Brainstorms Issue #11

Brainstorms Issue #11

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Alright, let's dig into this week's Brainstorm! 

There aren’t any good no-code tools for Chrome extensions.

“As a non-programmer, I love all the no-code tools that are being developed. One area that I’m particularly interested in is Chrome extensions. Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to find any tools to help me build Chrome extensions without having to code them myself. I’d definitely pay money for a tool that helped with this.”

- Aspiring Chrome Extension Builder

The Opportunity

No-code is a way to build web & mobile apps without writing code. Instead of building software with lines of code, you drag & drop elements (buttons, form fields, etc.) to visually build your app.

The goal of no-code platforms is to shorten the gap between professional programmers and non-programmers and reduce the time needed to go from an idea to a fully working app.

Right now, there is a no-brainer opportunity for someone to create a no-code tool for browser extensions. There are people PUBLICLY BEGGING for this to exist on Twitter, Reddit, and Indie Hackers.  

Market Background & Opportunity Size

No-code

"The future of coding is no coding at all" - Chris Wanstrath, GitHub CEO

Over the last couple of years, we’ve witnessed a shift in how software is built. This shift is the “no-code” movement.

In 2020 alone, over $500M in VC money placed in the no-code section. Forbes is calling it “the most disruptive trend of 2021.” Whether you’re on the hype-train or not, it’s an interesting time to be building in this space.

Chrome Extensions

Browser extensions, or popularly referred to as Chrome extensions (nicely done Google Branding Team), are nothing new. They’ve been around since 1999.

Even though they’re over 20 years old, I had a difficult time pinning down key stats on the market. Here’s what I found:

• Today, there are an estimated 200,000 active Chrome extensions

• Roughly ⅓ internet users have installed a Chrome extension on their browser

• Chrome is the market leader in web browsers with roughly ~63% market share, followed by Safari with ~19%

One stat I couldn’t find is the number of new Chrome extensions created monthly or yearly. That stat will help determine the market size for this opportunity.

Pain Points

There are a few notable pain points when trying to develop Chrome extensions or any piece of software.

• Steep Learning Curve: If you want to build a Chrome extension, you’ll need to at least know the basics of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. This can be time-consuming to learn.

• Cost: If you choose to not learn development languages, you need to hire a developer to build the extension for you. For a Javascript developer, that’ll cost you about $60-80/hour.

• Development Time: Depending on the complexity, it could take weeks to months before a product is ready to be shipped with traditional coding.

• Inflexibility: The problem with traditional coding is that you can’t change functionality or features at the drop of a hat. This is especially true if you’re a beginner or working on someone else's schedule.

Current Competitors

• Extendo

  • Extendo appears to be a company that offers a no-code solution for building Chrome extensions. Unfortunately, their CTA takes you to a Typeform survey, not an actual product. It’s been a week since I filled out the form and haven’t heard anything. My best guess is that they are still developing the product.

• Extensionizr

  • Extensionizr is a tool that helps you build the foundation/file structure for your Chrome extension. While it doesn't appear to be a full end-to-end solution, it’ll get you part of the way there. You’ll still need to manually build the guts of the extension, though. Extensionizr is free and is open source.

• Pextension

  • Pextension is similar to Extendo - has the promise of a no-code solution for building chrome extensions, but no product yet. It looks like they are just building a waitlist. I’ve signed up, but haven’t heard anything in over a week.

Note: If you’re looking for inspiration, here are some popular no-code tools (these aren’t for Chrome extensions though): Bubble, Webflow, Ninox, and this list of 100+ no-code resources.

How to Execute

• Find Your Early Adopters: This seems to be a popular problem. In case you missed it above, I found this Reddit post + this Indie Hackers post + this Tweet looking for a solution. No one had one - that’s a good sign. I’d start by going after indie makers and startup founders.

• Build an MVP: Admittedly, I don’t know the best way to pull this off. I imagine if you use the open-source code from Extensionizr and combine it with Zapier or IFTTT, you could build a solid MVP quickly.

• Start Small: Using the posts linked above, you could easily find 10 early adopters who’d likely pay $30 to use your MVP. Get feedback on what works, what doesn’t, and iterate from there. Do this until you’ve got a product that solves the problem. Remeber, it doesn't need to be perfect.

• Ride The No-Code Wave: No-code has definitely become a movement. This means, there are hyper-passionate communities where super fans discuss all things no-code. I’d look at leveraging those communities or work with no-code industry leaders as a way to scale when you’re ready.

Challenges

• Niche Market: The market for Chrome extension makers is definitely smaller than the market for web app, mobile app, or website makers. There are only ~200,000 active Chrome extensions compared to the ~2.5M mobile applications or ~2B websites.

• Little Defenisiblity: There are some decent sized players in the no-code space already that would have a lot to gain by offering this solution. If you’re successful, nothing is stopping a company like Bubble or Bildr from creating/adding a no-code Chrome extension builder.

Thanks for reading - now get out there and build it! 

Catch ya next week, 

Keevin ✌