Domain broker invests to the right of the dot with .grit domain application.
Brian Harbin, a longtime domain broker, has taken the next step in his career by applying to operate a new top-level domain, .grit. Known for brokering second-level domains through his company Grit Brokerage, Harbin says a recent transaction inspired him to pursue ownership of a whole string. That experience opened his eyes to the business model and the potential value of controlling an entire top-level domain.
About 18 months ago, Harbin was engaged to broker the sale of an entire top-level domain. He completed that deal and gained hands-on insight into how registries operate, how revenue can be generated, and what it takes to market and administer a string. Those lessons crystallized his interest in applying for .grit and leveraging his existing expertise to build a structured, purpose-driven registry.
Harbin explains that the sale process taught him both the financial realities and the operational subtleties of owning a string. “Through that sales process, I became educated on the numbers and nuances of owning a string and found it to be a very intriguing business model,” he said. “I began speaking with many individual string owners and realized it’s a business venture that ties in extremely well with our expertise.”
The choice of .grit aligns with Harbin’s personal and professional branding. In addition to founding Grit Brokerage, he is involved in several initiatives that use the Grit name, including a summer sports camp called Grit Camp and an internship program called Grit University, among other projects. The Grit brand already connects to programs and audiences that could benefit from a dedicated online namespace.
For Harbin, the word “grit” carries a compact and powerful meaning. He describes grit as a foundational quality people rely on to overcome challenges and persist toward goals. “Once you know what grit is, you know you need more of it, and it’s a quality that every living organism has to have in order to survive,” he said. “How are you prepared to handle adversity? Grit is that quality, characteristic, DNA, habits, skills, attitude, all wrapped into a perfectly simple and easy-to-remember word.”
Owning the .grit string, Harbin believes, would allow him to promote that mindset through domain names and help organizations and individuals who identify with resilience and determination to find a fitting online identity. He aims to create a registry that supports both the commercial and community value of the word, using domain registrations to reinforce the concept and spread awareness.
Harbin recognizes that launching and operating a top-level domain is not simple. Beyond the upfront application fee — which he noted was $227,000 — a successful registry requires distribution channels, marketing, and registrar partnerships. It also needs a compelling value proposition so that registrants choose the new string over well-known legacy domains.
To address those challenges, Harbin laid out a seven-prong strategy on his application to market and deploy .grit. While he emphasizes that registrar placements will play a role, he does not intend to rely solely on shelf space at registrars to drive growth. Instead, he plans to leverage unique sales channels that align with his existing skill set and audience, combining direct outreach, community programs, branded initiatives, and targeted promotions to create sustained demand.
“Although the registrar partnerships will be important, we certainly aren’t going to be relying on shelf space at the registrars to drive our growth,” Harbin said. “We have some very exciting channels to sell domain names that will be extremely unique to our existing skill set, expertise, and audience.”
As of this writing, no other applicant has publicly announced an application for .grit. The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) will publish a full list of applicants at a later date, at which point Harbin will know whether he faces competing bids. If no other parties apply, his path forward will be clearer; if multiple applicants emerge, the domain will likely be decided through auction or other ICANN mechanisms.
Harbin says his preference is to invest in growing the business rather than spending additional resources in an auction. “We hope we can use our war chest to invest in building the business rather than paying an additional auction fee. But if it takes more grit just to get .grit, then I guess that’s fitting,” he noted, framing the potential struggle as part of the brand’s narrative.
With that outlook, Harbin positions .grit as both a commercial opportunity and a continuation of his existing work under the Grit banner. If successful, the registry could offer a focused namespace for organizations, individuals, and programs that embrace persistence, resilience, and determination — giving them a short, memorable domain that reflects their values.
The application marks a deliberate move by a domain professional who has translated brokerage experience into a strategy for owning and operating a top-level domain. Whether .grit becomes an established online space will depend on the outcome of the application process, market reception, and the execution of the marketing and distribution plan Harbin has proposed.