Interview with Sandeep Ramchandani – CEO of Radix Registry

Radix Registry runs some of the most popular new domain name extensions on the web, from .website to .online, .tech to .store, it’s safe to say they have a good eye for great domains. At the helm of Radix is Sandeep Ramchandani, an entrepreneur who isn’t just an amazing technologist, he’s also a great leader and team builder.

Sandeep was nice enough to sit down with me to answer some questions about Radix, lessons he’s learned as an entrepreneur, the impact of Coronavirus on their business, and more. Make sure to make it to the end as there’s a fun fact about Sandeep that you might not know in his answer to Question #7.

Thanks to Sandeep for taking the time to answer these questions, I think this is one of my best interviews yet, enjoy!

1) Radix saw strong growth in 2019 – what do you think was the main reason for this growth?

Our growth can be attributed to the quality of our portfolio backed by a stellar team.

At Radix, we have carefully chosen domain extensions that have a broad application. Our portfolio boasts of a good mix of domain extensions that have inherently appeal to a wide audience. For instance, .TECH is one of the most sought after extensions by startups and, .ONLINE and .SITE are both relevant to SMBs and solopreneurs. As more businesses are going online, they are seeking out brandable domain names that our extensions can provide.

We’re not in the industry to merely increase our sales numbers; we’re helping businesses get good-quality domain names so they can build a strong brand.

As a young and agile team, we are constantly looking for creative ways to reach our customers. Every Radical (as we call our team members) is aligned to the organizational goals with clarity of priorities. Knowing what we are going after helps keep all of us unified in our efforts. But that’s not it. We all invest a lot of time in introspecting what we have done to learn from our successes and failures before we plan for the future. It would be fair to say that while we are nimble-footed, we work in a harmonious rhythm at an organizational level.

2) What do you think was your biggest lesson learned in 2019 that you’re carrying into 2020?

Like I mentioned above, our portfolio consists of domain extensions that have an inherent demand and, thus, tremendous potential. In fact, both .ONLINE and .SITE have surpassed 1 million domain registrations each. However, we’re still a long way from making these new domain extensions almost synonymous with the legacy extensions.

Throughout our efforts in 2019, we’ve realised the importance of brand awareness for our TLDs. Internet users will not be able to have good domain names if they don’t know of all the available options. And it goes beyond just awareness–it’s also about ensuring that they see the new domain extensions as something that adds value to their business and marketing.

Our registrar partners across the globe have given us positive feedback about our TLDs in terms of how they’re being received at the customer front. We plan to take that into account and work towards spreading more awareness for our extensions in 2020.

3) As the new gTLD space continues to evolve what do you think this means for startups and entrepreneurs?

One of the biggest benefits of new domain extensions is that they’ve made the Internet namespace a lot more business-friendly and meaningful. Since these domain extensions are still relatively new, it allows businesses and individuals to have their first choice names that are contextually relevant.

With extensions such as .TECH and .STORE, business owners can now get elegant domain names without having to compromise. It’s interesting to see that people all over the world can now get their first choice domain names. So, gTLD space has moved the needle from scarcity to abundance as far as domain names are concerned.

As more and more businesses move online, they need an attractive address that they can use on their social media profiles and social media marketing.

To further make it easy for our customers, we have made premium domain names accessible with innovative pricing models. As a result, customers can get a premium domain at a low annuity price; dramatically bringing down the entry barrier to category killer names.

In many ways, gTLDs have made the Internet a level playing field for startups and established businesses and we are leading this change from the front.

4) One thing that I’ve always been impressed with at Radix is the people. What lessons have you learned about hiring and building the team that you have today?

The team forms the nucleus of Radix. Working together in rhythm is only possible when everyone on the team believes in a common goal and is enthusiastic about it. Unlike various organizations where a team member is just another cog in the wheel, at Radix we welcome and celebrate individual genius. Put together, the team at Radix is not afraid to challenge the status quo or to take risks.

The reason we’ve been able to build and sustain an incredible team is by being extremely selective when hiring.  We’re never going to be a several hundred people organization, so we may as well be picky about who we choose!

At Radix, we’ve encouraged the team to be independent and take ownership of their responsibilities. In our team,  leaders demonstrate passionate adherence to our values; thus setting an example for the rest of the team.

5) If there was one thing you could do differently if you were to build a time machine and go back to your first year building Radix, what would that be?

We first submitted our applications for 31 strings in 2012. Looking back, I would’ve applied for some more TLD options that have shown great potential.

6) Do you think the Coronavirus will impact your growth in 2020?

So far, the trends that we have observed within Radix and the industry overall are quite positive. However, we’re still mixing caution with creativity. We’re moving forward keeping the changing market dynamics in mind.

The global marketplace has realized the potential of having a strong online presence and most businesses are moving online. So, there’s definitely an upside to that for everyone in our business. But we’re aware of the struggles our customers are facing during these challenging times. We’re doing our best to proactively assist them in making their transition from offline to online easy.

7) Last but not least, can you share one fun fact about you that most people might not know?

Well, I moonlight as a DJ; playing underground-house music and melodic techno tunes. I actively perform as a resident DJ at some popular bars and, of course,  at Radix team parties. Given the pandemic situation, I recently played a set live on Facebook and friends from all over joined in. That was fun!

Morgan Linton

Morgan Linton