The clock is ticking down if you want to apply for a top level domain name. Applications close on August 12.

On today's show, I talk with someone who has launched a top level domain name to better understand the business.

Colin Campbell founded and launched .Club, which he later sold to GoDaddy. Today, he discusses the cold, hard reality of running a top level domain name. We talk about how long it took .club to turn a profit, the keys to getting distribution, and why running a TLD is a marathon, not a sprint.

Sure, there are challenges. But that's not to say it's not worth it. After all, Colin is applying again in this round.

Mentioned in this show: DNW Podcast #455, Start. Scale. Exit. Repeat book

Also: Telegram outage, Vint Cerf, Google TLDs, and more.

Sponsor: Sell your domains with Sav.com domain landers

Most people who have a full-time job and invest in domains count on their full-time job for their income. Today's guest is different: domain investing makes much more than his regular job.

So why keep the regular job? Well, it's not so regular, and it's quite rewarding. Stu Maloff has been teaching for over 30 years.

On today's show, he discusses how he got into domains, building his portfolio to over 5,000 names, and pricing domains. He also talks about how he cashed in on the metaverse trend, but not in the way you might think.

Also: Germany domain milestone, Chicago's new life, and an Atom syndication deal

Sponsor: Spaceship

We all have our war stories about trying to acquire domains from stubborn sellers. But Rob Schutz of Snagged has a story that might just top them all.

Rob helped a company acquire a name from a domain seller who was, let's just call him, a bit erratic. To get the deal done, Rob had to deliver the money in gold coins, in person, at a neutral location. He even hired an off-duty police officer to be in the room for safety.

And while this story is the zaniest one I've heard about a domain acquisition, he has another story that he says even tops this one. But he has to keep that one confidential, at least for now.

Hear about Rob's saga on today's show, as well as some other deals he has been working on.

Also: Texas domain takedown, Dynadot's new auctions, and how AI is leveling the playing field

Sponsor: Sav.com backorders

On this week's show, Nadya Frost of domain and hosting analytics company ShareShift shares interesting data about the .AI namespace, as well as other trends related to artificial intelligence.

We discuss how AI is changing the technologies people use for building websites and how sites are optimizing for large language models.

ShareShift focuses on the European market, so we also explore how that market differs from the rest of the world.

Also: Polymarket domain, dotDB, NameJet, and more.

Sponsor: Spaceship Sellerhub

Last week, Internet Commerce Association announced changes to its board.

Longtime board member Nat Cohen stepped up to the role of president, and Ryan McKegney is the new vice president.

On today's show, both Nat and Ryan will join me, along with executive director Kamila Sekiewicz.

We discuss the recent ICA meetup in New York and what the organization is working on this year.

Also: Anti-trust claim, Blacknight acquired, and more.

Sponsor: Sav.com domain transfers

Anand Vora, who oversees Namecheap's and Spaceship's domain businesses, joins me on the show this week.

We discuss Anand's history in the domain business, what it's like to move from the registry side to the registrar side, and what's in store for both Namecheap and Spaceship.

Also: Web3 integration technical group, NIXI nixes domain investors

Sponsor: Namecheap .AI auctions

Human rights organization Article19 recently released a report titled Damming a river to catch a fish, examining how governments and other entities are increasingly turning to the DNS layer to censor content.

On today's show, Michaela Nakayama Shapiro of Article19 explains what the organization found and what can be done about it, including recommendations for registries, registrars, ICANN, and governments, as well as guidance for organizations facing censorship threats.

Also: Bali, domain appraisals, .co changes, and more

Sponsor: Sav.com domain auctions

Nordic Domain Days took place in Stockholm, Sweden, last week. It was my first time attending the event, and the trip was very worthwhile. Not only was the content good, but the networking was solid as well, with many people I had never met.

On today's show, you'll hear from five people who were at the conference, including a conversation with the event's founder, LG Forsberg.

Also: Domain renewal data, Whois contact forms, and more

Sponsor: Spaceship

Very few domain name investors ever reach the point where they do it full-time. It's even rarer when they primarily invest in non-.com domains.

One investor who went full-time is Nikul Sanghvi. He was a part-time investor when the pandemic hit, and as his consulting work dried up, he took the plunge.

On today's show, Nikul talks about some of the pros and cons of investing in domains full-time. We also discuss how the market is changing and how Nikul is adapting his strategy to the times.

Nikul has been on the show before. On episode #269, he discussed his path from selling vinyl records to selling domains. On episode #327, Nikul explained his thinking around harvesting gains vs. replenishing your portfolio. Also, check out episode #504 for thoughts on diversification.

Sponsor: Sell your domains with Sav.com domain landers

Artificial intelligence is having a huge impact on the domain name industry. One area it could help grow the business is if agents use the DNS for identity.

Today, Identity Digital CEO Akram Atallah discusses the company's new DNSid, which it bills as "birth certificates for agents."

We discuss the need for a standard and how Identity Digital's initiative differs from the one GoDaddy is building.

And no discussion with Identity Digital would be complete without a conversation about this year's new top level domain expansion.

Also: Small business warning, .latino, ICA board changes, and more

Sponsor: Namecheap