discuss Happy New Years - What is your 2020 Forecast?

Nice post Rob,

I'm not going to go through all the Epik threads, but is the below something you have implemented or thinking about setting up? There is definitely a strong market for this.......

Digital brands not domains: I believe during 2020, we'll see a big pivot from selling naked domains to selling integrated brands. Squadhelp and Flippa were only the appetizer there.

NicholasB said:

Nice post Rob,

I'm not going to go through all the Epik threads, but is the below something you have implemented or thinking about setting up? There is definitely a strong market for this.......

Digital brands not domains: I believe during 2020, we'll see a big pivot from selling naked domains to selling integrated brands. Squadhelp and Flippa were only the appetizer there.

Click to expand...

@DnFolk is leading the brand search here:

https://www.namepros.com/threads/he...e-ultimate-digital-brand-marketplace.1167901/

Hope to have something live in Q1 with a very rapid pace of innovation behind it.

Look for this solution to integrate cloud hosting so that people buy and sell entire sites already in the cloud, fully turn-key with no surprises.

thanks for all the time gave community, Rob.

You inspire me and excited for Epik's continued growth and trajectory.

Samer

Samer said:

thanks for all the time gave community, Rob.

You inspire me and excited for Epik's continued growth and trajectory.

Samer

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Thanks Samer.

And to be fair, it was you who told me that I was coming up on Post # 3000, so the NP community can thank you for the inspiration to spill my guts with some predictions.

Will be great year for "new gTLD" investors

Rob Monster said:

This is post # 3,000 at NamePros. So I thought to make it a meaty one.

First of all, I extend a warm Happy New Year blessing to all. May your domaining efforts be fruitful, and may your use of sale proceeds be wisely aligned to the things you feel called to do in 2020!

In the meantime, some folks have asked me for my 2020 predictions. Well, I am no prophet, but I will share some scenarios that I think would be not unreasonable to see unfold:

• Namepros' Alexa rank clears 10,000: After a steep incline in 2019, the NP growth engine keeps humming and clears Alexa rank of 10,000 like a hot knife through butter.

• Emerging markets set the outbound pace: The industry onboards 100,000 new domain investors in 2020 alone. Many find their way to NamePros and learn how to outbound from industry pros.

• PIR acquisition: Despite flag-waving by industry pundits, the deal goes through. The price increase does not happen as the dust settles. After all, the .ORG deal was not about price anyway.

• Godaddy restructuring: During Q1 2020, Godaddy announces housecleaning -- takes out $2 billion of intangible trash. Stock gets rocked. Private equity players directed by Fadi Chehade are in the mix

• Industry consolidation: Look for DAN, Efty, Escrow.com and Uniregistry all to be acquired in 2020. Godaddy will be a buyer of innovation as they throw in the towel on building great tech internally.

• Hidden hands exposed: Thanks to high impact forensic work by a network of truthseekers in the domain community, the hidden hands behind Cloudflare and LetsEncrypt begin to come to light.

• WHOIS makes a comeback: After 18 months of emasculation, WHOIS makes a triumphant return with the launch of GDPR-compliant WHOQ.com.

• Cloud hosting goes mainstream: An explosion of cPanel sites will move into the cloud thanks to technologies like CloudChase which will bring cloud migration tools for non-technical people.

• 3N.com domain market moonshots: 3N.com domains clear 7 figures as the industry consolidates into very strong hands.

• Digital brands not domains: I believe during 2020, we'll see a big pivot from selling naked domains to selling integrated brands. Squadhelp and Flippa were only the appetizer there.

• NameLiquidate.com shocks expiry stream economy: The new upstart site becomes the #1 place for liquidating expiring domains, sending shockwaves through the expiry economy.

• WIPO UDRP thuggery thwarted: After a year of boundary testing by WIPO, the industry calls bullsh*t on the overreach and fights back. Sunlight proves to be a potent detergent in 2020.

• Super-broker Andrew Rosener sells Clear.com for mind blowing $10 million: Sure, it sounds like a crazy moonshot, but Andrew does crazy deals like few others!

So, that's it for my 2020 predictions. Let's see what happens.

In the meantime, curious to hear what folks think will happen in the next 12 months that impacts our industry and community.

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Some great predictions,

If anyone knows what's going to happen in the domain Industry in 2020 it's going to be you considering all the experience and knowledge that you have in this field.

But, don't forget about the impact that AI is going to have on the domain Industry (and the whole World for that matter) starting gradually in the year 2020.

We have to plan ahead to make sure that whatever effects AI and Automation are going to have that it will be for the better.

Happy New Year to you and everyone else at NamePros


IMO

Congratulations on your 3000 NamePros post!

And Rob, all of your posts have more meat than a chain of steakhouses!

Your interesting forecasts for 2020 are intriguing although a few are far more advanced than my domain brain can process and, that is what I admire and appreciate about all of your posts.

Reading your posts elevates my knowledge of the realm of domains as you obviously are involved with domains at the highest level and can dispense knowledge to the masses in an understandable and logical flow.

Just an opinion of course, I believe 2020 will be a pretty good year for the industry although not necessarily a breakout year.

Then again, how does one define or quantify what a " breakout " year is?

And best wishes to all for a Happy and Prosperous New Year!

Again, Congrats on the 3000 post!

My 2020 predictions:

• .org sale is halted # Believe in miracles
• I finally price tier my portfolio
• Move all my names to Epik
• Epik Further disruption new services
• LLLL.coms’ liquid market, goes back up after rough patch. (Supply and demand)
• .com further growth (sorry, ngtld fans)
• Stock market continues record growth
• Crypto continue growth and acceptance

Samer

... Verisign's cellar is loaded with older vintages of 1 letter .com's such as o .com, and will be available for purchase via online auction starting ... Q3 2020

Rob, congratulations on your 3,000 post and Happy New Year!!
Also, may your working efforts be fruitful and your business have even bigger grow in 2020, you are on the good path for that, no doubt!!

And Happy New Year for everybody at NamePros!!

Thanks for the post with so much to think about, @Rob Monster!

I agree that Emerging Markets will be ever more important, in 2020 and indeed in the coming decade.

I had earlier hypothesized that we will not see another 8-figure sale in 2020, although more 7-figure .com sales than disclosed this year. However, if there was to be a $10 million plus sale it seems a safe bet that Andrew Rosener could well be the seller, and clear seems a pretty likely name to sell. Certainly to me it is worth as much as voice, probably more.

Digital brands not naked domains is perhaps the most interesting prediction, and will be interesting to see how that develops.

Thanks again,

Bob

PS In case some reading this did not realize there is a thread started by @Silentptnr for anyone to give their 2020 predictions.
https://www.namepros.com/threads/2020-predictions-for-the-domain-industry.1169599/

2020 predictions...OK here goes.

Decentralization of the internet takes huge strides. Peer to Peer (p2p) file sharing, storage and hosting develops into more user friendly interfaces. Interplanetary File System emerges as the clear cut leader (IPFS).

Decentralized apps are accessed with decentralized browsers and are able to link p2p file sharing with blockchain domains. The decentralized (Web3.0 or Dweb) becomes accessible for users with very little tech knowledge needed. Using the right decentralized browser content becomes available with a simple blockchain domain. Mass adoption of Web3.0 comes later, but the seeds are planted in 2020.

ICANN and the FAANG's (Facebook, Apple, Amazon, Netflix, Google) take notice of the decentralized web and develop contingency plans. Some onboard, some resist. Those that resist secretly develop around this space. The one thing big tech understands is that technology and innovation never stop. Changes are inevitable and can happen quickly under Moore's Law.

We will see great changes with the internet this decade. Just as smart phones changed the current decade, the decentralized web will change our fast approaching decade.

Regardless of developments in tech, have a Happy New Year, love lots and hug the people that need it!...Cheers!!

Bob Hawkes said:

PS In case some reading this did not realize there is a thread started by @Silentptnr for anyone to give their 2020 predictions.

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Bob, as indicated in his original post I believe that Rob is making a Forecast for the domain Industry in 2020 , although we might call this Predictions, but there might be a slight difference in making a Forecast from making a Prediction.

I might be wrong, but the way that I look at this is that anyone can make a Prediction, but there are only certain people with the right qualifications who can make a Forecast in any given Industry.

IMO

Good one from @rohitgoyal just now. Had to share.



I anticipate a high impact year ahead for a lot of folks in this industry.

oldtimer said:

Bob, as indicated in his original post I believe that Rob is making a Forecast for the domain Industry in 2020 , although we might call this Predictions, but there might be a slight difference in making a Forecast from making a Prediction.

I might be wrong, but the way that I look at this is that anyone can make a Prediction, but there are only certain people with the right qualifications who can make a Forecast for in any given Industry.

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I certainly agree that some are much more qualified to make accurate forecasts, although to me the words prediction and forecast are pretty synonymous. e.g. the definition of forecast is "predict or estimate (a future event or trend)." In any case I certainly recognize that Rob has a knowledge base few have in making the forecast.

My point was more that those who wish to make their own predictions perhaps could more appropriately do so in the existing thread, unless they are reactions to the things that Rob forecasts here. I certainly think it is appropriate that Rob started a thread for his own forecast.

Thanks to all who have contributed to either, or both, threads!

Bob

oldtimer said:

Bob, as indicated in his original post I believe that Rob is making a Forecast for the domain Industry in 2020 , although we might call this Predictions, but there might be a slight difference in making a Forecast from making a Prediction.

I might be wrong, but the way that I look at this is that anyone can make a Prediction, but there are only certain people with the right qualifications who can make a Forecast in any given Industry.

IMO

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Forecast or prediction, it's all for fun I believe. Unless I am wrong. Which, with forecasts and predictions, I often wish I am wrong.

Bob Hawkes said:

I certainly agree that some are much more qualified to make accurate forecast, although to me the words prediction and forecast are pretty synonymous. e.g. the definition of forecast is "predict or estimate (a future event or trend)." In any case I certainly recognize that Rob has a knowledge base few have in making the forecast.

My point was more that those who wish to make their own predictions perhaps could more appropriately do it in the existing thread, unless they are reactions to the things that Rob forecasts here. I certainly think it is appropriate that Rob started a thread for his own forecast.

Thanks to all who have contributed to either, or both, threads!

Bob

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But that thread wasnt posted on New Yrs eve

makes this 2020 predictions, more special

Samer

Bob Hawkes said:

I certainly agree that some are much more qualified to make accurate forecast, although to me the words prediction and forecast are pretty synonymous. e.g. the definition of forecast is "predict or estimate (a future event or trend)." In any case I certainly recognize that Rob has a knowledge base few have in making the forecast.

My point was more that those who wish to make their own predictions perhaps could more appropriately do it in the existing thread, unless they are reactions to the things that Rob forecasts here. I certainly think it is appropriate that Rob started a thread for his own forecast.

Thanks to all who have contributed to either, or both, threads!

Bob

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Forecasts can include specific measurable outcomes but also can include events.

Overall I am really bullish for .com in 2020. The outlook is hazier for other TLDs.

I do see a lot of stuff. And so without breaking confidentiality, I offer my perspective.

I also wanted to extend a personal blessing to everyone here for a good year.

Internet.Domains said:

Forecast or prediction, it's all for fun I believe. Unless I am wrong. Which, with forecasts and predictions, I often wish I am wrong.

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Well when it comes to Forecasting how a certain Industry is going to behave it's more about business than fun, like those who make financial or stock market Forecasts, but there is no rule that says it doesn't have to be fun at the same time, after all we set the rules for the domain Industry ourselves.

IMO

oldtimer said:

Well when it comes to Forecasting how a certain Industry is going to behave it's more about business than fun, like those who make financial or stock market Forecasts, but there is no rule that says it doesn't have to be fun at the same time, after all we set the rules for the domain Industry ourselves.

IMO

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I am a firm believer that regardless of how serious something should be that you are at your best when you have fun.

Internet.Domains said:

I am a firm believer that regardless of how serious something should be that you are at your best when you have fun.

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I agree, domaining should be fun above all else, at least that's the way that I look at it as a hobbyist and collector of mostly hand registered domains.

IMO

Samer said:

But that thread wasnt posted on New Yrs eve

makes this 2020 predictions, more special

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Ah but the other thread on 2020 predictions is more aged (by a few days), and some people here think that age is important!

Bob (a well-aged person with under-aged domains in general)

Just 1 hopeful prediction for 2020...

Epik strikes a deal with Payoneer and enabled many users another way to get their massive payouts

eternaldomains said:

Just 1 hopeful prediction for 2020...

Epik strikes a deal with Payoneer and enabled many users another way to get their massive payouts

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I feel EPIK's current payout is "adequate and fast"...