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A tweet sent today by @DomainSherpa said that Michael Cyger is retiring from publishing in the domain name industry.
“I’m retiring from publishing in the domain name industry,” says @MichaelCyger @DomainSherpa http://www.domainsherpa.com/farewell #domains”
The tweet had this image:
Does this mean that Michael Cyger will not be publishing the DomainSherpa.com videos or something else too?
Michael Cyger has not confirmed or denied this but some people are wondering if this is true.
The link in the tweet gives an website link error “Error 404 – Page not found” which also happens to be the number of the shows in the image. Coincidence?
UPDATE: Michael fixed the broken link and his announcement is now live. You can read it below. The 404 number was actually intentional…
What made it real for me is when Shane Cultra tweeted this today: “Michael, Thank you for the opportunity and friendship and the opportunity to see what “professional” means”.
I am sure that a regular “sherpa” would know what is happening with the show.
This is the announcement:
“I’m retiring from publishing in the domain name industry.
Since airing the first video in February 2012, DomainSherpa has produced 404 video shows with some of the most talented domain name investors and entrepreneurs in the world – many of whom I am fortunate enough to call my good friends.
It’s been rewarding to tackle the challenge of learning a new skill set, to meet amazing people and to help advance our industry.
In July I posted an open position for a Producer of DomainSherpa. Eight motivated and highly qualified professionals submitted video applications and completed their first round of interviews. They are very impressive.
But as I spoke with these applicants – each eager to take on a new role – I realized that I too was ready to try something new. Delegating some of the responsibilities of the show to a producer was not enough.
It is time for me to move on from domain name publishing.
As an engineer by education, nothing gives me a sense of accomplishment more than figuring out things, and with my six-year journey to interview experts (what we call “Sherpas”), learn domain name investing, and share every step along the way, I feel like I’ve ascended the highest investing peak with their help.
I modeled my strategies and tactics after the Sherpas’ and am living proof that with dedication, persistence and focus, you too can start investing in domain names today and become successful. You do not need to have started investing in the 1990s.
I’ve completed 3-figure through 6-figure sales, and currently own what I think is a nice little portfolio of domain name assets.
Starting with small wins to perfect your skills can lead to big wins in time.
Along my journey, I was inspired by Michael and David Castello to acquire the domain name of my hometown and build a successful print magazine for our community. I like to joke with locals that I’m the “governor of Bainbridge Island” simply because I own the domain name.
After interviewing Chris Rodde, I purchased a lead generation magnet for my process improvement publishing business that continues to deliver leads every day for customers.
I was constantly challenged to think bigger and take calculated risks by my good friend and industry confidant Andrew Rosener – and it has paid off greatly in sales.
Besides meeting new people from all over the world, my favorite activity was chatting just before and after hitting the record button on the DomainSherpa Reviews, because catching up with Andrew, Shane Cultra and the guest Sherpa was always the highlight of my day.
As the saying goes, your network is your net worth – especially if you practice what you learn from the people you meet.
There are too many Sherpas to thank individually; suffice it to say that every interviewee who gave back to the community and became a Sherpa not only gave selflessly by helping educate people in the industry, but also through their willingness to lend a hand to other investors starting out.
A year ago, I felt that there’s no possible way for a new investor to spend hundreds of hours watching every show, gleaning the lessons, ordering them and learning the material, so I assembled DNAcademy – the shortest path to successful domain name investing. Uniregistry standardized on a customized DNAcademy curriculum for their sales staff, and hundreds of successful investors have been educated.
And as a result of donations made by investors to be a part of the DomainSherpa Review and attend or sponsor our yearly in-person DNSeattle networking and educational event, we raised more than $30,000 for the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle to help us all find a cure for cancer.
The domain name industry has proven to be personal, sharing and generous.
Even though no new shows will be published, rest assured that the DomainSherpa video archives will continue to be available to watch. I’ll likely redesign the website over time to add clarity to learning paths for entrepreneurs and investors.
DNAcademy will see some changes as well. I will modify the course to require less of my time, and without my personalized support we can lower the tuition cost significantly so more people can take advantage of it. And, of course, we will continue to support the companies in the industry that rely on DNAcademy to train their employees with our customized training courses. (Fortunately, we built DNAcademy on strategies, tactics and principles that will last the test of time…not “learn how to flip” or “get rich quick” lessons that might work today but will lead to failure tomorrow.)
DNTaxGuide, a must-have for U.S.-based investors, will be rolled into DNAcademy, and DNSeattle will likely cease to exist unless one of the many Seattle-based companies picks up the baton and runs with it.
We’re going to keep our social media going but will likely gear it toward discovery of our past shows. I’ll pop in from time to time to let you know about news I’m following, and to say hi. ☺
And just like new viewers discover and binge on “Lost” or “Breaking Bad,” it is my hope that new investors find, watch and binge on the hundreds of hours of investing information contained in the archives of DomainSherpa.
I’m so proud to have been the one to chronicle the life and times of successful domain name investors, and help tell the story of the many brand-new investors who are succeeding every day.
My sincerest gratitude goes to everyone who shared their stories, strategies and tactics – and never asked for anything in return. That is the humblest form of giving.
I want to thank the companies who sponsored DomainSherpa over the years. They include: EstiBot.com, Escrow.com, DavidWeslow.com, domainIQ.com, Efty.com, NameJet.com, Uniregistry.com, Sedo.com, Guta.com, TLD Registry, MediaOptions.com, HoughtonRichards.com, Flippa.com and DomainTools.com. Please check them out; they are the best in the industry and I’m proud to have worked with them.
Wistia is our video hosting platform and it never failed to deliver. Estibot.com, domainIQ.com and DomainTools.com supported our research and data needs and became my daily must-have tools. And Francois Carrillo of Domaining.com was a much-valued media partner, helping us reach the largest audience possible for our educational shows.
And most importantly I want to thank you – the audience. Thank you for watching, listening and reading over the past six years.
My friends, acquaintances and fans – I wouldn’t have been on the air, doing these shows, without you. I’m so appreciative of your time and support.
You’ll see me at conferences as I still love and believe in the domain name industry, and enjoy an excuse to travel. And you can contact me at michael at webxmedia dot com or on Twitter @michaelcyger.
My hope is that the DomainSherpa show opened people’s minds up to the possibilities of investing, business growth and branding with premium domain names.
If one new person was inspired by the show to reach his or her peak and then give back as a Sherpa to someone else, then I have done what I set out to do.
Life is what you make of it. Have confidence and believe in yourself.
Sincerely,
Michael Cyger
Founder & Publisher
DomainSherpa.com & DNAcademy.com
P.S. Yes, I’m a computer geek at heart and the final number of video shows produced – 404 (“page not found” error on the web) – seemed fitting for the culmination of DomainSherpa.”
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Maybe he should let a new person host?
Michael Cyger has amazing energy and ability to keep his eyes focused. Without Cyger, many of his guests would have literally fallen asleep on camera.
Michael Cyger did a great job. I watch all the time when Rick Schwartz, Michael Berkens, Page Howe were on, but could not watch the BS of DomainShane, Rossner, when they were on.
He was a great interviewer, and a great guy indeed. Much success to Michael!
Wow his tulip.com sale must have been huge
This is such a huge loss for the domain industry. I am really bummed about it but grateful for the knowledge he and the Sherpas have shared.
no more Stupid shane and andrew THANK GOD!!!!!!
Micheal Cyger is NOT who most of you believe. I know personally he changes what individuals have said to fit his liking. Just read his terms of service which SCREAMS how all information can be modified any way he chooses to suit his needs! To me his show was simply to sell new domainers his crap. For the ones of you that don’t see it sorry keep buying .io and 360 and ninja domains. I picked up on it years ago and believe there is probably more to this than seen for now but it might come out! Rick Schwartz called him a COWARD and I back that as well. Good riddance he is hard on the eyes and ears for sure!
He seems like a nice guy but the lack of addressing the Adam Dicker issue is a major shortcoming in his character. And character is everything in life.
Let me take this a step or two deeper Tony… like how I got the horrible taste about Cyger. It was 2011 and he was just starting his “entertainment show”. I left a reply to Mr. Jason Allen Goodlin’s post “How to Respond to a Domain Name Inquiry”. My reply was brash, forward and egotistic. It was also intuitive, business minded and proven. I know for a fact from being a full blown full time domainer 12 years this past June. What do I know? I get roughly 2-12 inquiries a month for any one of my stellar (not one word) .com domain names. Guess what? It’s the worst place to be selling something imaginable. Think reverse cold call. Folks do not respond. They do not counter offer. They NEVER, EVER say could you explain how the price for this domain name was determined? I was thinking it was worth ect…FACT: you will sell more domains by not chasing then you ever will by continuing to follow up and ask. It don’t work. If you approach me about a domain name I own you should tell me the value it has to you and whether you are interested…otherwise I don’t know your intentions and quite frankly have no time to wonder.
So back to Cyger. First the post was modified from what it originally said YEARS later. Yep years. I Mr. Goodling’s reply to me it says somewhere in the first 3or 4 sentences the phrase exactly or very very close: “your woman analogy is dead on” or it was “your women idea/thought/claim was spot on”. It made me look a little less like some jerk simply stating what I believe was somewhat a solid fact see youtube video for what I am speaking directly of.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nUTdLJxDr-E
Next I noticed that the complete article with my response stayed on the first page of Google for all this time with rare times moving. It was shown under Don AND Donald. So when you searched my name as Don it came either way when I only left Don Edmands. Does something look wrong? I have left 25+ domain posts and NEVER had a Don turn into Donald somewhere else. PERIOD. To this day they are both there but only VERY recently they have slipped to the third page. Another item. I requested three times on his contact page to please take it down and it NEVER happened. No response and no proof sent cause he has no email on a show like that? Are you serious? No proof I sent an inquiry from your contact page? That’s crazy. Does DNAcademy mention not having a return email is ideal for business? O.k. I could go on but I won’t…it gets worse but I will stop to say this. A couple of years ago I approached a VERY intelligent domainer that speaks somewhat frequently on different blogs about domains. He speaks above average and VERY level headed. Like a Trey Gowdy of domaining. Anyhoo I mentioned having this problem with Cyger and he said “ya my problem was he changed what I said”. When I heard that I just could not believe I had been right with what I believed.
None of this information is made up in any way nor incorrect. I believe Gyger plays it his way and that’s how it is. I know personally those comments being there in that form and staying for all those years absolutely cost me multiple thousands of dollars. I also get I should have never stated it but the feelings were real. Good luck to all domainers just remember If it was all that I would have a blog screaming profits all day people and I do have a lot of very good domain names no “pigeon shit” here!
He built his domainsherpa brand on Schwartz and Berkens and doesn’t even acknowledge them in his farewell. Having those guys on immediately boosted his credibility in the beginning.
He also borrowed Dicker’s DNCollege idea and made it his own with DNAcademy. Obvious other difference is that one is a fraud and the other is not.
I enjoyed the shows though and will miss not seeing new ones.
Your are exactly right! Rick was the best thing to happen to the show and for the industry. DomainShane has no clue what he is talking about and Cyger show lost it’s credibility when he appeared on the show. However, Cyger is an excellent interviewer, by far the best in the industry.
Funny he never discusses his own sales, but everyone else’s
What’s funny is you have never in the ENTIRE life of the show been shown actual emails nor faxed proof or screenshots of any transactions. If you really can do these amazing business dealings show us a little proof or “mental candy” that something does exist to motivate people to pay larger sums of cash. I liken it to a picture of a fish.
Prove someone paid 18,000 for SeoNinja.com
I own SeoSecrets and I’ll take WAY less for a better name!
We all have opinions.
You tried very hard to assassinate a character of someone who’s done way more good than most of us have, in this industry, and world.
My opinion, since I disagree with just about everything you stated: if Trey Gowdy is an admirable and honest figure in your book, — if that’s your benchmark — then it allows me to continue my assumptions that you have literally no idea what you’re talking about.
Again, my opinion. You shared yours, now here’s mine.
For those that actually go to the conferences, have behind the scenes conversations and do deals with one another, we all know and maintain that Mike and every guest or person interviewed is above board. We all know that they’re not merely hawking their own shit, but actually helping new and veteran investors alike.
Mike has addressed all controversy repeatedly and in person — NONE of it, we should remember, orchestrated or caused by him. It’s not easy running a one-man ship as he has for years; his stepping down is a loss for the community, and your assumptions (again, my opinion!) are baseless as they are rambling and confusing to read.
As for the proof of business dealings you say is absent: it’s not for you to see. I’ve seen some of it — many others have seen more or all of it. It’s legit, and offends me personally that you suggest otherwise.
Be careful what you try to stir up; you sound awfully like your hero Trey.
All of this is ridiculous. We can only wish that our industry had more people like Michael Cyger in it. He practiced exactly what he preached and made enough money with recent sales that he decided producing the show is not worth the time and effort any more. Especially with people like the ones commenting here.
He produced quality content that made our industry appear professional. Not the backbiting, criticizing, and shadows of people that it can be. We all lose when people like Cyger move into the background.
There is plenty in this industry to dislike and be weary of but Michael Cyger was not one of them
Agreed and well stated.
If you look at the comments on DS, there’s an interesting contrast between baseless BS (below and above this post) and those that truly understood the value of what Mike did: http://www.domainsherpa.com/farewell/
Trolls and conspiracy theorists alert!
Trey Gowdy is well spoken period. That’s all I said. Others have shown as having feelings about this too. Is that not o.k.? Rambling? I make a clear argument what I am saying plain as day.
I noticed you are not offended by my claims. Seems you missed what is being said to show your own support for someone that constantly supports you. Great. I think you would cover regardless and that my friend says something about you.
As stated all I said was what has happened. I didn’t say anything more. Stay on topic Kevin Fink.
Take it easy people. Mike is not the evil you are looking for in the domain name industry.
I didn’t say anyone was evil but I did state some facts that were bothersome enough to me. I would like to think I had the right to speak on this forum about my experience. I was not business tied to him so my comments should be taken seriously. I did not appreciate what I felt he did plain and simple.
Beyond that if you know Mr. Cyger from a business stand point or as a friend l I believe without question you have the right to share your experience.
i shared mine
Wow so much hate, yet everyone watched it. Crazy stuff.
Not everyone watched, if you need to believe that lie, so be it.
Congratulations to Michael Cyger on making such a significant contribution to the domainer community! Although I didn’t always agree with Mike’s decisions or his regular guests’ statements / behavior, that’s ok. The world has never been (and hopefully never will be) unanimous.
DomainSherpa accomplished a lot insofar as it encouraged many people to learn enthusiastically about domain investing and – what is more – to feel that, even though they might be brand new to domains, they were joining a community … not shut out of a small club.
My own first year as a domainer started about 6 months after DomainSherpa launched. Even though I stopped watching podcasts (of any kind) years ago, DomainSherpa helped me get my bearings early on – figuring out who’s who and what’s what. Ultimately I reached very different conclusions about who’s who and what’s what. But DomainSherpa was a stepping stone for me 6 years ago – as it was for many others.
The DomainSherpa audience always included plenty of impressionable new domainers. Naturally, some of the people who wanted access to that audience were up to no good, as everybody (Michael Cyger not least) would avow. Yet even people with reservations and criticisms should acknowledge the podcast’s influence. Without DomainSherpa, there would be fewer domainers today. And the industry would be less interconnected.
No big deal. It only shows that domain industry is dead so why waste time
@John
If the domain industry is dead and not worth any time, then may I ask why you follow a domain industry blog and take time to comment?
@Kevin Fink who are you to criticize someone like Gowdy he has done more for his constituents than you or Cyger. How is Flippa? Oh it’s a joke that’s right and was when you were there too.
Congrats to Michael, but no nobody loses when anyone stops publishing, first off everyone regurgitates the same stuff. How many times can I hear Schilling say the same stuff, or here’s what Ali sold? Stuff that was said long before blogs got repeated again over and over. This business is not that special, for those making money off newbies I guess it’s special. To the management of any global Fortune 1000 not at all. People who were on the show need to believe it was more than it was. It was solid, I think Cyger tries hard but let’s not act like domaining will drift off without it.