28
2009
A Generic Domain is Like a Harvard Degree
I have a feeling this post might ruffle some feathers on both aisles so why don’t I start by apologizing to those whose feathers I might ruffle. To those who simply do not agree with me. It is OK, we both have a right to be wrong .
When you are a domainer, you see domains in almost anything. A couple of days ago, I was watching a documentary on the Harvard Business School. I couldn’t help but notice the similarities between generic domains and the salient points enumerated by the Harvard MBA’s shows presenter.
Most business schools wish they are Harvard
Most domainers wished there domains are generic
Most MBA holders wish there MBA is from Harvard
Most non generic domain end users wish there domains are generic.
A Harvard MBA cost a boat load of money
A category killer generic domain cost a ship Load of Money
Doors open more readily for you with a Harvard MBA
Doors open more readily for you with a generic domain
Employers pay more attention to you when you have a Harvard MBA
Investors and advertisers pay more attention to you when you have a generic domain.
OK fair and square, I have made both sides of the aisles happy. You can go on and on with this analogy to no end.
Now lets talk about when the rubber meets the road. While there are numerous super successful Harvard MBA holders, some of the worlds top business men never went to Harvard. Bill Gates, The founders of Google, Amazon.com’s Jeffrey Preston Bezos– close but not quite – Princeton University. Even our own Domain King, Rick Schwartz does not have a Harvard MBA
Even without a Harvard MBA these gentlemen have stood a pace ahead of there peers proving once again that “The race of life is not won by the fastest or the strongest but by the man who thinks he will”
The same scenario applies to generic domains. While there are lots of very successful generic domains out there online, yet the top businesses are by no means generic. I will list a few here:
It is ebay not auction
it is GoDaddy not Domains
it is Google not Search or Ask
It is Amazon not Shop (Close again but not quite– See earlier mention of ”Princeton”)
It is Craiglist not Classifieds
it is YouTube not Video
I can go on and on and am sure so can you.
This post is not intended to diminish the significance of a Harvard MBA or Generic domains but instead to let you know that you can still succeed in this business of domaining even if you do not have either of them.
“…..for it is He who is giving you power to make wealth….”, Deuteronomy 8:18
I am not by any means advocating buying worthless names but if you cast your hopes in God, the domain in your portfolio that everyone overlooked might become the gem of tomorrow. God is still in the business of giving ideas. With one great idea you can be catapulted to a level beyond your wildest dreams.
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding“. Proverbs 3:5
Finally think of these words when next you hear a bad news about the economy this year
You crown the year with your bounty and your carts overflow with abundance Pslam 65 : 11
10 Comments »
RSS feed for comments on this post. TrackBack URL
Leave a Reply
I used to think that too.
Until I read the article about this guy earning $10m on just one hr a day work with plentyoffish.com
A domain name is a useless entity – that makes individuals like Kevin Ham actually fantasize they are the king of the Interent – (uber ego trips) unless you have a clever and differentiating, cost realistic business model and credit lines to support the infrastructure and sale force to make a dime.
Sure, there are exceptions to the rule where an idiot mesmerized by a Madoff clone will pay $10m for a domain name, but hmm.. that seems to have the same odds as pull a Jackpot machine in Las Vegas.
Good luck guys. Develop your domains, but develop them only with a good SWOT analysis on how you will maintain your differentiation as thousands of new sites hit the web each day.
Great Post.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I agree with you.
Anything is possible when we believe in it.
@Terence and Frankie,
Both of you are citing extreme examples of success to downplay the value of a generic domain or a Harvard degree. I can do the same thing with mentioning Einstein not having a Harvard degree and coming up with revolutionary physical theories as a Swiss patent clerk. So every aspiring physicist should become a patent clerk!
The fact of the matter is for 99.9% of the rest of us who don’t have a killer application/service/product to offer the world, a generic domain will separate that a business from the thousands of other ordinary businesses. That would be how the average person distinguishes themselves from the rest.
It’s all about probabilities. A Harvard degree or generic domain name won’t guarantee you success but it will give you a higher probability of success than the alternatives. In a world of a thousand ceiling fan manufacturers/distributors, I would be that you would be distinct if you owned ceilingfans.com.
@Tony,
You totaly lost me with your comment. While I understand the point you are making, I do not understand how it differs from the body of my original post.
What if you do not have CeilingFans.com and You still need to sell fans?
Do you then close shop?
No, it means you would be better off having ceilingfans.com than not if you need to sell ceiling fans…
“be” should be “bet” in the last sentence of my first post:
In a world of a thousand ceiling fan manufacturers/distributors, I would be that you would bet distinct if you owned ceilingfans.com.
Tony,
So did you really read the post?
Remember I said If you do not have a Harvard degree or Generic domain, you can still succeed.
You will be better off with a Harvard degree but many have archieved great success without it.
Please Tony, understand the content of the post first.
Frankie,
My message was more directed toward Terence who said that “a domain name is a useless entity” than toward you. However, you subsequently replied to the “a domain name is a useless entity” post with an “I agree with you” reply. Please understand the content of your own posts!
Tony
You win
This conversation is becoming too challenging to follow with a PDA
Wow… This post is very inspirational… even if you agreed or not.
All best,
Will