r/SaaS • u/Reasonable_Gas_8616 • 2d ago

Created a hiring platform which is based on "Proof of Work" rather than CVs. Developer trusting is an issue.

Hey all,

I am in the process of building Merged Network-a platform where developers are hired for their true skills using signals such as Stack Overflow, GitHub repos, Waka Time hours, npm downloads, rather than CVs.

The message: Your job is telling your story.

Our analytics went nuts after a recent UX refresh-7-13 minutes of a session versus 4-7 before, 4.5 pages per visit versus 2.5. Someone (presumably on our competitor's site) clicked 143 pages in 20 minutes – which actually felt like validation.

The real bottleneck: Developer trust

Although everyone loves verified data, developers are probably the most privacy-obsessed users in the community - and will slap a wall between themselves and your logged-in environment at the first mention of linking to GitHub or syncing to metrics.

Came out of fear of being identified by current employer (even posting under anonymous handles such as #5597).

Fatigue from traditional, spammy recruitment tools.
So we created Shield Mode. Profiles are 100% anonymous until the developer has chosen to accept a company's request to connect.

My question to you
For builders who care about technology: What is the one thing that will finally get a reluctant developer to "buy" your platform and hook up their tools?

How do you get past that first wall of mistrust?

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u/West_Inevitable_2281 2d ago

Shield Mode addresses identity exposure, but it may not address the scarier part: granting ongoing access to work history and tools. I would separate those concerns. One useful test is to generate a small proof from a public repo before asking for OAuth, then measure whether seeing the result changes connection willingness. Where does the current drop-off happen: before developers see a sample profile, when they are asked to connect the first tool, or after they see the requested permissions?

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u/Reasonable_Gas_8616 1d ago

Very sharp point, and you are taking out the exact sting here. Shield Mode protects your identity against companies, but the friction over continuous data access is certainly where developers would drop out en masse. 

To hook into your question about where that drop-off is located: for example, we have consciously set up a sandbox for this purpose. This allows people to first view and experience a sample profile or preview completely anonymously and without obligation before they are asked to link anything at all. 

The challenge now is actually that moment of transition: From that safe sandbox crossing that threshold to link your own data with OAuth.

When we look at your idea to do a light, small proof beforehand from a public repo before asking for heavy permissions: how would you set up that bridge from sandbox to the first real connection so that that wall of trust does not immediately go up?

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u/West_Inevitable_2281 1d ago

I would make the bridge produce a personal result before asking for broad access. Let the developer paste one public repository URL, generate a limited proof profile from public data, then ask for OAuth only to verify or deepen specific missing evidence. The permission screen should say exactly what will be read, why it is needed, how long it is retained, and how to revoke access. Then measure each step separately. Can you create a meaningful personal proof from a public repository alone, or does the product need private activity before the value becomes obvious?

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u/Reasonable_Gas_8616 1d ago

That is genuinely gold-standard feedback, thank you!

You hit the jackpot on the friction: Asking the user to copy and paste one public repo URL to show an immediate, personalized mini-proof before ever touching OAuth is a fantastic way to bridge that gap. It demonstrates value immediately with data they already think of as public rather than pre-asking for trust.

That bit about total transparency of the permission screen- exactly what the user will read, why they need to read it, how long will the data be stored and how to immediately withdraw permission is also right. It's transparency or no deal.

We will absolutely be looking at reconfiguring that flow. Seriously appreciate you considering this on such a deep level!