21min chapter

#711: Andrew Rosener — Becoming The Hokkaido Scallop King, Leasing Blue Chip URLs, Life Tenets from Charlie Tuna, Selling 8-Figure Domains, and More

The Tim Ferriss Show

notes

CHAPTER

Buying vs. Leasing Domain Names

The chapter explores the pros and cons of buying or leasing domain names for startups. It discusses the complex process of valuating domain names and the risks associated with buying. The conversation also highlights the advantages of leasing, including de-risking and the potential for passive income.

00:00

Transcript

Episode notes

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Andrew Rosener (@andrewrosener) is the founder and CEO of MediaOptions, which has been the #1 domain broker in the world for the last six consecutive years. Since 2008, Andrew has been involved in more than $600 million dollars in domain sales and has played a pivotal role in numerous high-profile domain-name transactions, including X.com to Elon Musk, Zoom.com to Zoom, and Prime.com and Podcast.com to Amazon, as well as thousands of others.

Andrew is an inductee of the Domain Name Hall of Fame; he was named Domain Investor of the Year by TRAFFIC; and he is the creator of the Rosener Equation, a formula for objectively valuing domain names, widely adopted by the industry.

Andrew is also the owner of DomainSherpa.com, the industry’s leading educational podcast.

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[00:00] Start

[07:06] Who is Charlie Tuna, and what are his tenets?

[30:11] Presidential ham and the value of owning coveted domains.

[34:35] Tess Diaz enters the picture.

[39:25] A domain industry overview.

[43:14] Domain investors vs. domain squatters.

[46:21] Getting a late start in the game.

[50:16] Brokering the sale of pizza.net.

[56:50] Why relocate to Panama in the midst of building a business that needed to make $250 per day?

[1:00:40] Leasing vs. buying a domain as a startup.

[1:10:36] Leasing vs. selling a domain as a holder.

[1:13:42] How important is securing your brand as a .com?