In this episode, I am joined by Ras Mic, a full stack engineer & YouTuber, where we dive deep into the frameworks and strategies on how to build Chrome Extensions. . Learn how to start your Chrome Extension Factory!
Episode Timestamps:
0:00 Intro
00:59 Why build a Chrome Extension
10:58 Finding Chrome Extension Idea 1: Github Issue Mining
04:26 Finding Chrome Extension Ideas 2: AI-ify Top Chrome Extensions
06:58 Finding Chrome Extension Idea 3: Reverse Engineer Successful Chrome Extensions on Product Hunt
08:13 Finding Chrome Extension Idea 4: Reddit pain point tracking
09:01 Finding Chrome Extension Idea 5: Chrome Web Store Review Analysis
10:16 Finding Chrome Extension Idea6: API channel log monitoring
10:28 Finding Chrome Extension Idea 7: Youtube Tutorial Comment Scraping
10:44 Finding Chrome Extension Idea 8: Niche Subreddit Deep Dives
10:57 Finding Chrome Extension Idea 9: SaaS feature request mining
12:16 Building Chrome Extension
19:08 Debugging
24:30 Testing Chrome Extension
27:02 Publishing Chrome Extension
29:01 Enhancing the Extension’s User Interface
31:17 Testing the Extension on Various Websites
39:28 Conclusion and Next Steps for Viewers
1) Finding Chrome extension ideas:
• GitHub issue mining
• Chrome Web Store analysis
• Product Hunt research
• Reddit pain point tracking
• API changelog monitoring
Pro tip: Look for popular extensions you can "AI-ify"
2) Why Chrome extensions are a great starting point:
• Perfect for MVPs
• Can evolve into full SaaS products
• Doesn’t require large teams
• Huge developer tools market (Superbase raised $80M Series C!)
3) Building a Chrome extension with AI:
Micky walked us through creating a HTML/CSS scraper extension using Claude AI. Key steps:
• Prompt AI for code structure
• Create necessary files (manifest.json, popup.html, etc.)
• Load extension in developer mode
• Iteratively improve with AI prompts
4) Lessons learned:
• Some sites (like YouTube) block scraping due to security policies
• Images may not always render if hosted on separate CDNs
• AI can help optimize code and implement best practices
5) Publishing to Chrome Web Store:
• Create compelling icons
• Write a strong description
• Pay $5 registration fee
• Submit for review
Low barrier to entry = huge opportunity for aspiring founders!
6) Key takeaway:
START BUILDING!
• Make it your mission to become a Chrome extension factory. Create one every few weeks, even with a full-time job.
• The ROI from building to potentially monetizing is incredibly high for extensions.
7) Next steps:
• Pick an idea from the list in point #1
• Use AI tools like Claude or ChatGPT to help code
• Test and iterate
• Publish to Chrome Web Store
• Repeat and build your skills!
Want more free ideas? I collect the best ideas from the pod and give them to you for free in a database. Most of them cost $0 to start (my fav)
Get access: https://www.gregisenberg.com/30startupideas
Work with me and my team: LCA — world’s best product design firm to build apps, websites and brands people love. https://latecheckout.agency/
BoringAds — ads agency that will build you profitable ad campaigns http://boringads.com/
BoringMarketing — SEO agency and tools to get your organic customers http://boringmarketing.com/
Community Empire – a membership for builders who want to build cash-flowing businesses: http://communityempire.co/
FIND ME ON SOCIAL
X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/gregisenberg
Instagram: https://instagram.com/gregisenberg/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gisenberg/
FIND MIC ON SOCIAL
X/Twitter: https://x.com/rasmickyy
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@rasmic
