The Secret Identity of Super Mann - The BuyDomains.com Story Now at DNJournal.com

[Duke]

The Cover Story you have been waiting for is now online at Domain Name Journal :

Superhero or Arch Villain?
The Secret Identity of Super Mann

Click Here for Story

The article profiles BuyDomains.com president Michael Mann and answers many of the questions you have had about this industry giant. He has a lot to say about today's domain market, the sky high bids BD and others have been making, WLS (of course!), Verisign (where they are breaking out the flame retardent suits today) and what you need to do to succeed (among other things)!

I hope you find the BD story as illuminating as I did in putting it together. As always, thanks for reading!

 

[danield]

Interesting stuff Duke, great work as usual.

Mann sounds like a good guy

 

[Duke]

Everyone I talked to confirms that he is a straight arrow. I really believe he got where he is the old fashioned way - through hard work. Before I went to bed at 2am this morning I shot him an email. Woke up this morning to find he had answered it at 3am. I have no idea when the guy sleeps.

 

[OnSpec]

Excellent work. Some very telling snippets laced throughout. The wise ones will pick them out and move on to create other new initiatives.

 

[actnow]

"The wise ones will pick them out and move on to create other new initiatives." OnSpec

“The new domain registrars that are just now starting up to chase this market should probably think of a new line of work." BD

I guess my new initiative should be to find a new line of work?

Is that light at the end of the tunnel, a train or the light from Michael Mann's office?

Unfortunately, I am not smart enough to get out the way!

 

[Duke]

Originally posted by OnSpec
Excellent work. Some very telling snippets laced throughout. The wise ones will pick them out and move on to create other new initiatives.

When I asked forum members for input on questions they would like to have asked, a lot of people wanted the nuts and bolts details of the BD operation right down to dollars and cents figures. I stated at that time that there was no way any smart businessman is going to divulge that kind of proprietary information (and give away the blueprints for their operation). I asked anyhow. He declined to answer those questions of course but everything else was fair game.

Several wanted to know if he visited the domain forums. He does not. No time for it and he thinks we should be out helping local charities rather than hanging around in here anyhow! We are helping each other out so that's kind of like charity work isn't it? :-D

 

[actnow]

Sir Duke, once again, GREAT ARTICLE!

Thank you for taking the time to do the article.

Now, I know what I am doing wrong. I am only working 12 hours a day.

If you want to do a different type of article about me titled

"Down and Out in BuyDomains backyard"

(Just kidding)

 

[bidawinner]

"BD kept spending to line up registrars who would catch domains exclusively for them through their high speed connections to the central registry" = working for monopoly status..

and he his bluffing about WLS ..
He is also bulling about having no interest in "other" extensions...

I admire the guy for his hustle but the fact remains the only winners are the guys that can buy the most connections...

 

[NameTower]

keep up the good work Duke!

 

[Duke]

Originally posted by actnow
Now, I know what I am doing wrong. I am only working 12 hours a day.

Amen Richard. I want to find a wildly successful domainer who is only working 3 hours a day (and takes weekends.....and Wednesday off). Now that guy will be my REAL hero and the person I want to emulate! :-D

 

[PCplay]

Duke, this was the first article of yours that I had read. Nicely done, I shall be visiting your site more often now.

 

[Nexus]

Ok, well, my question is... if Michael Mann is "Superman" and Verisign can be compared to "Lex Luthor"... who's "Bizarro"... AfterNic... Ultimate Search?
http://www.toonopedia.com/bizarro1.htm

~ Nexus

 

[Duke]

Originally posted by PCplay
Duke, this was the first article of yours that I had read. Nicely done, I shall be visiting your site more often now.

Thanks PCPlay - glad you liked it. There were 7 cover stories prior to this one and they are all still available in the Archive at Domain Name Journal.

 

[Duke]

Originally posted by Nexus
Ok, well, my question is... if Michael Mann is "Superman" and Verisign can be compared to "Lex Luthor"... who's "Bizarro"... AfterNic... Ultimate Search?
http://www.toonopedia.com/bizarro1.htm

~ Nexus

You know I don't even remember Bizarro. He may have have been introduced after my childhood days when I had moved on to weightier reading (like Cliffs Notes) . What was Bizarro's schtick (then maybe we can find a domain world doppelganger for him? ....

Never mind, just followed your link. Introduced in 1958 - definitely should have remembered him - must be Alzheimers- setting in!

 

[actnow]

Nexus, when communicating with Sir Duke. Please speak LOUDER!

 

[Duke]

Originally posted by actnow
Nexus, when communicating with Sir Duke. Please speak LOUDER!

Or at least use a BIGGER font size! :-D

 

[Jack Gordon]

why? is he a foreigner?

:-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D

 

[Luc]

Ron. Great job man!

As I've said in the previous thread, and to all those WLS
lovers out there. Here it is, from the Mann himself.

"Ironically Mann, who has been a staunch anti-WLS leader, admits that implementation of WLS would actually benefit his company by lowering BD’s domain acquisition costs. Mann explains “that doesn’t mean the whole thing is not a scheme by the rich, powerful, politically connected, Verisign Wall Streeters – because it is”. In his eyes it is simply wrong whether it benefits BD or not. "

Now do you think WLS will help the little guys?

Thanks for the awesome interview Ron, it was well worth the
wait!

Luc L.

 

[Duke]

Thanks Luc. Glad you enjoyed it and I appreciate your taking time to comment.

 

[DomainMiner.com]

Fun & interesting to read, as usual Thanks for all your effort on the interviews!