Epik’s Rob Monster has become a popular CEO among domain investors lately. On the Namepros domain forum, you can find him even during wee hours answering questions, offering great deals, and also soliciting ideas. He knows the power of crowd sourcing, and one of his latest projects is to find a brand name for a […]
Continue ReadingIt was Japanese, then it became Chinese, and it lives on
One day in 2000, Mr. Ishida was walking through his Styrofoam factory. He saw a pile of beads and wondered what would happen if he put them into a cotton fabric bag. He tried and he was stunned. The touch sensation was absolutely amazing! Mr. Ishida quickly turned this discovery into a pillow product called […]
Continue ReadingIt’s also location, location, location in domain investment
The other day I read in the news that Russell Street in Hong Kong has become the most expensive retail location in the world. This sought-after location reminds me of the golden rule in property investment: location, location, location. Buy at addresses where there is a lot of demand for properties. This happens in the […]
Continue ReadingThe best is yet to come to the Chinese domain market
Steve Jobs used to talk about dots and connecting them to see a bigger picture. I like to collect bits of data to construct my own world of domains. In this article I’ll share with you some of the dots I have accumulated over the years to help me paint a better picture of the […]
Continue ReadingThe OFO domain acquisition reminds us of the importance of brand-matching .com
I have always thought that brand-matching .com domain names are very important, and a recent news story confirms my belief once again. Chinese bicycle sharing startup OFO recently acquired its brand-matching OFO.com for a reported price of more than US$ 1 million. Bicycle sharing services have exploded since last year, led by companies such as […]
Continue ReadingA sound company with a sound domain strategy
Yes, the pun is intended. This post is about a Chinese audio manufacturer and the domains it owns, hopefully giving us some hints about selling domains to corporate China. FiiO Electronics Technology is a Chinese audio manufacturer founded in 2007. It makes music players, earphones, and various audio accessories which are sold in China and […]
Continue ReadingA tale of two Chinese unicorns and their domain strategies
One night in the cold winter of 2015, several engineers went to the streets of Shanghai to test a crazy idea: Would someone rent a bike left on the street without operator assistance? They placed some 50 bikes on the sidewalks and went home. When they opened their computers the next day, they were excited […]
Continue ReadingWill a domain be worth a billion dollar?
A domain investor friend called me the other day. During our conversation, I was reminded that I once said that many domains would one day be priced in millions of dollars. So, what do I think now? Let’s talk about addresses first. In 1989, Japan-based Mitsubishi Estate invested $1.6 billion to acquire a number of […]
Continue ReadingA domain with two faces
When you see the word “danke”, what do you think of? Well, it depends on your native tongue. German speakers may smile because it means thank-you but Chinese speakers may simply draw a mental picture of an eggshell or ammunition case. Such phenomenon happens because many languages have been Romanized. In the case of Chinese, […]
Continue ReadingWill China’s IPO darling SMZDM make 5L acronym domains popular?
You could pick up a 3L (letter) domain years ago for $100 but now it costs 5 figures or more. Similarly, 4L domains had little interest but now every one of them can sell. So the question is obvious: Will the IPO of SMZDM bring 5L domains to the forefront? It all began years ago […]
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