Div Turakhia At F.ounders Conference On Media.Net: “In The Next 12 Months We Will Likely Be One of The Top 10 Ad Companies”

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The third annual F.ounders conference was held this past Friday at the Nasdaq’s MarketSite on Times Square.

One of the invited 150 founders was Divyank Turakhia of Directi which as we know has a bunch of companies in the domain industry and announced they applied for 31 new gTLD’s.

The IrishTimes.com sat down for a short interview with Div who they describe as a “30-year-old entrepreneur from India who started his first company at the age of 16 with $500.”

“Today he employs 800 people across two web-based businesses and has a net worth of about $350 million.”

“His latest venture, a “contextual advertising” company called media.net, that matches online ads with related web content, is set to take on Google’s ad service when it launches fully later this year. ”

Div is quoted as saying:

“Google is the only company doing and they make $10 billion a year doing it. It’s a sweet business,”

“In the next 12 months we will likely be one of the top 10 ad companies out there”

“But when you’ve made your first million at the age of 18 and your first hundred million at the age of 23, what’s still driving you at 30?”

“It’s more about solving complex problems. That’s what keeps me excited. After a point you don’t care about the money at all. The reality is I would do all of this for free, but then people started paying me for it,” he explained.”

 

About Michael Berkens

Michael Berkens, Esq. is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of TheDomains.com. Michael is also the co-founder of Worldwide Media Inc. which sold around 70K domain to Godaddy.com in December 2015 and now owns around 8K domain names . Michael was also one of the 5 Judges selected for the the Verisign 30th Anniversary .Com contest.

Comments

  1. CAPTAIN ZOOM says

    “they applied for 31 new gTLD’s”

    Maybe they will help with the .BOX movement.

    You should start seeing WIFI Hot Spots named ZOOM://BOX

    You can download the (new) FREE DNS software.
    …also Check out Walmart and Amazon 🙂

  2. C.A.R. says

    The (contextual ad) word web is going the way of video-text ads when streaming cable news, sports and movie channels took over the pipe. There is still a market, but video is eating its breakfast, lunch and dinner. Leaving only local crumbs.

    Online video claimed 51% of internet traffic in the last year. Cisco projects it to be 86% in 5 years.

    Meanwhile, Google is turning YouTube into TV commercial driven cable channels. Unless Media.net has a YouTube up their sleeve I don’t see them seriously ‘taking on’ Google.

    The good news is Media.net will likely be bought by a major TV network. HULU comes to mind. They need a double barrel approach to fend of Goog-Tube.

  3. fizz says

    Interesting to see the two new ventures highlighted in the article are .nets: media.net and doo.net.

  5. Jeff Schneider says

    Hello Michael,

    Well Div you better start caring about money on the Internet space. You may not realize that your Brand has a whole in it! You are leaking in excess of 90 % + in total clicks available in the .Com Channel . Change your .net to .com and you may stop the unecessary Bleeding. Some friendly advice.

    Gratefully, Jeff Schneider (Contact Group) (Metal Tiger)

  6. CAPTAIN ZOOM says

    “Online video claimed 51% of internet traffic in the last year. Cisco projects it to be 86% in 5 years.”

    …and the “video” and ads will be coming from The.BOX which has to be very close to the consumers when they are watching because they do not like to see ***.LOADING.***

    …the ads can be pre-loaded and if the stream gets behind an ad can be inserted…

    Other “services” can also be “inserted” since we have your attention [ 🙂 ]

  7. Jeff Schneider says

    Hello Michael.

    Another,BOX ? This translation does not compute in Cyberspace. If you want to be Liked I guess it is ok , but we are losing communication ? Again what is your MO ? .BOX box does not compute
    your chances of survival= Minimal.

    Gratefully, Jeff Schneider (Contact Group) (Metal Tiger)

  8. Aggro says

    I recall the sale of Ad.com falling through for whatever reason

    Would’ve been a good fit for this business

    @ C.AR

    I agree

    I guarantee if Div’s new venture gets traction (regardless of profitability), he’ll have offers in the millions from acquirers wanting a complimentary ad solution, a multiples of the start up costs.

    @ Schneider, schmuck

    DailyMail.CO.UK website is the world’s most popular online newspaper – beating even NYtimes.com

    They’re not crying b/c they couldn’t get the .com & bleed.

    “Entrepreneurs make it happen, domainers wait ’til the entrepreneur makes it happen”

  9. Mr.T says

    Geez Aggro, I totally agree with what you´re saying, but go easy on the guy.

    Media.Net is a great domain, because Media.NET is all about the interNET. This is another “right side of the dot” awareness thing. Once the new TLDs roll out and the average Joe “gets” the bigger picture, the bleed to .com domains will be reduced anyways.

  10. Jeff Schneider says

    @ Aggro-vated

    Entreprenuers buy .COMS all the time after they learned their lesson. You should really look into Anger Management.

    Gratefully, Jeff Schneider (Contact Group) (Metal Tiger)

  12. Michael H. Berkens says

    Aggro

    This is the business for what Div bought the domain name ad.com at the TRAFFIC auction for and then the whole litigation with AOL claim to have TM rights to it based off it Advertising.com TM

  13. Anon says

    One of the biggest mistakes of the ad.com acquisition was the whole ego approach.

    LOOK! LOOK AT WHAT WE’VE DONE!
    WE SOLD THIS DOMAIN FOR SEVEN FIGURES!
    LOOK OVER HERE AT US!
    LOOK AT US! RESPECT US!
    LOOK, OVER HERE!
    LOOK AT HOW AWESOME WE ARE!
    LOOK!

    PRESS RELEASES! BLOG POSTS! COMMENTARY! BUZZ!

    … and inevitably, it woke up a giant.

    Isn’t it funny, how different so many ‘domainers’ are from hedge fund managers who make billions. In that world, one of the most dearly-held strategies is total discretion. Stay silent, keep below the radar until you’ve made so much money, it’s impossible to blend in with the crowd anymore.

    They understand money, they understand what kind of enormous aggravation can come from operating your business like blaring brass band, rather than as a silent ninja.

  14. Samit says

    Google is successful because it covers a large percentage of publishers worldwide.

    Not just the largest publishers, niches matter.

    It will be interesting to see the numbers on media.net – they certainly are investing a lot of money in marketing and technology, so at least that won’t be lacking.

  15. Jeff Schneider says

    @ Div

    O U C H ! sorry for my ill informed comment, I apologize. In retrospect it looks like I criticized you for making a smart Marketing decision, with Ad.com. Not my original intention.

    The harsh reality of smart marketing principles are not always an easy pill to swallow, but are ultimately rewarding in the long run.

    Still I suggest you find a good “Virtual Business Foundation” in the .COM Channel. Your R.O.I. on both transactions will pay in Spades in the long run. Let me know if I can be of help with your Marketing Campaign.

    Gratefully, Jeff Schneider (Contact Group) (Metal Tiger)

  16. An0n says

    “UseBiz.com – END USERS ONLY / NON-Disclosure Sale Preferred
    B U Y I T N O W 6 Mill. $ or Equity Sharing or Cash Equivalent”

    LMAO!

  17. Jeff Schneider says

    @ Anon

    I will laugh all the way to the bank! You obviously have not done your homework.

    Gratefully, Jeff Schneider (Contact Group) (Metal Tiger)

  19. Back in the real World says

    Anon –

    Although I agree with what you said anyway Hedgefunds cannot promote themselves, before at all, now in a very very very small way.

    Sincerely, Real World (Ninja Turtle) (Metal HedgeFundHog)