Well did you get the result you wanted from last night’s Superbowl? I am going to pick a team to follow this year as NFL isn’t really a big sport here in Scotland, I might need some help on choosing a team to follow and hope they make it to the Superbowl next year…
Back to domains, I came across this article on SF Weekly, I hadn’t heard and don’t know much about Jordan Siberry but thought I would share this story below.
Modern day Technology entrepreneur Jordan Siberry took some time out of his hectic schedule to sit down and give some insight into his domain portfolio. Located in Miami for over 20 years but originally from Canada, Siberry has had the best opportunity to see tech take storm, ride the wave, and come out on top. From getting started on his desktop machine in his basement as a teenager, he now manages a wealth of domains from his phone. We find out how he started, how it’s been, and the future as he sees it.
Domains, can you help explain the value in them? To me, and many others, they are just words you write with “.com” at the end in the top bar
Jordan S: Yeah that’s essentially the face value of what they are. But they are actually like virtual real estate. Think about it when you buy a home, Location, location, location. So anyone that wants the easiest way of being found, you want the best naming domain for your website. Some domains are worth more than others, just like property in the real world.
Ah, ok so you’re like a virtual property manager. So what gives a domain more value than the others?
Jordan: It boils down to the website owner’s value of it really. Is a short, simple 4-5 letter domain best? Probably. But you see domains out there that are quite long, more of a phrase, that are easily memorable and easily attainable. Any business or individual decides on what is the desired domain name and how it will relate to their website and goes from there. Seeing if it’s available to register, if not, who owns it and what price it might be.
Can you give an example of some domains you’ve had or currently have? Maybe tell us who you’ve sold some to?
Jordan: Over the years, I’ve bought and sold countless domain names. Some you hit home runs on, some are more of a base hit. I was fortunate to be involved with brokering some pretty great sounding domains also – cookie.com, nerd.com, politics.com, workout.com. One that I used to own that I sold was libra.org. I actually sold that to Facebook, or Meta now. They wanted it for a digital token currency to use within their universe. I honestly haven’t kept up or followed it, but it’s kind of fun knowing that I had negotiated with such a powerful company, even knowing I had something they wanted is kind of a compliment.
So why start with domains at all? What tipped you off this was a viable industry?
Jordan: It was kind of a lucky guess. The internet had just started, I read about how it worked and learned to a small extent the back end of what websites kind of were. I saw how a few big companies were using them, and I just started kind of seeing what was out there, word wise. I went after terms or common words, vs. big companies. I wasn’t trying to compete with that. I slowly started growing a portfolio, and then one day someone approached me with a sizable offer of one of my domains. It clicked in my head, and I saw the opportunity. Since it was still a new thing, the internet, there were still a lot of domains out there to register. Luckily, I was in the right place at the right time to capitalize and here I am today.
Don’t sell yourself short, there’s a bit of skill in recognizing a good opportunity. Besides the one to FB, do you have any other big name domains you might have had and sold or still have?
Jordan: One of my favorite ones was just that, fav.com. I had a lot of fun with that one. It was another hobby project, kind of putting together lists and panels of favorite things by people. Similar to Pinterest. It started to get some real traction and engagement. Unfortunately, it was another victim of not enough hours in the day for me to dedicate to. I saw the potential in it, and wasn’t able to really give it the love it deserved. I was approached by a technology group in San Diego that had some interest, and honestly I kind of wanted to see what they would do with it. I’m a sucker for success. It’s too good of a name to sit there and waste. So I sold it to them and they ended up doing something really cool with it, took it in a direction I never would’ve come up with. It’s similar to libra.org. I’m not a part of the end product but it’s cool to see where it started and how it transitioned there.
Is domain management your day to day?
Jordan: No, not anymore. I can’t say it ever was my full time gig, I definitely spent a lot of time on it, but it wasn’t something I solely relied on. Again, it was fun for me, it was a hobby. I enjoy trying to figure out what has potential, and either doing it for myself or holding on to it till someone else wants to develop it. It’s a way for me to unwind, even if it keeps me stuck on a screen.
Is it Hard to sell a domain name? How does the process work?
Jordan: It’s actually quite easy, much easier than say real estate. Most people will prefer to use a service like escrow.com which protects both the buyer and the seller. The buyer will give the funds to escrow.com, the seller will give the domain to escrow.com and once all the conditions are met, the money is transferred to the seller and the domain transferred to the buyer. Escrow is generally the final part of the process, the negotiation is usually what takes the longest. A deal like Libra.org with Facebook, took months of back and forth, but a deal for DivorceLawyers.com which I sold to the Major Law Firm Cordell & Cordell, took 48 hours.
Like property in the real world, is there ever a point where all the domains are taken? Granted land is finite, and still a ways to go, but you see how new areas are being invested in. Will domains reach that level?
Jordan: Yes and no. In theory, we would get to a point where there are no more real words or phrases that are available. But we have different domain extensions that are being incorporated, new words are invented, it’s technology. Something new is always being invented and created. Is it tougher than it used to be? Of course. Does that mean it’ll end or be done? I don’t think so personally. Have to be more creative, think outside the box, and hustle more. The cream rises to the top.
If someone would want to reach you and talk domains? How could they best do it?
Jordan: I don’t spend too much time on social media but they can reach me on Jordan Siberry Twitter or Jordan Siberry Instagram Recently I started writing about the Metaverse and other technology topics on Medium
