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