When Spring begins to pop in, “Event Season #1” starts building up for me (#2 is in the Autumn) and honestly, I love it.
I’m lit up by the creative energy.
The longer days. The windows open. Can’t beat it!
I usually reserve the winters for rest and downtime. Contemplation. Introspection.
But this year was different, even with snows that pummeled us.
I was in high-gear all along and building constantly.
That said, today I have a list of events I am hosting/co-hosting that I want to drop into your inbox because you’re pretty cool and you’d make a great addition.
Greek Networking hosted by GetGreece and myself (Alchemia)
Our last event at Nerina was a blast and this time we’re hosting it at the sister restaurant, Nerai.
My first full-day educational workshop where I teach my frameworks for launching apps without writing code.
Our monthly in-person men’s circle, this time in Larchmont.
Follow Agora on Eventbrite here.
My favorite post this week that came at the perfect time
from @lewishowes
THIS WEEK IN FATHERHOOD
I did a handstand for 1.7 seconds
Yeah, I know!
My kids put out a mat in the living room and were doing all kinds of acrobatics.
Dad had to show them how it’s done.
Not so successful.
But this was about presence…I looked silly, they laughed, I laughed, great evening.
THIS WEEK IN TECH
I built a directory in 1 hour
Not a landing page. Not a portfolio. A full directory site.
The kind that lists businesses, tools, or resources in a niche and charges for listings or runs ads.
One hour. No code.
What a directory actually is
A directory is a searchable list of things people are already looking for. Plumbers in Phoenix. AI tools for lawyers. Wedding vendors in Brooklyn. You build the list, Google sends the traffic, and you monetize through ads or paid listings.
It's one of the oldest models on the internet. AI just made it faster to build.
How directories make money
A niche directory with 10,000 monthly visitors can generate $300 to $800 per month through AdSense, depending on the niche. High-value niches like finance, legal, and home services carry CPMs of $15 to $40.
Paid listings add another layer. Charging businesses $29 to $99 per month for a featured placement is common. Fifty paying listings at $49 each is $2,450 a month.
On scaling
One directory earning $500 a month is a small win. The model gets more interesting when you treat it like a portfolio. The infrastructure is nearly identical across sites. Same hosting. Same AdSense account. Same template. Most people build one and stop. The ones doing well build several.
What I used
Replit, Perplexity, and a scraping bot. I described the niche, the layout, and the data fields I needed. It built the site. I connected a domain, submitted it to Google Search Console, and started adding listings.
The honest part
The build is fast. The traffic is not. Google needs time to index and rank a new site, and AdSense won't pay out on day one. The site needs real, useful content to earn its place in search results. That's the actual work.
But if the build takes an hour, the barrier to starting another one is low.
If you want to learn how to build and monetize AI-powered products like this, Vibe Code CEO is where we get into it.
THIS WEEK ON MY PLAYLIST
Chris Donnelly explains
How To Become Micro-Famous In Your Industry
Here’s a Good Question…
What's one thing you've been waiting to feel ready for, that you could have started last week?
P.S. I’m open to reading your answers. Always confidential.
▶ Know someone who’d love this? Forward it their way.
Got something cool to show my readers?
Let’s get it out there. Reply with your idea/business details.
Be absolutely well,
