Code to Market

Cursor quietly racks up 8M+ views with dev content on Facebook, while everyone else is still stuck posting for Twitter clout. Meanwhile, teams are rapidly building internal AI tools, keeping systems of record but replacing everything else with CLIs, prompts, and lightweight apps. The real shift isn’t SaaS dying, it’s interfaces changing, and most companies are behind (so you still have plenty of time).

Executives overreacting publicly can backfire, especially when intent is misunderstood, while thoughtful follow-ups and apologies can actually strengthen perception. Replit’s polished launch shows that high production alone isn’t enough, and the real missed opportunity is in how companies “land” launches through follow-up distribution. Meanwhile, Cloudflare continues to dominate the narrative with aggressive platform moves, raising questions about control, positioning, and consistency across their ecosystem.

Which side benefitted more from Cloudflare’s “slop fork” of Next.js and the attention war with Vercel. Also, Raycast’s standout Glaze launch, Resend’s smart migration tooling, clever partner marketing plays that turn product moments into distribution, a bold live demo lesson from Laravel, and a deep dive into AI agents replacing operational work.

Episode 45 of Code to Market covers three very different marketing lessons from the dev world:• A bizarre launch from Taalas that broke some “best practices” on Twitter… and still pulled 4M views.• The HubSpot / OpenCode drama, where Dharmesh Shah forked an open-source project and the maintainers may have fumbled a massive partnership opportunity.• How companies should respond when infrastructure fails, from Clerk outages to the reality that “it’s always your fault” even when an upstream provider goes down.Sometimes great products win even with messy launches.Sometimes founders react instead of spotting the opportunity.We break down what actually matters.

Claude took a direct shot at OpenAI before the Super Bowl.OpenAI responded with an essay (weak!).We break down why the best marketing rattles competitors into reacting, what Claude got right with counter-positioning, why Sam’s response made it worse, and what B2B companies can learn from Salesforce x MrBeast.Plus: how to “surf the wave” when something like OpenClaw blows up without shipping a mediocre take.

A $260 DIY CMS sparked debate on Twitter last month. Hank and Gonto break down Lee Robinson’s (Cursor) post, Sanity’s response, and why both sides actually won from a marketing perspective. They dig into the gap between CMS theory and real-world practice, the rise of vibe coding, and why DevRel’s real job is expanding imagination. Then Hank brings backfield notes from AWS Re:Invent with a rapid-fire “worth it or not” game on booths, swag, and side events. Practical, opinionated, and very online.

Most sales & marketing people hate my email drafts.Because I'm not writing for them; I write for developers.I crafted & tested these drafts for the last decade specifically to get enterprise pipeline from developers in product signup funnels at Vercel, GitLab, Neo4j, & Laravel (plus several startups I've advised).And these emails beat every challenger's drafts for ten years! I believe they're strong enough to endure even if widely used, so I'm happy to share them (just ask).So here's ten minutes of me nerding out about some emails I've worked on for years, including when I first wrote them, the behavioral psychology and cognitive biases I play into, and why sales and marketing people usually dislike them (until they see the results).The drafts: https://ctm.fm/signup-emails

In Episode 40, we break down two big announcements this week and why one absolutely outperformed the other. Cloudflare’s Replicate acquisition vs. RunLayer’s launch and fundraise: clarity, positioning, what’s-in-it-for-me, and how a single quote-tweet can reshape a narrative.Then we dive into Kalshi and PolyMarket’s “news as growth” strategy and how devtools can copy it using zero-click content and product-aligned insights. Fast, tactical episode. Enjoy.Also Hank cut his hair

A startup spent half its preseed on a Nordic sauna office and turned it into pure rage bait. We break down why attention without a real product or halfway decent website is a waste, and how to time fundraise announcements so they actually help you. Then we get into technical SDRs and GTM engineers, how to source and comp them, and why the future of selling devtools looks a lot more like sales engineers than classic AEs. Plus, a quick invite-only peek at the Code to Market Summit at Snowbird.

From AI-generated badges to algorithm-killing YouTube settings, Vercel’s events were full of lessons. We talk about the rise of dual-event strategies, why practice still matters, and how conferences became brand design in motion.

Ramp nailed it. Clay made a polarizing play. Cluely is failing. Branding is the sum of your campaigns and positioning and critical to both getting the right attention and keeping it. From Ramp’s genius Office stunt to Clay’s risky joint-roller bit, it’s all about knowing your audience and going all in when the idea is right.

Framework turned one broke developer’s tweet into millions of impressions in a masterclass in generous marketing. From there, Hank and Gonto dive into why DevRel never really died, how influencer fatigue is pushing everything back in-house, and why AI companies are stuck launching everything twice.

A fast tour of “zags” that earn attention and still drive understanding. We break down PostHog’s playful desktop motif, PlanetScale’s crisp text-first launch page, why Tempo’s eye candy misses the mark, and a scrappy direct mail play from Browserbase. We close with hiring tactics to separate real operators from smooth talkers.

editors note: this was recorded a few weeks before rauchg's real drama with his Israel tweet... we might get to that (subscribe!)Hank and Gonto break down a week of developer-world drama, from DHH’s RailsWorld keynote and his “Merchants of Complexity” crusade to Vercel’s Twitter battles with Cloudflare and Levels.io. They unpack why DHH’s mix of authenticity, conviction, and controversy still works, and how Guillermo Rauch (aka Triangle Man) handled public attacks with precision and class.They also talk about what founders can learn from these fights: why picking public battles strategically builds attention, how to join trending topics without being toxic, and why attention—not content or outbound—is the new currency of marketing.Finally, Gonto shares how he gained 10% more followers (and a ratio from Elizabeth Holmes) by embracing the attention game, while Hank argues that thoughtful controversy is now table stakes for any devtool founder.

Why ignoring best practices works, and why launches only matter if the product sticks.Paul Klein IV, CEO of Browserbase, on growing with launch videos, planes over OpenAI, no dark mode, and red CTA buttons.

What does a second-time founder consider ESSENTIAL for taking his product to market and running his startup, Browserbase?

Cloudflare vs Perplexity heats up, and Browserbase gets pulled into the fight. We dig into Perplexity’s shaky defense, the counter-positioning angle they missed, and why people don’t fully trust either side. Browserbase came out looking sharp, not just inserting themselves but being directly named in Perplexity’s reply. Then we shift to the influencer playbook, from OpenAI’s GPT-5 launch strategy to dark social tactics, and wrap with why bragging about Gartner wins usually backfires.

This week, we break down Cloudflare’s public callout of Perplexity and why it’s a perfect PR move for their new bot-charging feature. Hank recaps Laracon, from selling more tickets than ever to turning a golf course into a sponsor-speaker free-for-all with documentary crews, Lambo stress toys, and collectible jackets & patches. We wrap with the bizarre Astronomer saga and how a Chris Martin ex turned it into viral gold.

We unpack the shift toward solopreneurs, prosumers, and "builder" personas, and what it means for onboarding, support, and product strategy.Then we break down Cluely, the Gen-Z startup with no clear product but a massive hype engine. Does marketing your marketing work? Should every startup build a hype team? And is Cluely the Fyre Festival of devtools?

Raycast got Sherlocked by Apple... or did they? We break down how they flipped the narrative from panic to power move with a killer mix of transparency, humor, and speed. Then we shift gears to talk about Accel’s video content strategy, including one about letting ScaleAI's founder live in a VC's basement. VCs are getting good at content and honestly who saw that coming?

You spent real money. The ad worked. They clicked. Now what?In this episode, we break down how Vercel, Claude, and Statsig handled their Acquired podcast sponsorships and what happened after the click. From custom landing pages to mismatched CTAs, we dissect what worked and what didn’t.Then we shift to launch videos. Cursor mailed it in. Sentry nailed the joke. And we explain why knowing the vibe of your product matters more than just production value.Share with someone running ads or making a launch video.

Two agent platforms launched within 24 hours (Retool Agents and Superblocks’s "Clark"), but only one nailed the launch & positioning. We break down why naming your AI sucks, what Superblocks did right with counterpositioning, and how Retool missed the messaging mark despite a solid(?) product. Plus, a rant on why launch videos are now table stakes and what you need to do beyond them to stand out.

We explore how Clerk nailed its self-service, multi-product strategy without chasing enterprise customers. Hank breaks down why great second products should eclipse your first, while Gonto highlights Clerk’s clever integration with Stripe and strategic funding. Plus, Bolt's "Unleash the Vibes" event sets the stage for their massive hackathon, and OpenAI’s leaked strategy reveals why Meta, not Google, is their biggest threat due to unmatched distribution.

In this episode Hank and Gonto dive into Hank's experience at React Miami, where online beefs turned surprisingly civil and a "Family Feud" parody stole the show. They also discuss Figma's head-scratching trademark battle over "DevMode," a move that ended up being less strategic genius, more meme fuel.

We share the wild projects, crazy constraints, and innovative pivots that turned panic into progress.

Every startup struggles with this—even the best founders and teams we’ve worked with. How do you actually hire great people, build trust, and scale without turning into a slow, bloated mess? In this episode, we share the hard-earned lessons that helped us grow high-performing teams at Auth0, Vercel, Laravel, and more.

Levels.io is turning vibe coding into a full-blown distribution engine—shipping fast, selling hats, running hackathons, and pulling others into his orbit. We break down what B2B founders can learn from his playbook, then dig into the Rippling vs. Deel spy scandal, Vercel’s drama with Cloudflare, and Supabase’s documentary on Bolt.new. It's founder mode, for better or worse.

This week, Hank's in the hot seat. Gonto grills him on Laravel’s latest launch - what was great, what wasn't, and what pissed him off.We cover:- Why bundling launches > launch weeks- The secret power of using other people’s audiences- Tips to improve marketing & pricing pages- How Gonto wishes Hank positioned harder against launch weeksOne of our most tactical episodes yet!

Raycast just launched AI Extensions, and we break down why their approach to marketing and UX is what Apple Intelligence should have been. Then crypto story time with Gonto as he talks about the biggest crypto hack in history—$1.4 billion stolen from Bybit—and why their response was a masterclass in crisis communication. We talk about speed, transparency, and how to turn disaster into brand strength. Plus, some thoughts on owned media, launch strategy, and the rise of B2B video marketing.

We discuss why sales enablement is more powerful than sales collateral and how to get them to stop relying on PDFs and case studies and instead focus on understanding the product and delivering answers in real time. We also discuss credit card gates on products. After gathering insights from DigitalOcean, MongoDB, and PlanetScale, we break down the trade-offs between frictionless sign-ups and filtering for serious users.

AI chatbots are driving more traffic than you think, and it’s happening fast. Hank and Gonto break down the latest data on AI-driven search, why it matters for businesses right now, and how companies should adapt. They also dive into a heated database debate between Neon, Planetscale, and Prisma, discussing how to handle trolls and bad benchmarks. Plus, a look at Laravel’s unconventional approach to conference pricing and a marketing experiment that had developers DMing their AWS bills.

In this episode ofCode to Market, Hank and Gonto break down thetrade-offs of fast follows—whyspeed gets you attention, but differentiation wins you customers. They explore the psychology of AI adoption (why the less people understand AI, the more they use it), and how devtool founders shouldsell the WOW first, then the HOW to drive real adoption.They also dive into the rise ofAgent Experience (AX)—whyAI agents will soon be your biggest users, how SEO is shifting away from Google rankings, and whyyour API matters more than your UI in an AI-driven world.

Most devtool founders and marketers focus too much on launches and not enough on vision. In this episode, we break down Andrew Chen’s take on viral launches—are they a waste of time or always worth it? Hank defends the power of going big, while Gonto argues for a more targeted approach. We also dive into the real reason technical founders struggle with storytelling, why Elon Musk’s never-ending vision keeps people engaged, and how to craft a marketing narrative that actually works.

Questions answered: What could Devin have done differently in their marketing? Are Devin's VC's stupid? How can you run small dinners/meetups? What's brilliant about Raycast's ad? (and what would we change?)

What makes a great early marketing or DevRel hire? In this episode, we break down why hunger for glory drives experimentation, why first hires should be generalists, and whether founders should test marketing channels before hiring. Plus, we discuss the different types of DevRel and analyze a great example of educational marketing from Resend. 🔹 When to hire your first DevRel 🔹 Charisma vs. content: What matters more? 🔹 Why experience can sometimes hold people back 🔹 A simple framework for building a DevRel team Let us know your thoughts in the comments!

Hank & Gonto share their work and personal themes for 2025.

In this episode, we discuss if attention and amplification is better than money now. We dive deep into organic and paid influencer marketing, and affiliate marketing.

In this episode we discuss frameworks on competitors, GitHub's "free" Copilot plan, and the bastardization of PLG

Developers make decisions with emotion, not just logic and rational thinking - you can use that! Also, Shopify's boring launch was a masterclass.

This week we discuss about 2 online fights: Supabase vs Levels & EDB vs PostgresWeekly, how to be creative with your booth and conference strategy, and how real "building in public" is.

We discuss Rippling crossing the line with their comparison page mischief, a simple hackathon by Vercel, and our thoughts on "Mega Launch Week"3:35 PM

We discuss a new term on the rise, "Service as Software", and what it means for marketers and knowledge workers. Admittedly less devtool-focused than normal - let's blame the election news cycle for that :P Service as Software: https://x.com/JayaGup10/status/1852148821389934921 Marcel: LinkedIn Twitter GrowthX

This episode discusses launches from GitHub Universe, Browserbase, Neon.tech Deploy, and Prisma Serverless Database. We also discuss PlanetScale's new website, Jina's new docs, and website's easter eggs

We discuss hits and misses from Next.js Conf 2024, plus how MotherDuck disguised a feature announcement in a post about design.

We discuss the biggest wastes of money for devtool startups, plus how to think about design partners vs contractual commitments. Bonus topic: another boring launch.

We discuss how we'd improve the messaging around a "boring" launch (like Deno's v2 launch), plus bad and confusing names of companies and products.

We discuss how launches like bolt.new do a good job of showing instead of telling and gettting users to a moment of "wow!" faster. Plus thoughts on whether debating people on Twitter has any persuasive power.

We discussed Theo dropping Vercel as a sponsor and some general thoughts on content creator sponsorships, and the beginning of Automatic vs WP Engine.