The Scout Score measures a GitHub user's ability to spot breakout startups early — by analyzing their starring history against ~75 validated unicorns. Here's how it works, what it means, and how to improve yours.
The Scout Score (0-100) measures a GitHub user's 'early detection' ability. It analyzes which repos you starred — and when — against a list of ~75 startups that later became unicorns. The earlier you starred them, the higher your score.
For each of ~75 validated unicorns with public GitHub repos, the algorithm checks whether you starred the repo and when relative to the company's growth trajectory. Stars before Series A carry the most weight. Stars after IPO carry almost none.
Score > 70: you consistently star breakout startups early. Score 40-70: you have good instincts but room to improve. Score < 40: you tend to discover startups later in their journey. Most active GitHub users score between 30-60.
Star repos from early-stage startups before they're well-known. Follow sectors you understand deeply. The score rewards genuine early discovery, not volume — 10 well-timed stars are worth more than 1,000 late ones.
You can choose to make it public or private. Public scores appear on your Scout profile. Private scores are visible only to you. Investors often use public scores as a credibility signal.
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