I Built a $500/month Directory in 48 Hours (Here’s How)

Stop watching SaaS opportunities slip away because you don’t have the time to build. With MkDirs, you launch a fully monetized directory in hours, not quarters, thanks to AI.

Stop overthinking, Start listing

The recently launched MkDirs is the ONLY directory boilerplate that lets you skip the grueling developer hiring process and launch the authority platform your niche deserves. It’s a revenue-focused foundation designed to turn your idea into a profitable marketplace in days, not the typical 6-month nightmare. With AI-powered product discovery, automated revenue streams, and built-in community features, MkDirs transforms the friction of building a directory into a streamlined path to sustainable income.

Why MkDirs Is the Unfair Advantage

MkDirs isn’t just another template, it’s a combat-proven blueprint born from an indie hacker who actually built a 2,000 monthly-visitor directory and learned what works. Unlike generic builders that leave monetization as an afterthought, MkDirs puts revenue at the center. You get:

AI-powered URL scanning that auto-extracts product data from any website (read that again… the AI scans the products and fills your directory automagically…)
Multiple revenue streams built-in (ads, featured listings, affiliate commissions, paid submissions)
Production-ready dashboard with zero DevOps complexity
Modern tech stack (Next.js 15, React 19, TypeScript, Tailwind)
SEO optimization that generates passive traffic from day one
User engagement tools (favorites, ratings, collections)
Professional templates that convert visitors into customers

The Revenue-First Approach That Actually Works

Most templates treat monetization like an afterthought. MkDirs flips this on its head. Every feature is designed with one question in mind: How does this make money? Featured listings? Charge premium rates for top placement. Affiliate links? Automatically convert Amazon URLs to your commission-earning versions. Advertising? Host banner ads across your entire directory with self-service purchasing. Paid submissions? Monetize the curation process itself. Each revenue stream works independently, but together they create a cash-generating machine that scales as your directory grows. The beauty is that users don’t feel like they’re paying: they’re getting real value. Businesses get visibility, users get curated content, and you get paid from multiple angles simultaneously.

AI Does the Work You’d Hire a Team For

Imagine not having to manually research and input product data! MkDir’s AI scan feature literally visits any website, extracts product information, generates descriptions, captures screenshots, and creates listings with one click. What would take a virtual assistant 40 hours per month happens in seconds.

This is a ground-breaking function, never seen before in directory-blueprints!

This isn’t about cutting corners: it’s about amplifying your leverage. The AI handles the repetitive work, freeing you to focus on strategy, partnerships, and growth.

Launch Profitable Faster Than Your Competitors Ship Boring

The market moves fast. While competitors are still debating which framework to use, you’re launching a full-featured directory with customer payments already integrated. MkDir uses industry-leading tools (Polar for payments, Better-Auth for security, Loops for email) so you’re not building on shaky foundations. Users can sign up through social login, favorite products, create shareable collections, leave reviews, and you’re tracking everything through an analytics dashboard. All of this is ready to go before you write a single line of custom code.

Here’s What Actually Earns Money

The entrepreneurs already using DirectoryFast are proving the model works. They’re running directories in niches ranging from indie tools to local businesses to niche products. The common thread? They monetize from day one. One creator is earning through featured listings (businesses paying to appear first). Another runs an ad network across their directory. A third uses affiliate commissions as their primary revenue. Many use all three. The point is, DirectoryFast doesn’t force you into one monetization path: it gives you every tool and lets you find what works for your audience. Discount! At $69 for the starter template (down from $99), the investment pays for itself after a few featured listing sales or a couple thousand visitors buying through your affiliate links. Get the discount now via this link!

The Indie Hacker’s Unfair Advantage

MkDirs was built by someone who actually ran a profitable directory. It’s designed for solo founders who know they can’t compete on development speed with venture-backed teams, but absolutely can compete on execution speed and user experience. You get code you actually own (no monthly SaaS fees robbing your margins), a dashboard you can customize to match your brand, and the flexibility to scale from thousands to millions of visitors without rearchitecting everything. Forget the old-fashioned, generic directory boilerplates like, ShipFast, DirStarter, Teable, Airtable, WrapFast, etc. MkDirs is the only one that has automated AI gathering the product info and basically creating your directory for you!

The Clock Is Ticking on Your Niche

Every day you wait, someone else is considering the same idea. They might move faster. They might execute better. But they won’t execute smarter if you use MkDirs. Its AI gathers the product info, while you sit back and profit! The difference between a successful directory and a forgotten side project isn’t the idea: it’s execution speed and having revenue flowing from day one instead of “eventually.” MkDirs handles the execution. All you need to handle is showing up consistently. Launch your directory. Claim your niche. Start earning. Get MkDirs!

A little extra tip from my experience with SEO

MkDirs also has the option to include a blog with the directory. I highly recommend you do, as blogging (or programmatic blogging, pSEO) is very good for ranking higher in Google and in the AI Overviews. It’s a long-term game, but will significantly increase your traffic over time.

If you’re interested in SEO/GEO/AIO for your new directory, I highly suggest to you these 3 top apps: 1) Outrank: pSEO: blog posts on autopilot (use discount code “LINKTO”) 2) Uneed: Source of backlinks and promotion packs, essential for SEO. 3) Mangools: The standard of SEO tools: every tool you need in 1 package!

Read the full article here: https://medium.com/startup-insider-edge/i-built-a-500-month-directory-in-48-hours-heres-how-442e08b5f811