SkillHQ — a paid marketplace for Claude Code SKILL.md packages with one-command CLI install and built-in anti-piracy

Hi IH 👋

I've been building SkillHQ (skillhq.dev) — a paid marketplace for Claude Code SKILL.md packages and Custom GPT configurations, with a CLI installer and built-in anti-piracy.

The problem I kept seeing:

Developers were building genuinely useful Claude Code skills — SKILL.md packages that automate PR reviews, code generation workflows, testing pipelines — and putting them on GitHub for free.

Meanwhile, others were selling similar (often inferior) versions on Gumroad and reportedly earning $600–$20,000/month off-platform. The demand existed. The infrastructure didn't.

The gaps:

- GitHub: free distribution only, no monetization
- Gumroad: no CLI install, no piracy protection, not developer-native
- Free directories (AgentSkill.sh, Skills.sh, ClawHub): solid CLIs and even community audits — but zero creator monetization
- No existing platform combines CLI install + automated validation + piracy protection + creator payouts

What SkillHQ does:

- Buyers run skillhq install <name> — that's the entire purchase and install experience, drops directly into ~/.claude/skills/
- Sellers keep 85% of every sale, zero listing fees, zero upfront cost
- Anti-piracy: invisible fingerprinting on every install + SimHash paraphrase detection
- Automated validation before listing: structure, content, security checks

The interesting technical problem: you can't DRM a text file

SKILL.md packages are plain text. Traditional access control doesn't work — a buyer reads it, copies it, shares it in Discord, and you have no recourse.

So we went with detection and attribution instead:

Every skillhq install delivers a buyer-specific version with a unique invisible watermark — tied to that buyer's account. If a skill surfaces somewhere it shouldn't, we trace it back.

SimHash runs similarity checks on new listing submissions against the existing catalog, catching derivative theft (buy a skill, rewrite 30%, sell as original) before it goes live.

Not foolproof. But far better than crossing your fingers and hoping buyers don't share it.

Where we are:

Early. First sellers listing, waiting for first sales to happen. We're focused on finding skill creators right now — the supply side of the marketplace — before pushing hard on buyer acquisition.

Honest ask: What would make you list a skill here vs. staying on GitHub or Gumroad? What's the objection I'm not thinking about?

To list a skill: skillhq.dev/become-seller

General: skillhq.dev