MCP server hits 650+ PyPI installs in 30 days with $0 marketing

The aicraft-code-review MCP server launched on PyPI with zero marketing spend and secured 12 free directory listings in 30 days, generating 650+ installs and 12 Product Hunt followers [Dev.to].

The server was listed on PyPI after a single afternoon of setup, with 650+ installs [Dev.to]. Other listings include Smithery, mcpservers.org, cursor.directory, and Product Hunt, which yielded 3 upvotes and 7 comment threads that shaped the next release [Dev.to].

The directory listings created a network effect, where each listing added an install path, backlink, and social proof that strengthened subsequent submissions [Dev.to]. For example, the rapid approval on mcpservers.org helped the cursor.directory entry succeed.

Product Hunt comments turned into concrete features, including a shared rule profile and automatic discovery of .mcp-code-review.yaml [Dev.to]. This user-driven roadmap replaced guesswork with real-world feedback.

The project's success shows that paid directories are not essential for early-stage projects [Dev.to]. Free channels can provide sufficient exposure to reach 650+ installs. However, the author had to pin mcp>=1.6,<2 to prevent breakage from a breaking API change in MCP 2.0 [Dev.to].