Your first ten domains: a buying checklist

Before you register ten domains in one excited evening, write down why each name earns a renewal. Your first ten should teach comps, outbound, and renewal math, not drain your card on hyphenated keywords nobody types.

Checklist before you buy

• TLD: Start with .com unless you have a specific .ai or .co thesis backed by comps.
• Length: Under fifteen characters for easier outbound and mobile display.
• Pronunciation: Say it on a phone call; if you spell it twice, skip it.
• Comps: Run three NameBio sales for similar strings; note median, not highest outlier.
• Trademark: Quick USPTO-style search for exact match in your target class.
• Renewal: Multiply year-one renewal by planned hold years; compare to realistic exit.
• Channel: Know whether you are hand-regging, bidding GoDaddy, or backordering DropCatch.
• Exit: Define flip (under twelve months) or hold (three plus years) per name.

Allocation we suggest

Of your first ten, try four brandables, three keyword compounds with clear end users, two auction closeout experiments under $100 each, and one "stretch" name you would proudly show in Domainer Den WhatsApp feedback. Dynadot's survey showed 48% of investors hold three plus years; your first ten should survive that timeline or fail fast with a sold or dropped decision.

Common beginner mistakes

Buying plurals of famous sales (anything ending in AI after AI.com headlines), ignoring renewal on .ai, and skipping outbound because "someone will find it." Your first ten domains are a school, not a lottery ticket bundle.