First of all, Happy 2018! 🙂
I’ve been pretty much MIA domain blogging-wise as of the end of September and do have to say, I’ve missed you guys! In 2018, I’ll do my best to articulate some thoughts once per month or so because despite domain blogging not being a stellar deal when it comes to the “energy invested / income generated” dimension, I like doing it and need my “fix” every once in a while haha.
During my blogging holiday however, I’ve been “around” as in, I’ve read the occasional blog post and what not.
A very common theme has been how hot crypto is and by comparison, how domaining has lost its luster.
And while I think the first statement is accurate, I don’t necessarily agree with the second.
I mean sure, the likelihood of starting out with next to nothing as a domainer and making it big is considerably lower than in the nineties. Or even than after the Great Recession of 2007-2008. Fair enough but… so what?
It’s the inevitably path to maturity each and every industry has to deal with.
The “Wild West” days of domaining are maybe not 100% behind us but we’re getting there. The low hanging fruit is gone and, yes, this means hitting a home run becomes less and less likely.
But again… so what?
Those who don’t mind putting in the hours can still do very well with less than $100 to their name. Find a couple of decent expired domains, do some sensible (!!!) end user outreach and you might just be pleasantly surprised at what the results are. Rinse and repeat.
Is this as exciting as investing in some random altcoin and making 3 times your money within a month? Nope.
But there are positives as well, such as not having to deal with 50% corrections on a regular basis, questionable exchanges, legislative drama and so on.
Apples and oranges, really.
Do you want the complete “Wild West” experience? No problem, the crypto world is that way. Huge potential returns, huge potential losses.
Do you want good opportunities and are willing to work hard? In that case, domaining can put a decent value proposition on the table. You have a robust infrastructure, GoDaddy isn’t going to run away with your money, there are lots of already-blazed trails and so on. Lower potential returns, lower risks.
Do you want even lower risks? Hey, people can and do get jobs as well, nothing wrong with that.
What I’m trying to say is that in 2018 and beyond, we’re blessed… to put it mildly! We have lots and lots and lots and lots and LOTS of options to choose from.
Something that works great for a highly risk-tolerant young person might not represent the best choice for someone in his 40s with two kids. There aren’t necessarily “right” or “wrong” answers here. It’s all up to you and compared to the career-related options previous generations had, let’s face it, we’re quite spoiled 🙂
