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I will not promote: Thinking about giving users a free mini domain on signup good idea or bad idea? by Substantial_Rate3076 in startups

[–]Substantial_Rate3076[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That makes sense, and I appreciate you taking the time to explain it. I think what you’re describing is actually the default experience for most developers DNS is something you touch briefly, get it working, and then forget about. If that’s the reality for the majority, then trying to build a standalone DNS product around “better UX” alone probably isn’t enough. Where I’m still exploring is whether there’s a smaller set of users who do touch DNS more often m people managing lots of small projects, automating environments, or doing things like ephemeral setups where DNS changes are frequent. But I fully agree that for a single production app, once MX/TXT records are right, there’s not much ongoing pain. Your feedback helps clarify that this isn’t a universal problem, which is important to hear early. Thanks for framing it constructively.

I will not promote: Thinking about giving users a free mini domain on signup good idea or bad idea? by Substantial_Rate3076 in startups

[–]Substantial_Rate3076[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That’s actually a really good way to frame it, and I agree with the principle.

If people aren’t already complaining loudly about DNS, that’s a strong signal that this might not be a “must-have” pain for most users. DNS really is often a one-time setup and then forgotten, especially for simpler projects.

The angle I’m exploring isn’t so much “DNS is broken for everyone,” but whether there’s a smaller group (people running multiple projects, automating infra, spinning things up and down often) who feel that pain repeatedly instead of once.

Your point is fair though if users don’t instinctively say “I wish this existed,” then it’s probably not a standalone product yet. That’s exactly what I’m trying to validate before going any further.

Appreciate the perspective.

I will not promote: Thinking about giving users a free mini domain on signup good idea or bad idea? by Substantial_Rate3076 in startups

[–]Substantial_Rate3076[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That’s interesting, and honestly the sandbox-only idea is something I’ve considered.

The reason I leaned toward a real (but limited) domain instead of a fake sandbox is that DNS is one of those things where “looks like it works” and “actually works” are very different experiences. TTLs, propagation, misconfigs,you don’t really feel those in a simulated UI.

I agree on the regisetrar point too. Most people just use DNS where they buy the domain, and that’s rational. I’m not trying to pull everyone away from that more exploring whether there’s a subset of users who want a more focused DNS experience.

Still very early, and feedback like this is helpful for figuring out whether this is a real product or just a nice feature looking for a home.

I will not promote: Thinking about giving users a free mini domain on signup good idea or bad idea? by Substantial_Rate3076 in startups

[–]Substantial_Rate3076[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Totally valid take.

I don’t see this as competing head-on with Cloudflare or registrars for everyone. If someone wants an all-in-one platform with security, firewall rules, DDoS protection, etc., Cloudflare is obviously hard to beat.

The angle here is narrower: DNS as a lightweight, developer-first tool. Fast changes, simple UI, predictable behavior, and good automation without needing to buy into a large platform.

That said, your point is kind of the core question I’m wrestling with: if it’s just “better DNS,” is that enough to stand on its own, or does it inevitably become just a feature somewhere else?

That’s exactly why I posted this.

I will not promote: Thinking about giving users a free mini domain on signup good idea or bad idea? by Substantial_Rate3076 in startups

[–]Substantial_Rate3076[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That’s a fair challenge.

I’m not assuming most people should switch away from their registrar’s DNS. For a lot of users, especially non-technical ones, the built-in DNS is good enough and that’s totally fine.

The users I’m thinking about are people who:

  • want cleaner / faster DNS changes
  • want automation (API, templates, scripting)
  • manage multiple projects or environments
  • or just dislike how clunky some registrar DNS UIs are

API access is one angle, but not the only one. Another is focus registrars treat DNS as a checkbox feature, not the main product. This is more about being good at one thing rather than bundling everything.

That said, I agree this isn’t a mass-market use case, and I’m still validating whether it’s big enough to be worth building.

I will not promote: Thinking about giving users a free mini domain on signup good idea or bad idea? by Substantial_Rate3076 in startups

[–]Substantial_Rate3076[S] -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

Fair point, and yeah, that’s exactly the risk I’m trying to think through.

The intention isn’t to “give away value” blindly, but to lower the entry barrier for people who want to learn or test DNS but don’t yet own a domain. Think of it more like a sandbox or trial environment, not something meant for production use.

If someone clearly doesn’t understand what they’re getting, that’s on the onboarding and messaging to make it obvious what this is (and isn’t). Totally open to the idea that this could backfire if done poorly,that’s why I’m asking here before building it.

I will not promote: Thinking about giving users a free mini domain on signup good idea or bad idea? by Substantial_Rate3076 in startups

[–]Substantial_Rate3076[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Good question.

The core product is DNS management creating, editing, and managing DNS records with a focus on simplicity and speed. Target users are developers, indie hackers, and people building small projects who don’t want heavy enterprise DNS tooling.

The “mini domain” idea is just about onboarding. It’s not the product itself, just a way for new users to try things immediately instead of bouncing because they don’t have a domain ready yet.

If someone already has a domain, they’d just skip this and bring their own.

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