The premise is interesting, but there are some things that I dislike on the surface.
1. I don't want AI matching, I don't want AI anything.
2. Rep/skills based on Github contents? Firstly isn't that a form of the gatekeeping you called out as a problem? Secondly, most of the code I have ever written lives in proprietary repositories. Because I was paid to write it.
3. How does this not become another mess where there are two camps. The people shouting advertisements into the void and the people shouting "I need a job" into the same void?
Hindol007 · 5h ago
This is a little demo altho we are still left to execute one more but you can get the idea of it do check!
https://campfire-ihog.onrender.com/
Hindol007 · 8h ago
Really appreciate this feedback: AI — totally optional, it’s just a GitHub-based recommendation system, not a black-box.
You’re also totally right about private repos. We’re thinking of adding self-declared skill tags so devs who build behind the scenes aren’t excluded.
And your last point? Super valid. We’re working on light friction + curation to prevent the “job-seeker spam” effect.
Would love your take on what would make it actually useful for someone like you.
Hindol007 · 22h ago
Hi HN,
I got tired of how awkward it is to connect with like-minded devs online. LinkedIn feels too corporate, Discord is chaotic, and most platforms aren’t focused on helping people who just want to build together.
So I built *Campfire* — a lightweight tool where developers can:
- Sync their GitHub profile
- Search for collaborators by stack or language
- Optionally match with devs via a basic AI matcher
- Skip resumes and “networking” in favor of shared projects
It’s still early (no monetization, no onboarding friction), but it’s live and working.
Would love your feedback — especially critical thoughts about direction, incentives, or how it could actually support real collaboration.
Just a design point. I get the camp fire thing, but the pulsating background gets old and distracting quickly. Maybe fade to static after a few seconds.
Hindol007 · 5h ago
This is a little demo altho we are still left to execute one more but you can get the idea of it do check!
https://campfire-ihog.onrender.com/
Hindol007 · 8h ago
Great point, thank you! Totally agree the animation was meant to give it vibe, but I’ve now added a fade-out after a few seconds to reduce distraction.
Appreciate the nudge these small details matter.
BTW do you have any advice regarding this, like what do you think of the idea I'm just validating it rn! before actually coding everything out
1. I don't want AI matching, I don't want AI anything.
2. Rep/skills based on Github contents? Firstly isn't that a form of the gatekeeping you called out as a problem? Secondly, most of the code I have ever written lives in proprietary repositories. Because I was paid to write it.
3. How does this not become another mess where there are two camps. The people shouting advertisements into the void and the people shouting "I need a job" into the same void?
You’re also totally right about private repos. We’re thinking of adding self-declared skill tags so devs who build behind the scenes aren’t excluded.
And your last point? Super valid. We’re working on light friction + curation to prevent the “job-seeker spam” effect.
Would love your take on what would make it actually useful for someone like you.
I got tired of how awkward it is to connect with like-minded devs online. LinkedIn feels too corporate, Discord is chaotic, and most platforms aren’t focused on helping people who just want to build together.
So I built *Campfire* — a lightweight tool where developers can:
- Sync their GitHub profile - Search for collaborators by stack or language - Optionally match with devs via a basic AI matcher - Skip resumes and “networking” in favor of shared projects
It’s still early (no monetization, no onboarding friction), but it’s live and working.
Would love your feedback — especially critical thoughts about direction, incentives, or how it could actually support real collaboration.
Here's the link if you're curious: https://campfire-8c27.onrender.com
Appreciate the nudge these small details matter. BTW do you have any advice regarding this, like what do you think of the idea I'm just validating it rn! before actually coding everything out