Domain Investor Impostor Syndrome

For most domain investors, the business of domain investing is unpredictable. Some months bring big sales or many sales that make me feel fantastic. In other months, there is little action in the way of deals and reasonable offers. It can be quite boring on the sell-side. This “feast or famine” cycle of domain investing can take a toll on experienced investors, and it can lead to a feeling of impostor syndrome. Michael Radar posted about this on X and I think most domain investors can relate.

Impostor syndrome is the feeling that success is undeserved or that I am not as skilled as people may believe based on my presence and longevity in the domain investment space. In the business of domain investing, it can creep in during slow periods when offers and sales are few and far between. I might start questioning whether past sales were lucky, whether I really know how to pick desirable names, or if I am falling behind colleagues whose businesses seem to be crushing it.

Part of the challenge is that domain investing has little steady income. While there are LTO deals that are paid out monthly, the majority of my income comes from strong domain name sales. At times, this business can feel like riding a roller coaster. Some months are great and others are mid, as my kids would probably say.

Even the most successful domain investors go through dry spells. Market trends shift, buyer budgets change, the economy can be uncertain, and there are many other reasons why deals don’t close. Sometimes the offers are there, but they aren’t high enough to consider. It can be frustrating and lead to some level of self doubt.

With social media, there is almost always someone sharing a big sale or deal. This is part encouraging because it feels like I may have similar domain names that could be sold. It is also partly discouraging, especially if it seems like these highlight sales are coming when things have been on the slow side for my business. This can make self-doubt even worse.

Ups and downs are a big part of this business. Successful investors churn a very small percentage of their portfolio each year. Some of the top investors may sell fewer than a handful of domain names because they don’t need to push deals through and will only sell for top dollar. Just because you’re not closing deals every week doesn’t mean you’ve lost your skills or your portfolio is bad.

One way to fight impostor syndrome is to keep your good sales in mind and remind yourself of them during quiet periods. Go through your old leads and remind yourself of the deals you made and how they came about. Understand that by keeping up with trends and making good buys, the deals will return.

Domain investing rewards persistence and patience. A single deal can make up for months of silence, and often the payoff comes to those who keep showing up. The slower periods will probably challenge your confidence as they can do to mine, but there are peaks and valleys in every business.