Frank Schilling interview about the new gtlds

[equity78]

Q: You have one of the biggest and best .com portfolios out there, could you briefly tell us ‘when and why’ you decided to commit to the new gTLDs?

Frank Schilling: I am a domain name guy.. I remember watching grainy video of Vinton Cerf stating that he’d like to save .Web for IOD in the 2000 round that saw the addition of .INFO .. I got the sparkle in my eye to run a registry at that moment. I wasn’t sure new GTLD’s were going to be a game changer until ICANN decided to open the space to an unlimited number of New TLDs in this round. Prior to this names got metered out just a few at a time. If that pattern were to continue, .com would have been biggest forever. But with so many new names coming it is a certainty that there will be even more new GTLDs in the future. As that happens we are on an inexorable march from a World where there is one big GTLD with a dominant number of domain names in it; to a more fragmented world of thousands of G’s with less domain-names in each extension. I just knew I was going to participate in that evolution.

Q: Can you share with us, what types of research you did prior, to justify your choice of and prospects for, your GTLDs?

Frank Schilling: I did limited research and used the same gut instincts that drove me to register hundreds of thousands of domain-names in .com. There is certainly science to domain names and in business, but the kids who are good with the numbers don’t typically do as well in naming as those with a feel for popular culture and the art of human behavior. For example.. many applicants heavily relied on the number of times a word shows up in a .com name, the price of PPC for a name etc. Those type of criteria matter but I don’t believe there will be as precise a correlation to the number of domain name registrations you’ll get when that word acts as an extension. There are outlying circumstances that will skew registration volumes in certain strings up and down. Ultimately we picked the strings we’d like to run.


More at DotWhatever

 

[Kenny]

Thanks for the post, EQ.
I wonder, could FS have an agenda?

Peace,
Cy

 

[McDuke]

Thanks for the post, EQ.
I wonder, could FS have an agenda?

Peace,
Cy

I bet he gobbles up 50,000 Gtdl's and drops 20,000 .coms.

FS will want to match up / protect his premium .coms with the .whatevers. For him to do this he will want Gtdls to have value. So he publicly states that the internet is changing "which it is" to shoot down the skeptics and give Gtdls more validity.

 

[mjnels]

Thanks for the post, EQ.
I wonder, could FS have an agenda?

Peace,
Cy

always makes me scratch my head when this is type of thing is mentioned..

everyone on this forum has an agenda. unless you're suggesting charity is the major motivator of most people...

 

[Keith]

everyone on this forum has an agenda.

Not the same thing.

Frank is pumping something because he will make money from registrations. It would be the same thing if I owned every .pw and preached how it was going to change the landscape of the internet. All the while hoping a sucker comes along and buys some from me.

Forum members are here for many reasons. Pumping and dumping is far down the list for the majority IMO.

 

[HeyNow]

I think there is a pending attempt to separate us from our money. Interesting that this thread was started by a moderator. I'm not sure of the significance of that fact, but my instinct tells me there's behind the scenes plans to exploit the economic power we possess as a group here.

I believe we are being manipulated.

 

[mjnels]

Not the same thing.

Frank is pumping something because he will make money from registrations. It would be the same thing if I owned every .pw and preached how it was going to change the landscape of the internet. All the while hoping a sucker comes along and buys some from me.

Forum members are here for many reasons. Pumping and dumping is far down the list for the majority IMO.

yeah but it is sorta the same thing as...

.COM domainers that hold large amounts of .COM domains pumping how great .COM's are so they can charge whatever they want.

".COM is so prestigious you're an idiot if you use anything else."

thats an agenda. it may be an agenda that works for them.. but its still an agenda.

 

[Keith]

yeah but it is sorta the same thing as...

.COM domainers that hold large amounts of .COM domains pumping how great .COM's are so they can charge whatever they want.

".COM is so prestigious you're an idiot if you use anything else."

thats an agenda. it may be an agenda that works for them.. but its still an agenda.

Prestigious .com aren't that way because portfolio owners sold the world a line of bs. They're prestigious because the entire world chooses to build businesses almost solely on .com domains. The market determines true value, not the few people who hold premium inventory.

I'm not sure it's an agenda when someone holds out for top dollar on a "in demand" product. Now, saying how great something is going to be before it becomes public when you own all the actual product, well, that's an agenda if I've ever seen one!

 

[mjnels]

Prestigious .com aren't that way because portfolio owners sold the world a line of bs. They're prestigious because the entire world chooses to build businesses almost solely on .com domains. The market determines true value, not the few people who hold premium inventory.

I'm not sure it's an agenda when someone holds out for top dollar on a "in demand" product. Now, saying how great something is going to be before it becomes public when you own all the actual product, well, that's an agenda if I've ever seen one!

its still an agenda even if its an "in demand" product because you can still "overpay" for that in-demand product... listening to some domainers they'd lead you to think most .COM's are priceless and that everything is a good deal if you're an end user...

 

[Keith]

its still an agenda even if its an "in demand" product because you can still "overpay" for that in-demand product... listening to some domainers they'd lead you to think most .COM's are priceless and that everything is a good deal if you're an end user...

Hmm, not to debate the definition of "agenda" but premium .com owners didn't hatch a plan to get a specific amount of money for their inventory. Instead, time, development, and demand have dictated certain valuations.

It's almost impossible to say if someone overpaid for a domain without knowing why they bought it. If you have a good business plan, the right .com might be priceless. I can't say the same for a .us, .me, .knockoff because they aren't proven on a global scale.

 

[mjnels]

sooo convincing someone to pay $200,000 for a .COM isnt an agenda.. but trying to sell a new unproven .whatever for $27.95 is an agenda.. oh boy

somethings gotta give and probably will..

 

[SpareDomains]

Think it will be the usual story. Top keywords will do well. Handful of extensions will gain some traction where others not so much. You'll hear all the stories of the successful extensions/sales to continue the hype yet you won't hear as much about the domainers that go broke when their gamble doesn't pan out. Few become rich, hundreds go broke, choose wisely.

 

[equity78]

Most domainers should not even be looking at any new gtld. The other thing is this is going to be a long game, we are not even in the top of the first inning of a game that is going extra innings.

There will be so many extensions coming out for years, names like .web or .online are probably going to take a lot more time before general availability. So there is always going to be some hot new thing, customers will be looking at Go Daddy with a what the heck ? A month ago you told me I had to get a hot new .club and now you are talking to me about .site. etc...

There is also the difference between novelty type extensions like .sexy and business oriented extensions like .media or .corp. I think the business extensions will keep a higher renewal rate. If the younger generation is regging .sexy it has to stay cool for them, it also has to be priced cheaply. It still might not catch on, but it makes sense to know who you are selling to, I don't think most businesses will be regging a .sexy.

The one thing I don't get, is some people don't even want these mentioned, they are coming, holding your ears, closing your eyes is not going to stop that. I think most are not going to do well but everyone right now has a plan for success. It then becomes what Mike Tyson said years ago,"Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the mouth."

A lot of strings are going to get punched in the mouth, those with some marketing know how and focus on their core clientele may do ok. Now the registry doing ok does not mean investors will, so they have to be looked at as high risk with a potential for a decent ROI from the registries not asking outrageous prices.

 

[mjnels]

Think it will be the usual story. Top keywords will do well. Handful of extensions will gain some traction where others not so much. You'll hear all the stories of the successful extensions/sales to continue the hype yet you won't hear as much about the domainers that go broke when their gamble doesn't pan out. Few become rich, hundreds go broke, choose wisely.

*cough* *cough*

...you mean like the "sale" of sportsbook.mobi for $129,800 that you "brokered"

so hey, was that a real sale or just some fake hype? cause it sure seemed like fake stuff.

 

[Keith]

sooo convincing someone to pay $200,000 for a .COM isnt an agenda.. but trying to sell a new unproven .whatever for $27.95 is

No and yes.

Nobody has to convince someone to pay large amounts for .com because demand has already set the bar. Ebet selling for a million plus is a perfect example. Rick didn't convince the buyer to make the offer. It was worth it to the buyer to pay heavily for a trusted brand vs a few bucks for a knockoff. Plain and simple!

Frank on the other hand is saying new gtlds, which he owns, will change the face of the internet. Problem is, nobody has heard of these and they aren't proven to have any value. Would you buy a flying car tomorrow if Frank told you they were a great investment? Oh and FYI, he owns the only factory making them so your purchase will line his pockets :o

 

[mjnels]

its inaccurate to say "nobody has to convince someone to pay large amount for .com"

they may need less of an arm twisting when they realize everyone else on the internet uses .com so "you should too"... but there is probably going to come a moment in time where a lot of people collectively say "hey, with 1,000+ specific extensions in existence why should i pay 50K asking price for the .com (or even 10k) when i can get the one word .whatever for $80...or $500..

there is eventually a breaking point and an awakening that .biz, .mobi, .info, .travel, .aero couldnt provide with them being released in such a staggered manner, a couple TLD's per year. with thousands it suddenly becomes more normal. domainers today want to stop the snowball from going down the hill. but its rolling, and rolling, and rolling.... then suddenly some of these domainers are old people shaking their fist at the new generation even tho its unfolding in front of them...

its different this time guys. really..

 

[DU]

Interesting that this thread was started by a moderator. I'm not sure of the significance of that fact, but my instinct tells me there's behind the scenes plans to exploit the economic power we possess as a group here.

I believe we are being manipulated.

Interesting that this negative post came from Heynow. I'm not sure of the significance of that, but my instinct tells me that there's a behind the scenes plan to ruin the domaining industry by influencing the the group here.... or.....are his instincts correct?

Could it really be that Equity and Frank are best buds and they took a review at all the $xx bids on 4 letter dot coms and thought that the best strategy to make money was to start a thread here at this forum in the form of a few Q&A and a link to an external blog?

.. but there is probably going to come a moment in time where a lot of people collectively say "hey, with 1,000+ specific extensions in existence why should i pay 50K asking price for the .com (or even 10k) when i can get the one word .whatever for $80...or $500..

There comes a time when people should be asking why should I pay 50K for any name ... and that time started years ago. (Though there are clearly exceptions).

 

[mjnels]

There comes a time when people should be asking why should I pay 50K for any name ... and that time started years ago. (Though there are clearly exceptions).

shhhh dont ruin the fantasy. there are people here probably in the middle of negociation for that one prized .com for 15k... just like their kings and queens of domains instructed them.

oh yeah, its sooo worth it as a domainer to buy that "one premium .com" because it can "only go up in value." :lol:

this message brought to you by "its not an agenda i swear"

 

[Keith]

shhhh dont ruin the fantasy. there are people here probably in the middle of negociation for that one prized .com for 15k... just like their kings and queens of domains instructed them.

oh yeah, its sooo worth it as a domainer to buy that "one premium .com" because it can "only go up in value." :lol:

this message brought to you by "its not an agenda i swear"

You keep referring to .com owners and their agenda to sell. All the while you fail to realize the years of worldwide use, demand, and recognition that .com has over every other extension. Is selling gold at today's price an agenda?

 

[mjnels]

You keep referring to .com owners and their agenda to sell. All the while you fail to realize the years of worldwide use, demand, and recognition that .com has over every other extension. Is selling gold at today's price an agenda?

oh, the gold comparison...

whats this morning's trading price on "a good .com name" ?