#1 Trending on GitHub: The Open Source Playbook by Daniel Farrell of Onlook
- S2E57
- 49:45
- August 12th 2025
What if you built a tool so powerful, it became the #1 repo on GitHub—twice?
That’s exactly what Daniel Farrell did with Onlook, an open-source AI-powered visual editor for code. From crashing Chrome extensions to crashing Hacker News, Daniel takes us through how he and his co-founder built momentum, community, and virality from nothing.
In this fast, founder-first conversation, we cover:
• How Onlook went from prototype to #1 GitHub repo
• Why Hacker News beat Product Hunt for traction
• The real benefits and tradeoffs of going open source
• How open source GTM can win enterprise customers
• What most people misunderstand about AI and design• Why taste, story, and community still matter more than code
📌 Watch now and subscribe for more smart, fast, founder-first interviews.
00:00 The Most Trending Repo in the World
00:16 Meet Daniel Farrell: Co-Founder of Onlook
00:59 The Vision Behind Onlook
01:57 Building the Prototype and Early Challenges
04:55 Finding the Perfect Co-Founder
11:57 The Open Source Journey
14:49 The Hacker News Effect
16:47 Global Impact and Community Building
19:40 The Importance of Open Source
24:31 Challenges of Maintaining a Community
25:00 Open Source Success Stories
25:21 The Super Base Playbook
26:33 Advantages of Open Source for Enterprises
33:42 Impact of AI on Design and Marketing Teams
42:25 Future Bets and Bold Predictions
48:00 Where to Find Onlook and Final Thoughts
Listen on the go:
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1u1JyRKH8JYFjhBkvTUOAP
Apple: https://apple.co/4cZ8RMm
My other YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@GJarrosson
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