Building GoReleaser - from shell script to paid product

In this talk I share how the GoReleaser that you see today come to be, some lessons learned, and what's ahead.

Transcript

1. Building GoReleaser from shell script to paid product Carlos Becker - Codecon Summit 2025 1
2. $ whoami Carlos Alexandro Becker • @caarlos0 most places • works @charmbracelet • maintains @goreleaser • caarlos0.dev Carlos Becker - Codecon Summit 2025 2
3. Agenda 1. What is GoReleaser 2. The Lore 3. Lessons learned 4. The Future Carlos Becker - Codecon Summit 2025 3
4. GoReleaser • Release automa,on tool • Build, package, sign, publish, announce • Configurable through a .yaml file • Nudges you into doing the "right thing" • Supports Go, Rust, Zig, Python, and TypeScript • goreleaser.com Carlos Becker - Codecon Summit 2025 4
5. The Lore Carlos Becker - Codecon Summit 2025 5
6. 2015: Epoch • I was working on one of my Go projects • Created a release.sh • Didn't think anything of it • Same as thousands before Carlos Becker - Codecon Summit 2025 6
7. 2016: Rewrite in Go • I now have a dozen of Go projects • Moved that script into its own repository • Doing OSS during EOY holidays, needed more features • Rewrote it in Go • Shared it online, and people liked it! Carlos Becker - Codecon Summit 2025 7
8. 2017: Spreading the word • Kept adding features to it • Wife drew the mascot/logo • Using it in all my Go projects • Talking about it in local Meetups • >1k stars Carlos Becker - Codecon Summit 2025 8
9. 2018: Burning out • Created nFPM & OpenCollec3ve • >1k public repositories using it • More meetups & Gophercon Brazil • Refactored core to support mul3ple languages, eventually • >3k stars • Burnout Carlos Becker - Codecon Summit 2025 9
10. 2019 & 2020: Recovering and COVID • Recovering from burnout • Planning v1.0.0 • >5k stars Carlos Becker - Codecon Summit 2025 10
11. Carlos Becker - Codecon Summit 2025 11
12. 2021: We are SO back! • GoTime Podcast • Launched v1.0.0! ! • GitHub Sponsors • Proper release announcements • GoReleaser Pro • >9k stars Carlos Becker - Codecon Summit 2025 12
13. 2022: Full-)me open source • Working at Charm, doing OSS all day long • Split & Merge, --nightly, AUR • >10k stars Carlos Becker - Codecon Summit 2025 13
14. 2023: More professional • Proper release cadence • Ko, health check, upx, nix, Winget • >12k stars Carlos Becker - Codecon Summit 2025 14
15. 2024: At last, mul.ple languages • Launched v2.0.0 ! • Rust and Zig support! • DMG, MSI, macOS notary, App Bundles, and more • >14k stars • >100 pro customers Carlos Becker - Codecon Summit 2025 15
16. 2025: Moving forward • Bun, Deno, Poetry, and UV support • AI changelog, MCP server, NPM, Casks • Cup o' Go and Fallthrough Podcasts • Be?er support for desktop apps • ~200 customers, ~15k stars • Codecon Summit ! Carlos Becker - Codecon Summit 2025 16
17. Lessons learned Carlos Becker - Codecon Summit 2025 17
18. Boring so)ware • People want predictability instead of novelty when releasing their so3ware • Boring is predictable • Boring is good, actually Carlos Becker - Codecon Summit 2025 18
19. Distribu(on • Really hard, unless you are a tech influencer • Creator and crea3on get conflated • If you are a tech influencer, then you might have other problems Carlos Becker - Codecon Summit 2025 19
20. Naming things • "it releases Go binaries, its a Go Releaser" Carlos Becker - Codecon Summit 2025 20
21. Naming things • "it releases Go binaries, its a Go Releaser" • "gore leaser" • mix up with gorelease (without the r) • the Go prefix Carlos Becker - Codecon Summit 2025 21
22. Pricing • Harder than pricing physical products • Guess based on what you know and what you think it's worth • Enterprises usually expect overcharging (legal, forms, etc) Carlos Becker - Codecon Summit 2025 22
23. Licensing • MIT is probably too permissive • Changing later might feel like bait-and-switch • Consider changing it earlier rather than later Carlos Becker - Codecon Summit 2025 23
24. Flexibility, Simplicity, and finding balance • I love flexible so-ware • It leads to madness • I hate flexible so-ware • Scope creep, accidental complexity Carlos Becker - Codecon Summit 2025 24
25. Building products • Side projects: for fun and studying • Products: solving problems Carlos Becker - Codecon Summit 2025 25
26. The Future Carlos Becker - Codecon Summit 2025 26
27. The future • Support more languages and distribu3on channels • Improve docs, error messages, small feats, etc • tl;dr keep working on it Carlos Becker - Codecon Summit 2025 27
28. PS: I have s+ckers! Come chat and I'll give you some Carlos Becker - Codecon Summit 2025 28
29. Carlos Becker - Codecon Summit 2025 29
30. Links • caarlos0.dev • goreleaser.com • carlosbecker.com/posts/codecon-goreleaser • github.com/caarlos0/codecon-2025 Carlos Becker - Codecon Summit 2025 30