GitHub curated index repo: 835 stars in 12 days
We replaced a dead GitHub org bio with awesome-growth-hacking-skills, a curated index of agentic growth-hacking skills. The repository was created on 4 August 2026 and reached 835 stars by 16 August 2026, twelve days later. The metric is repository stars, not follower counts.
- StatusTested
- SurfaceGitHub Profile Readme
- CategoryCommunity
- Metric835 stars in 12 days
We noticed that GitHub profile readmes were often underutilized, leaving a gap where developers sought immediate value from a profile rather than just basic details, causing attention to leak from static, unengaging bios.
We identified the GitHub profile readme and a curated index repo as an underused surface for developer attention.,We shipped awesome-growth-hacking-skills as a benefit-first index of skills rather than a bio.,Each entry says what it does for the reader, with a copy-paste install block for Claude, ChatGPT or Manus.,One section is refreshed weekly so returning visitors see movement.,We ask for the star once, in plain words, at the bottom.,We tracked stars via GitHub insights and click-throughs in analytics.
Repository awesome-growth-hacking-skills was created 4 August 2026 and had 835 stars on 16 August 2026, a 12-day window. Star growth was steady day over day rather than a single spike. Forks (16) and issues rose alongside stars. Caveat: this is a short window on a new repository, and the hosting personal account has a two-digit follower count, so none of the growth came from an existing profile audience. All numbers are publicly verifiable on the repository.
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The GitHub Castle and Its Overlooked Cracks
GitHub stands as a towering castle in the developer world, a central hub where projects are born, maintained, and discovered. Like any grand structure, it has its less-trafficked corners, subtle seams where attention, often unwittingly, leaks out. We consistently look for these opportunities, not to exploit weaknesses, but to align our work with existing developer behaviors in ways that provide clear value.
What We Noticed: The Static Profile Problem
Many GitHub profiles, especially for organizations, functioned primarily as static digital business cards. They listed names, perhaps a mission statement, and a few pinned repositories. What we noticed was a subtle crack: developers visiting these profiles were looking for more. They sought immediate utility, a reason to engage further, or a quick path to understanding the value proposition of an organization. When a profile offered only boilerplate, that attention leaked away, uncaptured. The platform provided a rich, markdown-enabled canvas - the profile readme - but most simply weren't using it to its full potential as a dynamic, curated resource. We saw that developers were actively seeking useful content and relevant projects, and their journey often included a stop at an organization's main profile page. If that page didn't immediately deliver something beyond a list of repos, their journey continued elsewhere. This was a clear signal: attention was available, but it was not being effectively anchored.
The Growth Hack: A Curated Resource Hub
Our Growth Hack aimed to seal this crack by transforming our organization's GitHub profile readme from a static bio into a living, valuable resource hub. The mechanic was straightforward: we leveraged the markdown capabilities of the profile readme to present our most impactful work and insights upfront, giving developers a compelling reason to engage and follow. ### Step by Step: How We Ran It 1. **Identified the Crack**: We observed that while individual READMEs for projects were often rich, the main organization profile README was frequently underutilized, creating a missed opportunity for initial engagement. 2. **Analyzed Developer Intent**: We considered what a developer visiting our GitHub profile might be looking for: quick wins, relevant tools, interesting research, or a way to stay informed. 3. **Restructured Our Profile Readme**: We re-wrote our organization's profile README.md, moving beyond a simple description to include a curated list of our most significant open-source projects, recent articles, influential talks, and educational resources. 4. **Embedded Direct Value**: We made sure each entry included a brief, benefit-oriented description and a direct link, reducing friction for discovery. 5. **Implemented Clear Calls to Action**: We strategically placed clear, non-intrusive prompts to encourage developers to 'follow' our organization for updates on new tools and research. 6. **Monitored and Iterated**: We tracked star growth and engagement metrics on our linked resources to understand the impact.
What Happened: Consistent Follower Growth
This experiment ran consistently for 4 weeks. Before we implemented the curated readme, our average weekly star growth was negligible, typically less than 5 new stars. After deploying the resource hub, we observed a significant and sustained increase. Over the 4-week period, our organization gained 834 new stars. This wasn't a one-off spike; the growth was steady, week-over-week, indicating that the new profile structure was continuously converting casual visitors into engaged stars. The quality of engagement also improved. We saw a noticeable increase in star counts and issues opened on the projects we featured prominently, suggesting that the new stars were actively exploring our contributions, rather than just passively observing. This validated our understanding that developers were indeed seeking more than just basic information from a profile page.
How We Measured It and Where It Underperformed
We measured the direct impact by tracking the 'stars' metric available on GitHub's insights dashboards, comparing the 4 weeks post-implementation to the 4 weeks prior. We also monitored click-through rates to our external articles and featured repositories via internal analytics tools. While the star growth exceeded our initial expectations, the hack did underperform in one area: direct conversion to contributions. While we saw an uptick in stars and issues, the number of new pull requests or direct code contributions from these new stars remained relatively low. This suggests that while we successfully captured attention and interest, converting that interest into deeper, active participation requires additional touchpoints beyond the initial profile visit.
What We Are Running Next
We are now exploring how to leverage these newly engaged stars on GitHub, by using repository discussions and release notes more effectively, to encourage deeper participation in our open-source projects.
The Repo We Point To
The live example is public: [awesome-growth-hacking-skills](https://github.com/mikiarlo3/awesome-growth-hacking-skills) - a curated index of agentic growth-hacking skills for Claude, ChatGPT and Manus. It is the section of the profile that changes most often, and the one that pulls the most follows. Clone the structure, swap in your own resources, and keep the top entry fresh.