Thoughts

Andrew Miller

September 21, 2025

To Brand the Category Defining .com Or Not To…

As we negotiate and strategically discuss domains with brands, companies, founders, and investors, I realize more and more the clear distinction between exact match product and brand domains and category defining domain name assets. In some powerful use cases, the two combine to create a category dominating business such as Booking*com, Cars*com, Salesforce*com, and Hotels*com. For the companies that pull that off, the category killer domain is unparalleled in its value. However, there are many examples of leading brands that acquire a category defining domain and leverage it without making it the consumer facing brand. There is no better examples than Amazon (Streaming*com directs to Prime Video, Podcast*com to Audible), OpenAi (in a deal I oversaw where Chat*com points to ChatGPT), and Bank of America (Loans*com). By owning these invaluable assets, the companies lock up the industry for a future potential standalone strategy, are protected defensively, convey category leadership , and are ensured security of brand and email.

Your Brand Match .com Is Essential

For exact match domains, not securing your brand’s .com can have devastating long term impacts. The smartest founders and CEO’s realize and prioritize doing so. Paul Graham, co-founder of Y Combinator, once wrote in his essay Change Your Name: “If you have a US startup called X and you don’t have X*com, you should probably change your name. The problem with not having the .com of your name is that it signals weakness… a marginal domain suggests you’re a marginal company.” His words ring true time and time again. On the flip side, we have examples of companies that had to fight their way back to the .com. Tesla spent millions to acquire Tesla*com after years on TeslaMotors*com, Dropbox migrated from GetDropbox.com, and Facebook, fortuitously securing Facebook*com. Each of these cases reinforces the same truth: the .com is the crown jewel of digital identity. Owning it early is cheaper, safer, and strategically smarter than waiting and realizing too late that it is a massive strategic misstep. In my career, I’ve been fortunate to help close transactions on hundreds of exact match and category defining domains; Rocket*com, Gold*com, Universal*com, Home*com, Tiger*com, Fans*com to name a few. Each deal had its own unique timeline, negotiation, and “marination” process, but the constant is this: the best companies understand that their brand’s ultimate home is on the exact match .com.

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