Paul Graham co-founder of startup accelerator Y Combinator posted a few things about domain names on X. He only deals with prices. In advising Startups and helping them purchase names he mentioned he just skips names that say make offer.
If you’re trying to sell a domain name, quote a price. I often help startups find new names, and we always just skip the names that say “make offer.” A name is not even interesting until you know what it costs.
When asked, “What’s a reasonable price a startup should pay for a domain name?”
Graham replied,
“You rarely need to pay more than about 10k for a decent name. I’d pay more for an amazing one.”
He also mentioned he only looks for .coms.
This is a voice a lot of startups listen to. Interesting to hear his takes.
If you're trying to sell a domain name, quote a price. I often help startups find new names, and we always just skip the names that say "make offer." A name is not even interesting until you know what it costs.
— Paul Graham (@paulg) August 22, 2025
B.S. advice,
As the [Your Role, e.g., Chairman, Marketing Manager], the objective is to acquire the best and most suitable domain. Asking for pricing or submitting an offer is a necessary part of that process, and that is not a big fudging deal..
It’s funny because I’m on the flipside. If you can’t name a starting bid, then I’m dismissing you outright.
I work on the finance team for a well-known PE firm. We approach domain purchases the same way – no asking price means an automatic pass from us.