🚀 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.