I’ve come to notice that many domain companies are run by professional business people rather than domainers. This isn’t really a bad thing, as I sometimes wish I had a CEO to guide me, but it seems that many of these companies want to distance themselves as far from domainers as possible. Some of these large domain companies don’t even consider themselves domain investors – be it that they are above the term or just think they are more than simply domainers. Whatever the case may be, many have made it clear that they aren’t domainers.
Be that as it may, 2009 is going to be difficult for many of these companies. People who identify themselves as domainers or domain investors tend to be entrepreneurial and are flexible when it comes to their business. They see all of the minor details going on with their domain investments and can make changes rapidly. Minor adjustments can make major revenue differences, and flexible companies can easily adapt. Companies with considerable upper management take forever to adapt, and they are expensive to run.
In the corporate world, I attended many meetings. Sometimes we joked about just how “expensive the meetings were” when there were layers of senior management in attendance. Large companies in the domain space should begin to look deep within themselves and see what everyone else sees on the outside. They should embrace the domainer culture, and become more efficient and better companies. Domainers will make it through this difficult economy by using their creativity and ingenuity. Will they make it?
we’re trying to balance doing both, but being domain entrepreneurs comes first. Its not the best lifestyle staying up day and night, but we sure learn a lot from reading blogs like yours.
Very true. One of the reasons we were able to survive the DOT COM but, while many competitors closed shop – was due to the fact that our cost structure was far less, allowing us to be more nimble than companies 3X our size with the same business model.
Interesting post Elliot.
I havent noticed this trend to much.
I do agree when I contact some people about brokering a domain I never pitch it them saying as you are a “Domainer”
Again I dont blame many companies not wanting to call themself domainers as alot bad people in this industry give us bad names – i.e Cybersquatters!
Regards,
Robbie
Hi Elliot – Aren’t you the CEO of your business? 🙂
This is going to be a very interesting year for *all* businesses. Small businesses and entrepreneurs will do much better than they dying elephants of the corporate world, just as they are now. It is not going to be easy, will take a lot of sweat and brain cells, but for myself at least I wouldn’t have it any other way!
mp/m
Domain companies themselves don’t know what to consider their core businesses / operations so they cannot categorize it accordingly. They are technology companies one day.. Another day they are media companies… Another day they are investment groups…. Sheesh 😉
Identity crisis? Yup…. Always has been this way and will be. Domains just aren’t mainstream.
The corporate guys and guys who made/make their living off domains are almost always embraced as “entrepreneurs” or technology leaders, etc.
Best,
Mike
http://www.wannadevelop.com