RISK, ADDICTION & SUCCESS, KESMODEL CHRONICLES DOMAINING

Wall Street Journal reporter David Kesmodel knew little about domaining when a colleague showed him an article on the $1 million sale of Fish.com. From there, Kesmodel became intrigued about the “risk-takers, entrepreneurial-types, people who spent hours analyzing potential purchases” in this fledgling industry. After a year off spent researching the industry and its players, Kesmodel in summer 2008 released The Domain Game. In it, he discusses the risks, the “addiction,” and the psychology and strategy behind domaining. Widely respected as perhaps the premier historian of domaining’s early key players and events, Kesmodel has unique perspectives on where the industry has been, where it stands today, and where it’s headed. Moderated by guest host Neal R. Voron, Grand Names VIP member and author of the Fractional Domaining blog , the discussion explores the evolution from making money on paid search advertising on parked domains, to issues like trademark infringement and the life of domainers. “I was really amazed that this new vehicle had arisen for domain speculators to generate revenue,” Kesmodel said. “These are really interesting individuals and a whole sub-culture.”

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Recorded on December 14, 2008