Domain Name Wire Podcast

It's been ten years since new top level domains started rolling out. Today, I chat with Sandeep Ramchandani, CEO of Radix, to get his take on where we are and where we're headed. Sandeep is always frank about both the upside and the challenges of new TLDs, so you'll enjoy our conversation.  Also this week, you'll hear four additional predictions for this year that I accidentally left out of last w...

On today's show, we're going to hear from 18 people in the domain business about what surpried them the most in 2022, and what they think will happen in 2023. Some people glass half full in their predictions, while others see storm clouds on the horizon. And some of the predictions may surprise you. Sponsor: Sav.com domain transfers

I love talking to entrepreneurs about the domains they choose. This week's guest is both an entrepreneur and someone savvy about domains. In fact, he used a domain he bought on NameJet for a business that generated seven figures of sales per year. Now, Perry Rosenbloom is launching his next venture at motion.io. I asked him why .io, and if he considered getting a .com domain instead. His response...

Doron Vermaat sold 12 .com domains this year. But he sold many more non-.com domains on his way to a stellar year of sales. On today's show, we talk about why domain investors might consider other domain extensions, run through some of his results, and talk about why Doron loves payment plan deals. You'll walk away with a lot of ideas after listening to this episode.    Sponsor: Sav.com backorders

Last month Nat Cohen was invited to speak at a World Intellectual Property Organization UDRP workshop in Geneva. He was able to talk to UDRP panelists and practitioners about what domain name investors do and why cybersquatting cases involving investors are unique. On today's show, Nat discusses what he talked about. It's an interesting discussion and helped me put myself in panelists' shoes to th...

Ruban Thananayagam bought 500 domain names on his credit card before he made his first sale. This gave him the confidence to invest more but it was certainly slow-going for the first few years. But he stuck with it and now makes about $10k a month from domain sales. On today's show, Ruban talks about discipline, making a plan, and how to find a domain investing mentor. Also: .RSVP, shorter names =...

Have you ever wondered what happens behind the scenes when a compny goes through a rebrand and acquires a new domain name? On today's show, I talk with Radhika Duggal, Chief Marketing Officer of Super, about her company's rebrand to Super and acquisition of super.com. She explains that the company had a document with six core reasons acquiring super.com made sense. We also talk about the negotiati...

I talk to a lot of people who believe blockchain based domains will solve all of the internet's problems. They dismiss all of the counter arguments and questions. Nole Opperman of hey.tx is different. He's a big believer in blockchain domains (especially Handshake), but he also recognizes the shortcomings and challenges these domains face in order to go mainstream. Let's dig in. How to claim reser...

Many in the domain industry were surprised last month when Epik announced that Rob Monster was giving way to a new leader. What would this mean for Epik, a registrar that has made national headlines for its free speech views? What will change at the company, if anythign? To answer those questions, I invited new CEO Brian Royce on the show this week. We discuss his vision for the company, the role...

On this week's show, I speak with Marc Trachtenberg, a shareholder with Greenberg Traurig, LLP. Marc represents both brand holders looking to protect their assets online as well as registries and registrars that are sometimes leaned on to help brands. This gives him a unique perspective on policy issues. We start the show talking about ICANN's so-called Whois Disclosure System and then switch to a...

What is the Internet Commerce Association (ICA) and why is it important? On today's show, I speak with ICA executive director Kamila Sekiewicz and general counsel Zak Muscovitch about what the group is doing and how it advocates for the domain industry. We also get the low down on its upcoming member meeting in January.    UDRP newsletter signup: http://eepurl.com/hpT1TH Vegas Event Tickets: https...

Q3 2022 is in the books. On today's show I give an update of how my domain name portfolio is performing this year. I'll discuss the sell-through rate, median prices, which TLDs I'm selling, and where I've acquired most of the domains I sell. Also: Masterbucks, USAA, Escrow.com data Sponsor: Sav.com domain auctions

On today's show, I talk with Squadhelp founder Darpan Munjal. You'll learn: What signals predict someone might by a domain name (and which ones do no predict it) How adding language to your landers about sale prices and impending price increases impacts sales How people search for domains on marketplaces Grab a pen and paper, because you'll learn a lot! Also: Stolen domains, .US domain privacy, Da...

Most domain investors start out small and try to scale their domain portfolio over time. But what's the best way to approach scaling? How much money do you need to start? Where should you acquire domains and for how much? How long will it take? On today's show, Bob Hawkes discusses a recent analysis he wrote on NamePros after quizzing several domain investors. There are some great lessons in today...

Last month at NamesCon, domain investors Logan Flatt and Mark Levine gave a detailed look at their sales numbers so far this year compared to the same period a year ago. It was eye opening. There's no recording of the session, but Logan and Mark were kind enough to come on the show this week to dig into the numbers again. Get a pen and paper handy — you're going to get a lot of ideas from this epi...

It's the NamesCon episode! Today, you'll here from 13 people who were at NamesCon last week. You'll get their view about the conference, the state of the domain market, and more.  Also: Blockchain domain fight, GoDaddy improvements, CNIC results and more. Sponsor: Sav.com no-fee backorders

Rolf Larsen is no stranger to premium domains. One of his companies, Desktop.com, has already realized the benefits of a powerful one. So when he saw that call.com was available for purchase, he immediately though of Vkye, a voice over IP company that he's the chairman of. He brought the opportunity to the company's lead investor who initially rejected the idea of buying the domain. But over the c...

In-person domain name conferences are back! After a two-and-a-half-year hiatus, NamesCon returns in person in Austin at the end of this month. Today, I talk to NamesCon Chairman of the Supervisory Board, Soeren von Varchmin, about what to expect. He previews some of the sessions, talks about the refreshed venue, and explains an exciting concept taking place Friday afternoon of the concept. Soeren...

We're taking a break from our regular programming this week, but that doesn't mean you can't listen to the DNW podcast.

It's our 400th show! Today, I'm speaking with the CEO of the company that paid $1.6 million to acquire chill.com . Callum Sommerton is CEO of Chill Brands Group, a company in the CBD space that is expanding its remit to focus on anything that helps you chill, hence the name. The domain purchase was a big bet for the company but it's already paying dividends. As Callum explains, the domain has give...

This week I chat with Edmon Chung. Edmon is is the CEO of .Asia and a member of the ICANN Board of Directors. He's busy getting ready for the launch of .kids. On today's show, I ask Edmon why it has taken so long to launch the domain, who it's for, and what his organization is doing to prevent content not suitable for kids from showing up on .kids. domains. We also get the latest on .asia and I as...

Tom Barrett, the president of Encirca, has been keeping on top of blockchain domains, especially with trademarks. His company recently launched AltRoots.com to help brands monitor and manage their brands in these names. On today's show, Tom talks about brand protection in these alternate namespaces. We also discuss these domains in general, including why people might use them and how they compare...

This week I chat with Ryan McKegney, CEO of DomainAgents . DomainAgents powers the "make offer" domain inquiry service at some registrars, and also acts as a buyer broker. On today's show, Ryan discusses what his company has seen over the past couple of years with regards to domain inquiries and purchases, with a focus on this year. He also talks about how some specific TLDs (including .co, .io an...

This week on the podcast I air part 2 of a Twitter Space I held a couple of weeks ago with attorney John Berryhill. This segment kicks off with a domain owner sharing some of his personal experiences and John weighing in on these, including a discussion about how not all trademarks are treated equally, as well as what to do if you get a demand letter that requests you respond on a tight timeline....