#711: Andrew Rosener — Becoming The Hokkaido Scallop King, Leasing Blue Chip URLs, Life Tenets from Charlie Tuna, Selling 8-Figure Domains, and More

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Dec 20, 2023

Andrew Rosener, Founder and CEO of MediaOptions and a leading domain broker, shares intriguing insights from his journey across industries. He draws from his early days in the seafood sector to reveal lessons on ambition and decision-making. The discussion spans domain valuation techniques, innovative leasing strategies, and the evolution of digital real estate. Rosener also reflects on managing anger and the importance of personal values in business, contrasting societal views on success with his own pursuit of freedom and contentment.

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ANECDOTE

From Ibérico to Domains

Rosener's wife introduced him to Jamón Ibérico, inspiring a failed import attempt due to FDA regulations.
This led him to connect with the first legal importer and trade domain names for a ham, sparking his domain business.

ANECDOTE

Investors vs. Squatters

Andrew Rosener differentiates between domain investors and squatters.
Squatters, like the owner of a misspelled "Google" domain, give the industry a bad name.

ADVICE

Leasing Domains

Startups should lease, not buy, their domain initially due to cost.
This provides a path to ownership and avoids rebranding costs later.

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Andrew Rosener (@andrewrosener) is the founder and CEO of MediaOptions, which has been the #1 domain broker in the world for the last six consecutive years. Since 2008, Andrew has been involved in more than $600 million dollars in domain sales and has played a pivotal role in numerous high-profile domain-name transactions, including X.com to Elon Musk, Zoom.com to Zoom, and Prime.com and Podcast.com to Amazon, as well as thousands of others.

Andrew is an inductee of the Domain Name Hall of Fame; he was named Domain Investor of the Year by TRAFFIC; and he is the creator of the Rosener Equation, a formula for objectively valuing domain names, widely adopted by the industry.

Andrew is also the owner of DomainSherpa.com, the industry’s leading educational podcast.

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[00:00] Start

[07:06] Who is Charlie Tuna, and what are his tenets?

[30:11] Presidential ham and the value of owning coveted domains.

[34:35] Tess Diaz enters the picture.

[39:25] A domain industry overview.

[43:14] Domain investors vs. domain squatters.

[46:21] Getting a late start in the game.

[50:16] Brokering the sale of pizza.net.

[56:50] Why relocate to Panama in the midst of building a business that needed to make $250 per day?

[1:00:40] Leasing vs. buying a domain as a startup.

[1:10:36] Leasing vs. selling a domain as a holder.

[1:13:42] How important is securing your brand as a .com?