What country are you based in?
Do you feel your location has an effect on your domain investing?
How long have you been involved in domains?
Are you a full time domainer?
How did you find out about domain investing?
How many domains do you currently hold?
What's your favourite non .com tld/nTLD/gTLD?
What's the best advice you've been given by another domain investor, either directly or through something they've said on twitter or in an interview?
What kind of goals do you set yourself?
Who are your top 3 domain investors?
Hard to name just 3 but I have learned much from Rick Schwartz, Kate Buckley and Braden Pollock. When I talk about people in domain business that have taught me to be a better investor, I also must mention Michael Cyger as he continues to bring much value in creating awareness, business acumen and higher standards to domaining.
What's the toughest part of domain investing?
How do you structure the domaining part of your day?
How do you manage your portfolio?
Do you also have any NFTs or Crypto in your portfolio?
What's the most you've ever spent on one domain?
Have you ever done outbound? If so, were/are you successful?
You're given $10k to spend on domains, how do you spend it?
Outside of domains, what other business/wealth/personal growth figures do you look up to?
What do you do when you're not domaining?
What advice would you give to people just starting out in domains?
I am often asked to share my insights on domain investing and am fortunate to have been given the opportunity to do so in university classes, corporate training seminars and domaining conferences. I’d like to share some of the main points I talk about.
The first advice would be to learn as much as you can about the business before starting to invest in it. Watch past episodes of the Domain Sherpa, invest in DN Academy, read Rick’s Blog, carefully read the articles and study the sales figures at each edition of DN Journal, follow successful investors in Twitter, and get a good feel about what key words, concepts are in demand.
The second advice would be never to invest any more than what you are prepared to lose. Remember, domain names need to be re-registered each year! Ask yourself how large a portfolio of domain names you can carry and for how long, without any returns? Think about that, hope for the best but be prepared for the worst.
To know what is in the horizon, you need to perform a lot of desk research, read vertical online sectoral publications, create Google Alerts for specific key words and phrases pushed to you a few times each day. Allow certain words, phrases, concepts to appear on your radar screen and if one of them generates a spark of interest, dig more to uncover a gem. Invest in sectors you know about, those that interest you and you are curious about. Look at intersections of those sectors that gets augmented by technology. That is the sweet spot.
To be able to hand register or buy technology-related, category-defining terms smartly, it is crucial to know what categories there are in that segment currently before you start registering what you think are category-defining terms. You should perform the Radio Test to make sure the name is easy to understand when you hear it once and triple check the spelling before registering!
When the time comes for you to speak to a prospective domain buyer, it is crucial to know the business your prospective buyer is in, who their major competitors are, what the CAGR (compound annual growth rate ) of the sector is so you know its growth potential, and what primary challenges they are confronted with in order to have an educated, engaging conversation. That way, you earn respect for having done your homework, you demonstrate you know what you are talking about, and can have a more balanced conversation based on true, very recent information. Focus on value, not price and back it up with facts. These are essential to be regarded as being on an equal level rather than just someone bargaining for a higher price. So do your research thoroughly. Equally important in that conversation are to keep it light, ask questions, take notes and listen well.
Another advice I’d like to give would be to enjoy the journey and drive the process forward, rather than the other way around. Don’t let investing in domain names take hold of you and create any type of undue pressure. When it does, walk away and give yourself a break for as long as you need to get back to domaining fresh, with a smile on your face.
A descriptive, intuitive and memorable domain name is crucial to create a meaningful digital presence. Having a differentiating digital presence has become an accelerated requirement not just to thrive but merely to survive in an increasingly competitive world. So, I strongly believe the demand for good domain names in a broad spectrum of industries will increase in 2023 and beyond.
If what I have shared shines a bit of light on a more practical, mindful, research-based approach towards investing in domain names, I will be happy. Please keep in mind, what has worked for me is not a blueprint for success for someone else. You must find what works best for you and make your own informed decisions, fine tuning your tactics along the way.
Investing in domain names is a phenomenal, vast, highly fulfilling business that provides many rewards and much freedom. I am grateful to have decided to be in it!
