How companies upgraded their domain
Some of the best-known companies didn't start on their .com. Here's how they got there, in their own words where they've shared them.
Tesla
Tesla ran on teslamotors.com for years before finally acquiring tesla.com in 2016. Here's what Elon Musk said it took, and what founders can learn.
Read the case →Dropbox
Dropbox grew on getdropbox.com for years before acquiring dropbox.com in 2009. The story of the domain everyone thought it already had.
Read the case →HEY (37signals)
Jason Fried cold-emailed the owner of hey.com in 2018. Eighteen months later, 37signals owned it. What his account teaches founders about buying a premium domain.
Read the case →Cal.com
Calendso rebranded to Cal.com months after launch, after negotiating with the domain's previous owners. Why a shorter .com mattered for a link-sharing product.
Read the case →Loom
Loom started on useloom.com and moved to loom.com around its seed round, years before its acquisition by Atlassian. How the startup upgraded early.
Read the case →Buffer
Social media tool Buffer grew for years on bufferapp.com before acquiring buffer.com. A reminder that it's never too late to upgrade.
Read the case →Facebook launched as TheFacebook on thefacebook.com and moved to facebook.com in 2005. Why dropping "the" became the classic domain upgrade story.
Read the case →Patterns across these upgrades
- They started on a workaround: a "get-" or "use-" prefix, an "-app" or "Motors" suffix, or "The".
- The upgrade came with growth: often after funding, or alongside a simpler name.
- It took patience: months, sometimes years, of approaches and negotiation.
- Owners aren't all the same: for some it's about price, for others what the name means to them.
Want to follow the same path? See how we acquire domains, or read The Startup Domain Report for the data.
Questions
Why do startups upgrade their domain?
Usually because the exact .com becomes worth it: people type it by habit, emails go astray, and the brand looks more established. Many of the best-known companies, including Tesla, Dropbox and Facebook, started on a different domain.
When is the right time to upgrade?
Often around a funding round or a rebrand, before the company becomes highly visible. The longer you wait, the more attention your name gets, including from the domain's owner.
Which domain do you want?
Tell us the name. You'll get an honest view of who owns it and whether it's gettable, before you commit to anything.