DomainSherpa interviews successful domain name investors and entrepreneurs – people we call Sherpas – who share their strategies and tactics to help you be more successful. Hosted by Jonathan Tenenbaum.
Latest Interview
In his first interview since selling his portfolio, Michael Berkens answered some questions about the the WorldWide Media domain name portfolio mega-sale to GoDaddy. I asked him how much he sold his portfolio for, what he bought as a result of the sale, and what’s next for him.
Also, Berkens and Monte Cahn discuss the $24 million dollars worth of domain names that are going up for auction at the NamesCon conference in January 2016. Want some insider information on which domains will have no reserve, be the best value, or will have the highest resale potential? This is the show to watch!
Michael Cyger December 21, 2015
Jamie Siminoff launched DoorBot – a doorbell with security features – and had amazing success, pre-selling $250,000 worth of product on Kickstarter, selling millions of dollars of product after an appearance on “SharkTank,” and being recognized as one of Time magazine’s top 10 products of 2014.
But it wasn’t until he took a big risk and upgraded the DoorBot brand to Ring (and Ring.com) in 2014 that it all came together and sales really took off.
In this interview, Siminoff provides advice to other startup founders on the power of a great brand, tactics for negotiation, and how much to pay for a premium domain name.
Michael Cyger November 16, 2015
In any investment, profit is made on the buy. Meaning, if you can buy an asset low enough you’ll always make a profit.
Profits can be oversized when luck enters the picture, as was the case when Daniel Levi purchased PirateShip.com before selling it only 21 days later to a company specializing in software for batch shipping.
Michael Cyger November 2, 2015
When you buy a used car in the United States, you can purchase a CARFAX report to avoid spending tens of thousands of dollars on a car with costly hidden problems like undisclosed accidents.
You can do something similar for domain names too.
The creator of the Verified.domains background check service will walk you through how to do the analysis yourself, on any domain name you’re thinking of buying.
Michael Cyger October 12, 2015
Zalmi Duchman started his fresh, healthy meal delivery service in 2005 and after nine years sold it for $24 million and, in the process, he learned a valuable lesson about thinking creatively.
In this interview, Duchman shares how creative financing could have saved him about $50,000 – and what you can do to avoid overpaying for a domain name – as well as some of the tactics he used to achieve a phenomenal growth trajectory.
Michael Cyger October 5, 2015
Why sell millions of second-level domains when a mere 10,000 registrations can generate about $5 million in revenue?
That’s the tack B2B registry operator .Tickets took.
They know that businesses won’t think twice about paying $500 per domain if their main business is selling tickets to consumers. (Think massive industries like entertainment, transportation and sports.)
If you’re an entrepreneur contemplating launching a top-level domain in the next ICANN round, this episode is a must-watch. But be warned: to launch a new top-level domain, entrepreneurs must have a “high threshold for unpredictability.”
Michael Cyger September 21, 2015
On this Profitable Flips show, we talk to Christian Calvin, who entered the industry in late-2013 and dismissed the advice of an experienced and proven domain name investor.
The result?
From $80.55 to $12,500 in four months with RaiseTheMoney.com, and from $98.55 to $9,000 in less than one month with SuiteSeats.com – buying and selling brandable domain names. He continues to focus on brandables, and is targeting a mid- to high-five figure profit margin in 2015 for his business, PlentyOfBrands.com.
Michael Cyger September 7, 2015
You’re lazy.
There. I said it.
If you’re like most of us, when you identify a potential domain name buyer or seller, you might reach out a handful of times. But after hearing “no” once or twice, you move on.
Broker Joe Uddeme, however, knows that success requires on average eight to 10 contacts per buyer or seller. In fact, one of his sales took 120 contacts to close the deal. If you’re making only a few contacts, chances are you’re quitting too soon.
Judging by the $10 million Uddeme did in deals last year, persistence pays off.
Learn what Uddeme does to close sales, how he does it, how often he does it, and how you can do it too. Plus, there’s a ton of inspiration in this show that you don’t want to miss.
Michael Cyger August 31, 2015
Rob Rawson is no newcomer to owning premium domain names. He’s owned plenty, such as Athlete.com, Tasks.com and Faster.com.
So when he had the opportunity to upgrade his international staffing and jobs board from MyStaff.com to Staff.com for a price of around $400,000, he took the chance.
Hear how Rawson built his technology, named his company, thinks about the investment, and selected the best domain name based on a unique, four-step process that you can reproduce for your next venture.
Michael Cyger August 17, 2015
An investment in numeric or acronym domain names a year ago likely would have doubled or tripled your money today.
And these types of domain names are considered “liquid,” meaning they can be converted into cash quickly with a generally-accepted floor value.
Why are these types of domains so hot, and how close is the “investing bubble” to bursting? You’ll find out on today’s show.
Michael Cyger July 20, 2015