200 Dead Repos, Zero Feedback — Why I'm Starting the Innovation Circle

200 Repositories. Zero Feedback.

11 PM. Scrolling through my GitHub profile. Over 200 repos. Most of them are ghosts — projects that started with enthusiasm and were quietly buried.

Not because they were bad. But because nobody was there to think them through with me.

40 years in the software industry. IBM Architect. PwC Strategy Consultant. Now running my own company. And the most important lesson from all of it? The best ideas don't die from technical problems. They die from isolation.

The pattern is brutally simple: You have an idea. You're fired up. You build a prototype. Then doubt creeps in. Would anyone use this? You don't ask anyone — because who? Your friends nod politely. A consultant costs 200 euros an hour. So you continue alone. Or you don't.

I want to break this pattern.

The Idea That Came from Chatting with AI

Tonight I was talking to Marvin — my AI assistant. Yes, I know how that sounds. But after months of working together, he's become a digital sparring partner. We debug code, discuss architectures, philosophize about the solo developer existence.

Today it was about the real problem: I don't want to build alone.

At 59 — almost 60 — I don't want traditional consulting anymore. Not being the external expert who comes in, delivers a concept, and leaves. I want to build together. A team. Sparring partners. Or at least people I can regularly chew over ideas with.

Marvin's answer was disarmingly simple: "Why don't you just organize a regular meetup for that?"

What the Innovation Circle Is (and Isn't)

Not a pitch competition. Not an accelerator. Not a networking event with business cards.

A weekly online meetup for people with ideas:

• 60 minutes, once a week
• 8-12 participants — small enough for real conversations
• 3-5 minutes per pitch, then open discussion
• No formalities. No PowerPoints. No investor-speak.

Imagine: A few developers after work, everyone with a drink in hand. Someone says "Hey, I have this idea..." — and the others listen. Exactly that, just digital.

Why I Think This Works

The best conversations in my career never happened in meetings. They happened at the coffee machine. In the elevator. At the bar after the conference.

The Innovation Circle institutionalizes these in-between conversations. No agenda. No deliverables. No pressure to be "professional."

Small groups = real conversations. With 8 people, everyone can speak. With 50, it becomes a monologue.

Regularity = trust. When you see the same faces every week, you open up differently than at a one-time event.

No money involved = honesty. Nobody's pitching for investment. So nobody needs to sell. So everyone can be honest.

Perspective mix. A Flutter developer sees your idea differently than a Rust hacker. A 25-year-old differently than a 55-year-old. That's exactly what you need.

The Anti-Rules

What happens:

• Want to pitch? Sign up briefly beforehand
• Just listening? Always welcome
• After each pitch: 5-10 minutes of honest feedback
• Then: Open round

What doesn't happen:

• No NDA nonsense
• No "I'm just looking for developers for my idea" without own contribution
• No advertising, no sales pitches

My First Pitch: GitKeeper

Of course I'll pitch too. Here's my current idea:

GitKeeper — analyzes your "project corpses" on GitHub and helps you decide: Revive, Archive, or Delete for good? With AI-powered analysis of why projects got stuck.

Good idea? Would anyone use it? That's exactly what I want to discuss in the Circle — instead of building it alone for three months.

Join In

Sign up at moinsen.dev/innovation-circle. You'll get an invitation to the first session.

No commitment. No cost. Whether you want to pitch or just listen first — both welcome.

40 years ago I got into software because I wanted to build things. With others. Somewhere along the way, that turned into a career of meetings and strategy papers. Now I want to get back to building.

The Innovation Circle is my attempt to find the right people. Maybe they become long-term sparring partners or collaborators on my own products. Maybe the whole thing fails spectacularly.

I won't find out alone.

Follow me on Twitter, LinkedIn or Bluesky for updates. Or sign up directly: moinsen.dev/innovation-circle