Morning Folks!!
In my partner Danny Welsh’s next guest blog post he'd like to discuss our opinion that what created the millionaire domainer club will likely NOT contribute to the transformation into the billionaires domainer club. As more and more of my income comes from just what he's talking about, I think it's safe to say I agree with every word.
Rick Schwartz
By Danny Welsh
I titled my introductory guest post on RicksBlog, Prediction: 10 'Pure Domainers' selected for Forbes 400 Billionaires List by 2035. If you chuckled at that 'Forbes 400' prediction, even just internally, or in ANY way doubt that some of your peers among the top premium generic .com domain name owners in the world--maybe even YOU -- can, should, will and MUST eventually be included in that famous list of mega-billionaires... permit me to tell you that you're less far-sighted than you hoped.
I won't try to 'chastise' you. Who am I anyway? For everyone reading this except for Rick himself you probably first heard my name a few weeks ago. But I'll be frank with you: shilling bullshit to convince someone that what I say has merit isn't what I'm doing. I’m humbly asking that you hear me out simply because of where we are and who has given me the floor and allowed me to talk with you, his most important friends and clients.
I’ll simply say this is also what Rick believes and leave it at that. Reading further will bring you no profit if you can't see yourself and/or some of your peers on that list. May as well click away now, and be happy with what you have. God speed!
What, you're still here? You want more? Good, let’s assume then that you DO have a long-term vision for yourself, for your family, for your industry, and for your legacy. After all…you are a domain investor and if you’re good at it, you predict the future don’t you?
Take a peek into the future WE see and let me know if you agree.
Let’s discuss what Rick Schwartz and I both believe WILL create the wave of domainer billionaires:
1. It ain't brokering domain sales.
2. It ain’t flipping just-registered domains.
3. It ain't parking domains.
4. It ain't self-developing domains.
5. It ain’t selling top domains.
6. It ain’t promoting domain registries.
7. It ain’t leasing domains.
----- >>>> Does that last one surprise you?
With all the talk of “domain leasing” here and there and everywhere you turn in recent weeks, it very well might catch some off guard. Yes, I know that you know if you read Rick Schwartz’s last 6-10 blog posts without putting those into the context of what he's been saying and writing for 15 years it might seem like 'leasing domains' is the end goal for his own portfolio and recommendation for others.
It ain't.
When you start reading about more of the lease deals that have been negotiated under Rick’s model, and the startling difference in monthly income earnings possible over parking and self-development…10x, 20x, 30x, 100x and more….many folks are going to think again that leasing domains is the be all and end all, and not see beyond what we’re doing today to discern what we’re putting in place for tomorrow.
We are not saying that leasing domains is the path to billions for “the 500”. Leasing domains is simply what we believe is the model most likely to be accepted in the next few years by the end user…the model that unlocks SOME of the current value of the best domains in the world, while leaving the domain name owner STILL “in the deal” as the companies using their domains grow.
Perhaps forever.
The end goal for Rick Schwartz is what many of you who know him well have heard him call the “40 year plan”. And what has Rick publicly called the very beginning stages of the vehicle that will propel the second half of the 40 year plan? JointVentures.com and what we’re doing in 2013 together. There's no accident he and I chose that generic category-defining domain name home for the online “home” of our business together.
That website will evolve over time but it has one job and that job is to unlock the same benefits we're selling other businesses on for using a premium category .com domain name for their business, as JointVentures.com the domain became JointVentures.com the BUSINESS.
The job is to tell the story of generic domains to mainstream and have them want the ONE domain name that led them to our doorstep so bad they offer to buy what is NOT for sale. THAT will be the moment Rick's vision and mine coincide as top domain owners around the world adopt the phrase
----- >>>>> 'Not for sale, lease only!”
If you had the foresight to position yourself with the competitive advantage of generic category-defining .com domain names from one or multiple industries, product and services niches, the vehicle to unlock the true intrinsic value of more than one of them is none of those things listed.
We believe without doubt that big companies desiring to dominate their niche or small companies desiring to “shake up” their lazy industry are BOTH increasingly going to COVET and pay whatever it takes to get their hands on your properties as things unfold in the next few years. Business transactions happen when there is an exchange of value among parties, each of which feels like they got the best possible deal they could for what they want and need at that moment in time.
If you want Candy.com style deals, your job was and is patience.
The job of those who covet your asset for themselves is to convince YOU they are worthy to operate your domain name and build a store on your land while you still own it, and share their profits with you.
How can we each make that happen, together?
Adopt 5 words as your motto for the next 3 years:
“Not for sale, lease only!”
Danny Welsh
JointVentures.com
P.S. Whether you’re a signed JointVentures.com client for 2013-4 or not, if you believe in the value of your VERY BEST .com domain name properties, and are as convinced as we are that values are intrinsic and prices will always go UP for the very BEST category-defining .com domain names in your portfolio...go ahead and give it a try.
Say it out loud if you want, it feels damn good.
“Not for sale, lease only!”
-----
Rick Schwartz
Franky is on target to be the first”Domain” billionaire.
That’s without any growth or expansion.
Personally I don’t care about billionaires or even being one.
Not on my Radar. Absolutely not important to me or I would be working a lot harder than I do.
But then again some of you DO want to achieve that status in their lifetime.
And with the buying power of the dollar declining as it is, may not be that long. lol
ri.sk
I’m curious, what makes you think there will be such
a thing as a ‘domain name’ in 2035?…
Scott Alliy
Ri.sk that is. Valid question especially in a fast changing world. Perhaps one way to look at the power and thus value of domains into look at the changes that have occurred online from communication devices to signal delivery technology to web design software programs and designs. Yet through it all one thing has remained a constant … Domain names. Why? Because they are addresses and will remain the foundation of any community as house and street addresses do now. There may be other reasons that domains will be sound years from now including a massive investment in their existence from Frank S. M. Berkens, Dan Schindler and group and others as well that one could use to justify domain name longest invite and value.
Joao
Less options, more profits.
@Ri.sk Cars should be flying around since 2000…
Krishna
I agree with your vision. But, you are completely missing another thing.
Startups generally name their businesses with short brandable domains (no typeins). But, they may not have enough money to buy at one go. So, they may like jointventures.
But, Jointventures.com is not focussing enough on that aspect.
I am hoping that Frank Schilling/another visionary focus on that aspect. I know Rick’s belief in typeins.
ri.sk
Yes Scott, I think I agree…
Domains certainly ARE an ‘address’ of sorts, and it’s
hard to imagine what might ever replace them. Certainly,
an identifier of some sort will always be needed on the
web, and sound-based domains could never be a reality,
nor indeed graphic-based names (although there are a
few current-day exceptions to that).
The remaining ‘content’ type to consider, multi-media,
isn’t an option for domains either as video-based names
are not practical and, like the rest, have no ‘hierarchy’.
Even with the advent of a 3D/real life ‘internet’, text
names will, I suppose, always be thought of as the most
practical solution, even if the ways of finding them
are changed beyond (current day) recognition.
So, I guess we’re stuck with text-based names!
UFO
Valid point on whether domain names will exist in 2035.
But there always needs to be some form of human to systems interface and people need something they recognise.
It is my belief that phone numbers will merge into domain names. You will call a domain name and it will call through. Maybe Telco’s etc will do some nifty coding and you’ll drop select customer service and then call the domain which will reduce the amount of voice recognition etc. There’s all different ways to play it. But long illegible numbers will go by the wayside before domains do.
I think domains will disappear when people can think their actions and the device automatically enacts it, prior to that something is going to have to be the language to get devices to do things I.e. Alpha Numeric with Numeric getting pushed out first (Because it can now sit under all the Alpha expressions which are easier for us to remember as its closer to our language).
Also, there is a lot of sunk cost into domains, its far easier for technology to be bolted onto current infrastructure then completely rebuild from the ground up (Remembering domains actually represent the IP addresses that run our systems), hence my guesstimation is that domains are here for another 50 years at least and things like standard phones and everything else will fall by the wayside before the whole technology infrastructure is rebuilt.
UFO
Nb: The other risk though is that we end up with a handfull of companies controlling the web and we just place inside their private networks so domains like .com are not necessary.
But thats very matrix like and there is more of a push not to be walled in and embrace opensource rather than become captured like Apple would have you. (Tron is a good analogy movie for that… very ahead of its time).
Rick Schwartz
Krishna,
You are only seeing one side of what we are doing because the other side is not visible to domainers.
We are doing exactly what you are saying.
This is the entire point of the vision we have with JointVentures.com.
Leasing is one aspect. A huge aspect. And most deals will revolve around a lease option or a creative deal where all parties come to the table. It takes an IDEA and credibility more than it takes money. But the idea must be sound. It must be profitable. It must be a winner and it can’t be small ball. It has to be with guys with not only big dreams, but big visions to carry out those big dreams.
We have a vision and we can dovetail our vision with the vision of a 3rd party startup or other. Type ins are a side element to what we do. It helps us weigh and validate a domain.
Some will come with a track record. Some will come with the passion that is needed to succeed and we all jump in together.
What we don’t focus on is brandable made up cutesy type names. That’s a game suited for others. Just not our foucs. Ours are mostly brandable generics.
To us this is all about rolling things out in phases. After January 31st you won’t be seeing much coming from us because our foucs changes. Right now we have one mission. Bringing the best set of domains we can put together that we beleive fits our vision. Then phase 2 starts and it does not include going to the domain community. It includes the clients we assemble to ove forward with. Each one doing everrything in their power to move this thing forward because it is in everyone’s self interest.
This is not a small undertaking. This is growing something from the ground up. None of us make any money unless we produce. That’s the key and we just have a set of old school keys that we will be using that will demonstrate results.
ri.sk
Yep, good points UFO, and it’s an interesting thought
that phone numbers could indeed merge in to domains.
I remember reading, oh years ago now, about a guy in
the UK who had sold his phone number (something like
07000 007 007) to an investigations type firm for
around £50,000 ($80,000 or so).
I think the reason why you hardly ever read about high
ph. number sales ‘though is because, unlike domain IP,
there is no hierarchy (in terms of value) in ph. numbers
and very few number combinations that mean anything…
I also like the synergy between ‘cherished’ car plates
and domains, and some years ago saw the plate V1 PTV up
for sale at only £600. Of course, when I enquired to the
owner of VIP.TV, to see if he wanted to sell, he wanted a
high price for it, lol…
Incidentally, re: paragraph 2, are you suggesting some
kind of ‘thought translator’?.. I know this kind of tech
-nology exists currently but it seems like a dangerous
step forward!..
n.b. Your point about ‘handful of co’s’ is well-taken,
and I think there’s always the risk of that. Certainly,
the .co.uk shenanigans in the UK recently has caused some
to think that businesses (as primary owners of .UK domains)
can now be recruited as unpaid policeman for the UK web.
Krishna
Rick, thank you for reply. I am hoping that entrepreneurs will not start their businesses with names like box.net (then buy .com for huge sum) and flickr (without”e”) just because they don’t have money. Now, they have the option called”lease”.
Good for both domainers and entrepreneurs.
RK
Let us spread the word big time and make our dreams come true.
I have placed a sale/lease/royalty/JV banner on over 10k of our parked domains.
Just check out the link in my name.
I will welcome your suggestions to improve the banner further.
Let’s start the campaign to spread this great vision among masses.
Jeff Schneider
Hello Rick,
For someone to argue the point that Brandable generics are not traffic aggregators is simply foolish.
The biggest barrier to selling this fact to End users is the current Ad company they are either working with or are aggressively being courted by in the process of marketing goods. Right now they command the largest pools of money with superior very convincing sales forces.
Brandable Generics will undoubtedly capture market share, to a point. The question then really is from that point of maximum traffic saturation where do the End users turn for Brand Differentiation. In other words what are consumers looking for really a Smartphone or an apple or a samsung or ???
Ad companiies still have a firm grip on the rudder that steers consumers to products. But generics defintely have a place in the marketing process.
Gratefully, Jeff Schneider (Contact Group) (Metal Tiger)
Danny Welsh
RE:”Domains certainly ARE an ‘address’ of sorts, and it’s
hard to imagine what might ever replace them.”
Easier than seeing the future of what might somehow ‘replace’ domain names, is to see what word-based domain names themselves replaced. A string of meaningless numbers that mean nothing in a commercial sense. And those number addresses STILL underlie the infrastructure of the web. But most people don’t have a clue they even exist.
123.456.7890
or
Candy.com
Only a tech geek who missed the last 15 years would think one was as good as another for the address of a BUSINESS selling Candy.
Remember, the first mainstream business people Rick Schwartz talked to about domain names DID think something like 123.456.7890 was a perfectly good”address” for their business online.
Now they know better.
RE:”text names will, I suppose, always be thought of as the most practical solution, even if the ways of finding them
are changed beyond (current day) recognition. So, I guess we’re stuck with text-based names!”
Yep, it’s safe to say that English speakers today will still speak English and write English tomorrow.
Danny Welsh
JointVentures.com
Adam
“Leasing domains is simply what we believe is the model most likely to be accepted in the next few years by the end user”
Can you please elaborate on why this would be a model that end users are going to accept ?
Danny Welsh
RE:”I have placed a sale/lease/royalty/JV banner on over 10k of our parked domains. Just check out the link in my name. Let’s start the campaign to spread this great vision among masses.”
Fan the flames baby!
Danny Welsh
JointVentures.com
ri.sk
Very good, Danny, thanks for that :-)
Danny Welsh
Sure, and partly it’s because they already are accepting it.
They are already seeing it as a win-win.
A GREAT domain name you feel is worth 6-7 figures and the business who is in a better position than the domain owner to turn it into a GREAT business can try it out for 5 figures a year.
The wind at their back forever for the cost in many cases of a corporate car or two each month (something many companies big and small already LEASE).
What’s not to like?
WIN-WIN is key, here.
No one is trying to”get one over” on a domain lessee.
Everybody has to be happy with these deals.
The non-sale creative deals with lease and JV take time to hammer out, some from 4-18 months from contact to contract.
Ask Rick, he’s been doing it since at least 1998 to my knowledge, maybe earlier. Nothing new, just accelerating like a freight train rocketing downhill after a long climb uphill.
Choo choo!
Danny Welsh
JointVentures.com
Jeff Schneider
Hello Rick,
I am amazed that knowone so far has come up with why this program will set the Industry Standard. Might I remind everybody that Rick is the top Lease and Sales CLOSER in our Industry.
Success is all about Sales Closers!
Gratefully, Jeff
ri.sk
Danny,
I must admit, I don’t know much about domain
name leasing… Are lessee’s able to fully
develop/promote the name then? (and not just
benefit from ‘type in’).
If so, how does that work, in terms of them
(potentially) making the leased domain much
more valuable?
KD
Rick, when you lease domains do you hold onto ownership and manage settings, or do you transfer ownership (and full control) to the other party with a carefully constructed contract?
Danny Welsh
RE:”Are lessee’s able to fully develop/promote the name then? (and not just benefit from ‘type in’).”
Of course! A domain is so much more than direct navigation traffic. Read my post today about selling the land with the oil versus selling the oil alone: http://www.ricksblog.com/my_weblog/2013/01/well-lets-just-sell-the-land-all-this-drilling-for-oil-selling-and-logistics-is-too-much-work.html
Type in traffic validates value. And it’s one variable in determining whether something is potentially leasable. But it ain’t even close to everything.
And to answer your other question, YES a developed domain may increase the value of an undeveloped domain. That’s one reason a lessee will want to see how they can buy out the lease. No different than a car you lease for a few years and really like. Just a better deal than in the car leasing model for the lease-turned-buyer on how Rick does it with domains.
Danny Welsh
JointVentures.com