The Pool.com Story: How A Tadpole Turned Into A Killer Whale in Just 12 Months!

[guiwang]

The Pool.com Story: How A Tadpole Turned Into A Killer Whale in Just 12 Months!

By Ron Jackson
Editor/Publisher

We know our headline looks like something out of the National Enquirer - but this time it's for real! Just last June a small startup company called Pool.com opened their doors in Ottawa, Canada. No one paid much attention to this new toddler 12 months ago, but today the industry’s answer to Andre the Giant towers over everyone else in the drop catching business.



For Pool’s competitors it has been a horror movie that won't end. It probably reminds them of The Little Shop of Horrors, the cult film featuring a potted plant that grew into a man-eating monster overnight. The big difference is the movie had plenty of comedy mixed in. There hasn't been much to smile about for the companies being drowned in Pool’s wake.


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http://www.dnjournal.com/columns/cover060604.htm

[DaddyHalbucks]

Interesting story.

Did SnapNames ever challenged the defection of Len Bayles? If not, why? Perhaps SnapNames could have blocked that on the basis of a non-compete agreement or trade secret misappropriation. Perhaps the fact that Pool is in Canada prevented such enforcement..

Also, what of SnapNames' patent(s)? Were their patent claims too narrow, or did Canada again provide a safe harbor?

[marzzo]

I just read the article, great interview.

[.biz]

Too bad, duke didn't ask about shill bidding :-D

[DaddyHalbucks]

Catching expired names is only part of the story. The other part is making money as a domainer.

How much does an average desireable name fetch at auction with Pool? A couple grand?

For two grand, you can buy 30 SnapBack subscriptions. Assuming the success rate of SnapNames is only 20% --you have still acquired 6 names for the price of 1 Pool auction!

[clemzonguy]

I think I am experiencing what the preacher described as ENVY today....

Listen to their propaganda justifications of their business model acting like paying upfront at snapnames is such a bad thing. I'd much rather payupfront for a very cheap service and retain the value of what I get rather than give it away to THEM and have to compete in an auction where I am outbid by large corporations who according to them need it more badly! Look at them all with their ANTI-WLS shirts on too! They are all laughing to the bank. All they care about is where their next paycheck comes from. All these people should be jailed. Registrars by nature should be available to service name registration not sit to collect paychecks for high valued domains. I think all of this is a moralistic contradiction of their original duties. This isn't about free enterprise anymore it's about money and who can set up the most DBA registrars to get more connections to the central registry.

[jberryhill]

"Also, what of SnapNames' patent(s)?"

Not issued yet.

[jberryhill]

"I am outbid by large corporations who according to them need it more badly!"

No, you are outbid by others who value them more highly.