ZeroTaken
Domain name generator that shows only available domains
When I started building products, I thought the biggest challenge would be writing the code.
I was wrong.
The code is often the easiest part.
The difficult part is everything around it:
Deciding what not to build.
Finding your first users.
Hearing honest feedback without taking it personally.
Staying motivated when traffic is flat.
Showing up every day even when nobody is watching.
As solo founders, we wear every hat.
One hour we're developers.
The next we're marketers, designers, customer support, SEO specialists, copywriters, and data analysts.
It's exhausting.
But there's also something incredibly rewarding about it.
Every small improvement is yours.
Every lesson is yours.
Every customer feels personal.
I've stopped measuring progress only by revenue.
Some of the biggest wins happen long before that:
A stranger signs up.
Someone gives thoughtful feedback.
A feature solves a real problem.
A returning visitor comes back.
A tiny improvement increases conversions.
Those moments don't make headlines, but they're often the signals that you're moving in the right direction.
Building a startup is less about giant breakthroughs and more about showing up consistently, making small improvements, and letting those improvements compound over time.
What's been the hardest non-technical challenge you've faced while building your startup?
For years, I collected ideas.
I'd get excited, buy a domain, sketch a few screens, and then convince myself it wasn't good enough. Eventually I'd move on to the next idea and repeat the cycle.
Sound familiar?
A few months ago, I decided to change one thing: instead of chasing the perfect idea, I'd focus on solving one small, real problem.
That led me to build ZeroTaken, a tool that helps founders discover creative domain names that are actually available. It wasn't the biggest problem in the world—but it was one I'd experienced myself over and over.
Building it taught me something I wish I'd learned earlier:
Shipping teaches faster than planning.
No amount of brainstorming gave me the insights I got from putting a real product in front of real people.
Since launching, I've been learning things I never considered while the product was "just an idea":
Which features people actually use.
Where visitors get confused.
Which traffic sources are worth my time.
How difficult (and rewarding) organic marketing really is.
How much user feedback can change your roadmap.
I'm still early in the journey, and there's a long way to go.
My goal here on Indie Hackers is to share both the wins and the mistakes as I continue building. Hopefully someone else can avoid a few of the lessons I'm learning the hard way.
I'm curious:
What's one lesson you only learned after launching a product?
If you've ever searched for the perfect startup name, you've probably experienced this:
You finally find a name you love.
Then you discover the domain owner wants $15,000 for it.
At that moment, many founders start wondering:
"Should I just buy it?"
In most cases, the answer is no.
Here's why.
Your Product Matters More Than Your Domain
It's easy to believe that owning the perfect .com will make your startup look more professional.
But think about companies like:
Google
Spotify
Reddit
Slack
Stripe
None of these names were famous when the companies launched.
The businesses made the names valuable—not the other way around.
A memorable product creates a memorable brand.
Cash Is More Valuable Than a Premium Domain
Early-stage startups usually have limited resources.
Imagine spending:
$10,000 on a domain
$0 on marketing
Or instead:
$500 on a good domain
$9,500 on customer acquisition, content, or product improvements
Which investment is more likely to grow your business?
For most startups, it's the second option.
Your First Idea Might Not Be Your Last
Many successful startups pivot.
Sometimes they change:
their audience
their pricing
their product
their entire business model
If you spend thousands on a domain before validating your idea, you may end up attached to a brand that no longer fits your business.
Customers Rarely Ask If You Own the "Perfect" Domain
Most users care about one thing:
Can your product solve their problem?
Few people decide to use a startup because its domain cost six figures.
Fast performance, great support, and a useful product leave a much stronger impression than an expensive web address.
Don't Confuse "Premium" With "Better"
A premium domain isn't automatically a better domain.
Some are expensive simply because:
they're short
they contain popular keywords
someone hopes another buyer will pay more later
That doesn't mean they're the best fit for your startup.
Sometimes a creative, brandable name is far more memorable than a generic keyword domain.
When Paying More Does Make Sense
There are situations where buying a premium domain can be a smart move.
For example:
Your company is already generating significant revenue.
The domain exactly matches your established brand.
It protects your trademark or prevents customer confusion.
The acquisition cost is small compared to your marketing budget.
At that stage, it's an investment—not a gamble.
Focus on Building Brand Value
People don't remember brands because they own expensive domains.
They remember brands because those companies consistently deliver value.
Your goal shouldn't be to own the most expensive domain.
It should be to build the company that makes its domain valuable.
Final Thoughts
Before spending thousands on a premium domain, ask yourself:
"Will this money help my business grow more if I invest it elsewhere?"
For most early-stage founders, the answer is yes.
Instead of chasing domains outside your budget, consider exploring creative names that are still available. You might be surprised how many strong brandable options still exist—you just need the right way to discover them. That's one of the ideas behind ZeroTaken: helping founders find quality, available domain names so they can spend less time searching and more time building.
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2
The “when paying more does make sense” section is the interesting part to me.
Curious whether you've actually seen a point in your users' journey where they stop looking for an available name and start considering paying for one that's already taken.
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1
That's a great question! From what I've seen, the vast majority of founders using ZeroTaken definitely stick to available names and rarely make the jump to buying expensive aftermarket domains. Most early-stage teams are hyper-focused on keeping runway long, so they prefer a creative or modified available name over dropping thousands on a pre-owned one.
However, I've noticed an interesting pattern when looking at who does buy premium domains: the highest-tier and most frequent premium buyers are almost always corporate or established company accounts. That tells you a lot—buying an expensive domain is usually a move made by mature businesses that already have the revenue and brand equity to justify it, rather than bootstrapped founders just starting out.
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2
I appreciate you taking the time to explain what you've been seeing.
I'd be interested in continuing the conversation by email if you're open to it. What's the best email to reach you on?
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The product wasn't the hard part.
The name was.
I spent hours trying different domain generators, writing lists of ideas, and checking registrars one by one.
Every time I found a name I liked...
Taken.
Then another.
Taken.
And another.
Most domain generators gave me hundreds of ideas, but 90% of them weren't even available. I realized I was spending more time searching for a domain than validating my actual startup idea.
So I built a tool for myself.
Instead of generating random names and hoping one is free, it checks availability while generating ideas. That means every suggestion you see is a domain you can actually register.
That project became ZeroTaken.
I'm still improving it every week based on feedback from founders.
I'm curious:
What's the longest you've spent trying to find a startup name?
Or what naming mistake would you never make again?
I'd love to hear your stories.
Hi Indie Hackers! 👋
Like many founders, I spent hours brainstorming startup names only to discover that almost every good domain was already taken.
So I built ZeroTaken.
Describe your startup idea, and ZeroTaken uses AI to generate creative, brandable domain names while checking their availability in real time. Instead of getting hundreds of names you can't use, you only see domains you can actually register.
Current features:
✅ Generate unique domain names from a simple description
✅ Real-time availability checking
✅ Fast and easy to use
I'm actively improving ZeroTaken and would really appreciate your feedback.
What feature would you add to make it more useful?
Thanks for checking it out!
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