Directory as a Service: How to Create a Discovery Platform for Underrated Digital Tools

🚀 Product Hunt is an extremely popular platform for developers to announce the launch of new apps and software products, but it pretty much stops there.

What if you made a similar “Product Hunt for ____” platform but for… well, anything else?

In this edition of Easy Startup Ideas, we’ll show you how to build a web platform inspired by Product Hunt — but focused on niche digital products like eBooks, directories, templates, and AI tools. It’s a launchpad for creators to share, get feedback, and gain early traction.

Today’s Idea

A public launch and discovery platform for digital products that aren’t typically spotlighted on mainstream sites like Product Hunt.

This includes things like website directories, eBooks, datasets, AI prompts, templates, newsletters, Notion systems, Chrome extensions, and niche SaaS tools—each category with a tailored voting system.

Ideal Customer

• Makers/creators who build niche digital products (e.g. someone who creates a curated directory for Web3 tools or a collection of AI-generated art prompts).

• Early adopters, tech enthusiasts, and micro-investors who want to find new products before they’re widely known.

• Marketers or SEO professionals looking for high-authority backlink opportunities.

• Productized service builders who want visibility for new launches (e.g. a tool that turns blog posts into videos).

• Niche community owners who want to direct their audience to freshly launched and relevant tools.

Why It Will Succeed

1. Untapped Discovery Spaces

There are hundreds of thousands of digital products that don't belong on Product Hunt or aren’t accepted because they don’t fit the standard "startup" mold. This creates an underserved market of creators needing a launch venue.

2. SEO-Driven Flywheel

With each launch page being SEO-optimized (title, category, user votes, backlinks), the platform becomes a high-ranking directory itself, creating compounding organic traffic for both the site and the creators it features.

3. Category-Specific Feedback

The platform adds depth by allowing visitors to vote on aspects like:

• Design quality

• Innovation

• Functionality

• Niche relevance

• Monetization potential

This yields more granular feedback and engagement.

4. Community Power in Niches

Smaller communities (e.g. Notion lovers, Chrome extension junkies, newsletter curators) feel more seen in a platform that doesn't lump all digital products into one feed.

Getting Started and Building an MVP

Option 1: Full-Stack Build (Developer-Friendly)

If you're comfortable with code or want more control:

• Framework: Next.js – Great for server-side rendering, SEO, and fast performance.

• UI Styling: Tailwind CSS – Fast, responsive design with utility-first classes.

• Database/Auth: Supabase – A Firebase alternative for Postgres DB, auth, file storage.

• Hosting: Vercel – Deploy from GitHub, built-in CI/CD, serverless functions.

• Bonus: Use Claude or ChatGPT for help generating starter code, integrating Supabase auth, or writing your launch form logic.

Actionable Steps:

1. Scaffold a basic Next.js app with Tailwind.

2. Set up Supabase project with:

   • Tables: Products, Votes, Users, Categories, Comments.

3. Build pages:

   • Home (feed), Product Detail, Submit, Login/Profile.

4. Implement voting UI with categories like “Design”, “Innovation”.

5. Deploy to Vercel. Use Supabase edge functions or Next.js API routes for dynamic features (e.g. voting, comments).

Option 2: No-Code / Low-Code Build

Faster to launch, great for testing demand early.

• Front-end: Webflow or Framer for a slick UI.

• Backend/Database: Xano (no-code API backend) or Airtable for simpler CMS-like data.

• Logic/Automation: Make or Zapier to connect form submissions → databases → email confirmations.

• User Auth: Outseta or Memberstack for handling logins and subscriptions without code.

Actionable Steps:

1. Create a form to collect submissions (title, description, tags, screenshots, etc.).

2. Auto-generate individual launch pages from each entry.

3. Add upvote buttons and track them in your backend.

4. Automate launch confirmations and listing emails to the creator.

5. Bonus: Embed social sharing links, and optionally use Typedream for even quicker web builds.

Both Option 1 & 2 let you build the MVP in 1–2 weeks max, depending on scope. Use Claude or ChatGPT to fill gaps in your coding, database design, or integration logic—they can write and debug code alongside you, and help speed up implementation.

Monetization Strategies

1. Featured Launch Slots (e.g. pay $49 to get a 7-day homepage slot).

2. Premium Analytics for Creators (click data, vote data, time on page, backlinks earned).

3. Sponsorship Placements in niche feeds (e.g. only on the “Templates” page).

4. Directory-as-a-Service: Let makers use your platform to launch private directories using your template (think white-labeled “Product Hunt for X”).

5. Affiliate Revenue: Auto-link certain products with affiliate programs (like Gumroad or Lemon Squeezy).

6. “Top of the Month” Showcases in a paid email newsletter.

Marketing Strategies

1. Leverage Communities

   • Share launches inside niche Reddit groups, Discords, and indie hacker communities.

   • Run “category takeovers” (e.g. one week only for Newsletters) and invite well-known creators to post.

2. Invite Power Makers

   • Personally invite prolific creators (e.g. Notion sellers, Substack creators) to seed their launches.

   • Offer free featured slots for early adopters in exchange for backlinks or social shares.

3. Content Marketing

   • Weekly “Top Launches” blog or newsletter.

   • Interviews with makers → SEO + backlink magnet.

   • Tutorials like “How to launch your AI prompt marketplace.”

4. Tool Integrations

   • API or Zapier integration for auto-posting from Notion, Substack, Gumroad, etc.

   • Auto-gen shareable launch cards for Twitter/X.

Expanding and Improving

• Commenting + Discussion Threads on each product.

• Follower/Subscription System to follow categories or makers.

• Launch Readiness Score (an AI-generated score based on clarity, visuals, uniqueness).

• Analytics Dashboard for creators.

• Leaderboards per category and per year.

• Browser Extension to vote/submit directly from a visited site.

Brainstormed Business Names

Names for this platform will depend hugely on your niche, but here are some generic ones to help inspire you:

1. LaunchLayer

2. DigitalSprout

3. IndieRadar

4. MicroLaunchpad

5. SoftSpot

6. LaunchHatch

7. CreatorCrate

8. PixelPulse

9. UpNext

10. StackRadar

Thanks for checking out another edition of Easy Startup Ideas!

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