Code to Market

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.

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.