Domain Name Wire Podcast Winning the brandable game – DNW Podcast #552
Sep 15, 2025
Michael Rader, a seasoned domain investor and founder of BrandRoot, shares his journey from a DMV employee to a successful brandable domains entrepreneur. He reveals his recent surge in registering nearly 2,000 domains and reflects on the emotional ties to his portfolio. Listeners learn about the evolution of BrandRoot, its sale, and how insights on market trends shape strategic decisions. Rader also introduces tools that streamline domain research, turning laborious tasks into swift processes while discussing effective pricing strategies and transitioning into full-time investing.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Humble Start At The DMV
- Michael Rader started domaining while studying web development and working at the DMV, inspired by a coworker's hustle.
- He sold early names on eBay with logos and then moved into four-letter domains and BrandBucket.
Quitting The Job To Scale Brandroot
- Michael left his web design job after prioritizing Brandroot promotion and got fired after missing work for entrepreneurial events.
- He used unemployment and a $10,000 domain sale to fully commit to running Brandroot.
Negative SEO Led To Exit
- Brandroot grew strongly but suffered a negative SEO attack in 2019 that dropped Google rankings.
- Burned out, Michael sold Brandroot to BrandBucket and then took a two-year break from work.