repos, which will help you get listed on those repos too - don’t forget this is great SEO-wise too.

6. Be consistent
   People look at the last time the repo was updated, so keep adding real value.
   Continue to use your marketing channel, and growth will follow.

I know 100 stars isn't a lot, and all the work I outlined may seem like a hard process to follow, but for me, it was a real win. Starting with zero stars and growing it all by myself feels great!
I'll update y'all when I reach 1000 ;)

Comment or hit me up on Twitter for any question.