🚀 From Frustration to Foundation: The Indie Hacker Story Behind Building aDirectory
Hey IH community 👋
I’m Abdur Rohman, founder of aDirectory.io — a performance-first WordPress directory plugin that turned a personal frustration into a growing product and business.
This is the story of how we went from idea → MVP → 1,000+ paying customers and $75K+ USD revenue as a fully Bootstrapped startup… and why we’re just getting started.
😤 The Pain That Sparked Everything
Back in 2023, I was running directory-style projects for clients — job boards, business listings, classifieds, niche directories…
Different projects.
Same pain every single time:
- Slow load when listings increase 🚶→🏃♂️
- Bloated structure that hurts SEO
- Search performance collapsing under real traffic
- Rigid systems that forced hacks for every new use case
I tried so many options — none were built for scale.
That’s when I asked myself:
“Why do directory plugins break exactly when a business starts growing?”
If nobody wanted to build a scalable, stable, flexible solution…
We would.
🏗️ Building aDirectory: Not Another Plugin, But a Foundation
We built the architecture first — performance and scale before UI fluff.
🎯 What makes aDirectory different?
-
Multi-Post Type + Multi-Directory Engine
Run multiple directory types under one platform — business listings, real estate, classifieds, job board & more. -
Advanced Search & Filters
Fast, accurate & fully customizable. -
Migration Made Easy
CSV import/export for bulk management. -
Built-in Monetization
Subscriptions, featured listings & more. -
SEO-Ready Core
Clean structure aligned for organic growth.
➡️ Today: 20,000+ businesses are using WordPress sites powered by aDirectory.
🧡 Bootstrapped… but Not Alone
The AppSumo Launch That Changed Everything
January–February 2025 → Our first big leap.
- 1,000+ new customers
- $75K+ USD gross revenue
But the biggest wins weren’t the numbers…
🔥 Financial runway
Bootstrap life saved — fuel to keep shipping fast.
🧠 User feedback loop
Real customers. Real frustrations. Real growth.
🌍 Brand validation
We earned trust in a competitive niche.
AppSumo didn’t just give us sales — it gave us momentum.
Since launch:
18+ major updates in 8 months
800+ active directory businesses already live
Continuous features, performance upgrades & UX improvements
🎯 Where We’re Going Next — The Growth Plan
We believe directory businesses are evolving. Not just websites — platforms.
That’s why we’re expanding the ecosystem:
🚀 Mobile App for Directory Owners
— Native Android + iOS app for every directory
🧩 More Addons & Themes
— Vertical-focused designs (Services, Real Estate, Doctors, etc.)
💼 Agency Ecosystem
— Faster deployments for service providers serving multiple clients
⚡ Performance + AI Enhancements
— Better search, data suggestions, fraud prevention & analytics
Our goal is simple:
Give directory founders the tools to launch profitable listing businesses — fast, scalable, and future-ready.
💬 My Ask to Indie Hackers
We’re learning every day.
We’re far from perfect.
But we’re building relentlessly.
I’d love to hear your input:
- Have you built a directory business before?
- Where did you struggle the most?
- What would you expect from aDirectory next?
Your feedback can directly shape what we ship next.
Thank you for reading — and thank you to every bootstrapper who believes in building something better than what came before. ❤️
Happy to answer anything in the comments — from tech stack to AppSumo strategy to roadmap decisions.
This is such an inspiring breakdown, Abdur. 🚀
What really stands out is how you didn’t just build “another WordPress plugin” — you built an actual infrastructure layer for directory founders. That shift from tool → foundation is exactly why aDirectory is scaling where others choke.
Really impressive work, turning a real frustration into a solid product with this kind of traction is no joke. The performance-first approach makes aDirectory stand out. Excited to see what you ship next
Great work, Abdur. What stood out most is how you solved the performance strain that usually breaks directory plugins once traffic grows. Building the architecture first instead of chasing UI polish is a big reason this scaled the way it did. I’m interested to see how the mobile app and new vertical themes expand the ecosystem. Solid execution and a clear read on what creators actually need.
Clean story. I like how you turned straight frustration into something that actually fixes the root problem instead of adding another pretty plugin to the pile. The scale you hit as a bootstrapped team is real proof of the foundation-first approach. Respect for building the hard part first instead of chasing flashy UI. Excited to see how the mobile app and ecosystem drop plays out. Keep pushing.
Inspiring story! Turning frustration into a solid foundation for building a successful Indie Hacker directory.
AppSumo validation with $75k is solid but the part I keep thinking about is building architecture first. Most people do it backwards - pretty UI, then scramble to fix performance when real traffic shows up. Did you have to resist the temptation to ship something user-facing earlier, or was the technical foundation genuinely the blocker?
Turning frustration into a successful Indie Hacker directory.
Really loved reading your story Abdur. The pain you described is so relatable... and it’s inspiring how you turned that frustration into something genuinely useful for so many wordpress makers. Amazing work!
“Great story! Shows how frustration can spark creativity, leading to building a successful Indie Hacker directory.”
“Great story! Shows how frustration can spark creativity, leading to building a successful Indie Hacker directory.”
Great journey! Turning frustration into action demonstrates how challenges can spark successful indie hacker projects.
Hey! I'm testing a small tool that shows if an idea is worth building in 3 minutes.
Not selling anything right now.
One question for you:
What’s the most frustrating part about validating an idea as a founder?
Your answer will help me shape the product.
love this story abdur. turning client frustration into a product with real adoption takes clarity and patience, and you’ve done both. the scale you reached as a bootstrapped team is impressive. excited to see how the mobile app and new themes shape the next phase. great work and wishing you steady growth ahead.
Hey! I'm testing a small tool that shows if an idea is worth building in 3 minutes.
Not selling anything right now.
One question for you:
What’s the most frustrating part about validating an idea as a founder?
Your answer will help me shape the product.
Inspiring journey! Turning frustration into a powerful directory shows true resilience, creativity, and indie hacker spirit.
Really inspiring journey. Turning a real client pain into 1,000+ paying customers is no small feat. I am especially curious about the architecture decisions you made early for performance. What was the hardest technical tradeoff you had to make in the beginning?
“Inspiring journey showing how perseverance turns frustration into a successful, innovative indie project.”
Thank you for your kind words. Its truly a satisfaction for us where we tried to solve a real problem for the directory plugin users.
I’ve used many WordPress directory listing plugins, but aDirectory is truly the best among them. It’s incredibly easy to use, beautifully designed, and comes with outstanding customer support. The template overwrite system, multiple post type support, frontend guest listings, and paid listing features make it the most complete and reliable directory plugin I’ve ever used.
Thank you for being a part of the user family. User feedback and happiness mean a lot for us. We are aiming to make it the best one in the directory plugin niche.
Great story! As a fellow Quomodosoft team member, it’s truly motivating to see how aDirectory came to life from just an idea to a full product. Watching the challenges, decisions, and problem-solving behind the scenes has been inspiring.
aDirectory isn’t just another plugin—it’s a solution built with vision, clarity, and a deep understanding of user needs.
Proud to be part of the journey and excited to see how far we take this!
Thank you for being a core member of the team and also putting effort to make this one vision to reality.