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What a GitHub Scout Score tells you
A GitHub Scout Score turns starring behavior into a simple investing-signal read. Here is what it means, what it does not mean, and how to use it.
A GitHub Scout Score is a simple way to read what your starring behavior may say about your startup taste. It matters because taste signals become useful when they are grounded in public company outcomes rather than vague reputation. This page explains what the score means, what it does not mean, and how to use it.
Quick answer. A GitHub Scout Score is not a measure of whether you are a good engineer. It is a lightweight taste signal built from what you have starred and how that pattern overlaps with meaningful startup outcomes.
What the score measures. GitDealFlow maintains a curated panel of validated outcome events and checks whether your public GitHub stars landed before those outcomes became obvious. The score looks for pattern, not ego. It is a way of asking whether your attention has repeatedly landed near breakout companies early.
What the score does not measure. It does not measure intelligence, technical depth, investing skill in isolation, or guaranteed future performance. It is useful as feedback, not as identity.
Why this is useful. The value is not status. The value is feedback. It gives you one more way to think about where your attention has gone and whether your pattern lines up with meaningful startup signal.
How to get yours. Go to [/receipts](https://signals.gitdealflow.com/receipts), paste any public GitHub username, get a shareable card with your score, top early hits, and rank tier. The whole flow takes seconds, no login required.
Quote-ready takeaway
A GitHub Scout Score is not a measure of whether you are a good engineer. It is a lightweight taste signal built from what you have starred and how that pattern overlaps with meaningful startup outcomes. The earlier your stars lined up with breakout companies, the stronger the score.
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Frequently asked questions
Is the GitHub Scout Score free?
Yes. The scoring tool, the shareable card, and the SVG badge endpoint are all free in perpetuity. No login, no OAuth, no email gate.
How is the Scout Score different from the Scout Game?
The Scout Score is backward-looking — it grades your past starring history against already-validated outcomes. The Scout Game (at /predict) is forward-looking — you call which GitHub orgs will raise a Series A in the next six months and get auto-graded at the window. Different tools, same taste-calibration thesis.
Can I cheat the Scout Score by starring winners after the fact?
No. The system uses GitHub's recorded star timestamp and only counts stars dated *before* the validated outcome event. Backfilling stars today on a unicorn that raised in 2023 contributes zero to your score.
Why does it max at 100 with only 5 hits?
Because beyond 5 perfect early calls the diminishing-marginal-information principle kicks in. Anyone who can pick 5 winners pre-event is already top-percentile; we don't need 50 to confirm taste. The capped scale also keeps the OG card readable at a glance.
Can I run the Scout Score on a teammate or partner's GitHub?
Yes — any public GitHub username works. Useful for a partner-track interview at an emerging fund, or for vetting a co-investor's stated thesis. Just paste the username at /receipts.