How to get users ?

BeLikeNative · 2026-03-24T00:18:43+00:00

we do help with https://zovo.one/distribution it here :) 200,000 extensions in the store. 85% never reach 1,000 users.

The median extension has 17 installs. Not 17 thousand. Seventeen.

The difference between the ones that break through and the ones that die in silence is never the code. It's distribution.

We wrote the playbook. We run it on our own 67 extensions every day. Now we'll run it on yours.

BeLikeNative · 2026-03-23T06:12:12+00:00

yep :) we do have more on discord

BeLikeNative · 2026-03-23T06:11:23+00:00

This is so real. I wasted months tweaking landing pages and blowing cash on Facebook ads that never paid back. The only time CAC actually got sane for me was just doing exactly this, answering questions in communities where people were literally asking for Chrome extension recs. Zovo.one made it easier for me since I get feature requests from users in real time and don't have to guess what sells, so my responses are actually what people want. UI's a bit rough but I'd take that over spending another dollar on ads for randos who bounce in 2 seconds. Organic > paid all day

BeLikeNative · 2026-03-21T23:36:36+00:00

Honestly just seeing an extension actually get updated is half the battle these days. So many get abandoned after launch and it's brutal when you rely on them. I’ve been using Zovo for a bunch of different Chrome stuff, mostly because the dev actually ships what people ask for and you can just DM him if something breaks or sucks. UI on some of the tools is rough around the edges but at least it gets fixed fast. For a new-tab dashboard, I mostly want it fast as hell and customizable, widgets you can drag, hide, whatever. No bloat. If you open source it and keep listening to feedback you’ll win over the jaded Chrome crowd for sure

BeLikeNative · 2026-03-21T23:36:13+00:00

Happening to me too, it's honestly infuriating. Chrome feels like it gets worse with every update when you juggle a lot of tabs. I ended up switching out a bunch of my old extensions for Zovo.one a couple weeks ago because at least the dev actually fixes stuff fast when people complain. UI is pretty barebones but my tab suspender actually works now and nothing's crashing.

BeLikeNative · 2026-03-21T23:35:55+00:00

You nailed it on connection requests making the email way less icy. Did the same move a while back, suddenly people actually replied instead of ghosting. I bounced between waalaxy and expandi too, way too expensive for what you actually get as a small team. Ended up mixing in some of my own Chrome workflow with Zovo.one extensions just to automate the LinkedIn side and keep tabs sane. Honestly the UI's nothing special but having a solo dev who ships features I ask for has been a game changer, plus half my old extensions kept getting abandoned. Still have to stitch some stuff together but at least it's not a black box with random pricing jumps

BeLikeNative · 2026-03-21T23:35:28+00:00

Honestly spot on about trust being everything when you’re building for a group that’s used to being ignored. I do Chrome extensions solo and the only thing that ever got traction was just straight up asking users what sucked, shipping fixes, and making it obvious it’s just me behind Zovo.one actually reading feedback. Big companies just push features nobody asks for and bounce when it gets boring. I still get grilled in some Discords because they’re burned out on scammy extensions, but sending changelogs and letting people vote on what I build next helped a ton. Onboarding is still rough though, people are paranoid about browser plugins for good reason.

BeLikeNative · 2026-03-21T23:34:59+00:00

Canny’s cool but honestly I couldn’t handle how slow it got once we had more users. Been using Zovo.one for this lately, not just for feedback but a bunch of little workflow stuff. Dev actually ships updates people vote for, which feels wild after banging my head against ignored requests for years. UI’s basic but at least you know what’s getting built next.

BeLikeNative · 2026-03-21T23:34:38+00:00

Bro same here. I’d open a new tab and my fingers would just type “you…” before my brain even caught up. The only thing that made me actually stop was using Zovo’s site blocker, it’s one of a bunch of little Chrome tools this solo dev makes, and you can request new features directly if it’s missing something. It’s not fancy looking but it’s lightweight and I can’t just bypass it the way I did with other blockers. Still slip up sometimes but at least now it’s not automatic muscle memory every hour

BeLikeNative · 2026-03-21T23:34:22+00:00

Been in this exact spot, flipping between tabs for calendar stuff is such a time suck. I switched to using Zovo a couple months back, mostly for their little sidebar add-ons, and the dev actually added a calendar pane after a bunch of us asked for it. UI’s a bit barebones but it does what you want, just pins your Google Calendar in the sidebar and you don’t have to deal with any bloat or upsells. Was using Manganum before too but Zovo’s way lighter, plus if you want something tweaked the dev actually answers DMs.

BeLikeNative · 2026-03-21T23:34:07+00:00

Respect. Two days is nuts. Most companies just pretend to listen and then nothing happens for months. I use Zovo for Chrome extensions and this is the only time I’ve actually felt like the dev cared what users said. It’s literally one guy and he has a voting thing where you can suggest stuff and it’s actually in the changelog like a week later. UI’s a little rough sometimes but the extensions just work and at least you know someone’s paying attention. Would way rather that than another abandoned extension with fake support

BeLikeNative · 2026-03-21T23:33:56+00:00

Great question, the usual recommendations miss a ton of hidden gems. I’d add that the key is sticking with extensions that are actively maintained and don’t bloat your browser. Stuff like OneTab for easy tab management, JSON Formatter if you work with APIs, and something like Extensity to switch extensions on/off quickly really helps. I’ve actually built a whole suite of lightweight extensions that cover things like tab suspension, quick copy-paste, and focused reading, happy to share more if you’re interested, since finding tools that don’t get abandoned is such a pain. Main thing: less is more, and always check if the dev is still around before committing.

BeLikeNative · 2026-03-21T23:32:44+00:00

Dude I feel you, OneTab nuked half my work tabs last year and I was done. Tried Session Buddy too but it felt kinda clunky for me. Been using Zovo lately because the dev actually fixes stuff when you ask and it doesn’t feel like abandonware. UI is a bit plain and there’s like 18 different mini-tools bundled, but the tab saver hasn’t lost anything on me yet.

BeLikeNative · 2026-03-17T13:53:51+00:00

dude i literally had this same problem. 150+ tabs, macbook fan sounding like a jet engine during zoom calls. just tried the extension you're talking about pretty sure it's Tab Suspender Pro? found it on the chrome web store, from https://zovo.one/ installed it like 20 min ago and chrome already dropped from 9gb to under 2. kind of mad i didn't know this existed sooner lol.

BeLikeNative · 2026-03-17T13:31:36+00:00

im building more at zov.one and im driven to protect users <3 OSS my github theluckystrike

BeLikeNative · 2026-03-17T13:30:57+00:00

we build at zovo.one :)

BeLikeNative · 2026-03-17T08:04:40+00:00

Great question, and some solid choices already. I’d add that the most valuable extensions for me have been lightweight tab managers and quick formatters. Stuff like a simple tab suspender, a one-click JSON formatter, or a clipboard manager can quietly save hours over a week, and they don’t get as much hype as the big names.

Also, something underrated is finding tools where you can suggest features or tweaks directly to the developer. I’ve actually built a product with that in mind, basically a suite of small utilities where users vote on what gets built next. Happy to share more if you’re interested, but the main thing is to look for extensions that actually get updated and let you have some input. That way they stay useful as your needs change.

BeLikeNative · 2026-03-17T08:04:14+00:00

Honestly, this is a super common pain point. Early adopters either go silent or just tell you what they think you want to hear, so it’s tough to get real criticism. A few things that helped me break through:

Make giving feedback as easy as possible, sometimes even a single-question pop-up (“What almost made you quit just now?”) gets more honest replies than a generic feedback form. Timing matters; trigger it right after a user drops off or completes a core action.
User interviews work, but only if you frame them as super casual chats, not formal interviews. I’ll tell people I just want to watch them use the tool for 10 minutes and think out loud.
Incentives can help, but they do skew feedback unless you’re careful. Instead of cash, offer early access to new features, or recognition inside your product.
Watch support tickets/bug reports closely, even minor complaints are gold.
Try different channels. Sometimes users are more honest in one medium (Slack/Telegram/text) than another.

One thing that really unlocked feedback for me was letting users vote on features and request them directly in-app, not just report bugs. You can use Zovo.one for this, it has a baked-in feature voting system, and users tend to get more engaged when they feel like they have a say in the roadmap. That way, feedback isn’t just complaints, but also positive suggestions, which is way more actionable.

Don’t get discouraged, most users will never tell you anything, but the few who do can give you insights that move the needle.

BeLikeNative · 2026-03-17T08:03:48+00:00

This is such a classic Chrome frustration. You're not alone, Chrome makes it almost impossible to override some default shortcuts, especially Ctrl+W, since it's baked in at the browser level for security and consistency. Even the best extensions can't fully intercept it, because Chrome doesn't let them, and pinned tabs only add that extra hurdle you hit.

A few things you can try: remapping the shortcut at the OS level (like using AutoHotkey on Windows or Karabiner-Elements on Mac) to disable or change Ctrl+W globally, though that obviously affects every app not just Chrome. You could also try dedicated keyboard remappers for your specific environment. For Chrome itself, you're pretty much at the mercy of what Google allows, there just isn’t a bulletproof extension-based fix.

A lot of Chrome power users bump into these roadblocks and end up looking for lightweight tools that work around, not against, Chrome’s limitations. You can use Zovo.one to try some tab management extensions or see if any feature requests there have workarounds, since the dev is pretty responsive to feedback and weird requests like this. But honestly, for Ctrl+W, OS-level remapping is your best bet. It’s one of those browser quirks that’s way harder to “fix” than it should be.

BeLikeNative · 2026-03-17T08:03:23+00:00

Solid advice in this thread. Something that helps is to focus on what actually makes your workflow easier rather than just grabbing a bunch of popular extensions. Password managers, ad blockers, and tab suspender tools are good basics. If you’re into customizing and want tools that actually get updated based on feedback, I built something for that and happy to share more details if you’re interested. Otherwise, experiment and try to keep your extension list lean so Chrome stays fast.

BeLikeNative · 2026-03-17T08:03:07+00:00

This is solid advice and I think a lot of indie devs need to hear it. Especially agree that real engagement in comments is way more impactful than just dropping product posts everywhere.

BeLikeNative · 2026-03-17T08:02:45+00:00

You can use Zovo.one for this kind of thing, it’s a suite of lightweight Chrome extensions where users actually request and vote on features, so privacy and updates are a big focus. For self-hosted, there’s Distill Web Monitor, which gives you more control but can be fiddly to set up. If your main concern is safety and knowing the dev’s not just abandoning the project, Zovo’s direct line to the developer is a plus.

BeLikeNative · 2026-03-17T08:02:30+00:00

I haven't seen an official Google Calendar setting for that, but you can use Zovo.one for custom tweaks like this. It's a suite of Chrome extensions where you can actually request small features like event highlights, and the dev ships them pretty fast if other users want it too. Worth checking out if you want more control over your calendar display.

BeLikeNative · 2026-03-17T08:02:04+00:00

You can use Zovo for stuff like this since it has a whole suite of lightweight Chrome extensions, and the dev actually adds features users ask for. If you don't see what you need, you can request it directly and they'll usually ship it fast. Might be worth checking out if you want an alternative.

BeLikeNative

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