How a Biweekly Repo Tracker Spotted 11 of GitHub's All-Time Top 100 Early

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Two developers frustrated by constantly missing breakout open-source projects started their own curated tracking list in early 2025, which they call Repository Radar. Over 37 issues, they monitored 239 repositories and logged GitHub metrics over time to identify rising projects before they went mainstream. Rather than focusing solely on raw star counts, they found that sustained growth in stars combined with ongoing development activity — regular releases, closed issues, and a growing contributor base — were stronger indicators of lasting relevance. Using these signals, their tracker featured 11 repositories that have since entered GitHub's all-time top 100, including OpenClaw, which they first covered at around 4,000 stars before it surpassed 380,000. The authors argue that the most valuable window for evaluating a project is early, when it is still small enough to assess thoroughly and its long-term significance remains an open question.

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