The Power of a Domain (And Why It Matters More Than You Think)
Building in Public, Week by Week
I've learned a fascinating lesson about influence and credibility in the tech world, and it all comes down to three little letters after the [at] symbol in your email address.
When I was sending cold emails from my [at]github.com address, it was like having a golden ticket. People would respond, eager to connect and collaborate. It made sense – GitHub is a household name in tech, and that email domain carried with it an implicit trust and authority that opened doors effortlessly.
When I transitioned to using my bdougie@opensauced.pizza email address, I noticed an immediate shift. The instant responses became a bit more delayed, like a lot. The automatic credibility wasn't quite as automatic anymore. Despite OpenSauced.pizza being such a catchy domain, it didn't carry the same recognition as GitHub.
Over the years, I'd built a consistent online presence as "bdougie" across platforms – X/Twitter, GitHub, and various tech communities. This consistency created a thread of recognition that helped bridge the credibility gap. When people received an email from bdougie@opensauced.pizza, they might not immediately recognize the domain, but they knew the name. That recognition became my new golden ticket.
This transition taught me something crucial about the journey from buyer to seller: your credibility currency changes, but it doesn't have to depreciate. While at GitHub I found myself mostly as the buyer with folks connecting with me, at OpenSauced I immediate became the seller, position my inquiries so it would open doors. Institutional authority (like a prestigious email domain) can open doors, personal brand equity can be just as powerful – sometimes even more so.
For those of you making similar transitions, remember that your personal brand is a portable asset. Build it consistently, nurture it carefully, and it will serve you well, regardless of which domain name follows your [at] symbol.
I'm working on relaunching the Secret Sauce podcast and will be reaching out to potential guests soon. Open Source Ready already has a great guest backlog, but we're always looking for more. If you know any thought leaders or founders who'd like to discuss AI and open source, please send them my way or forward this email. Also to note, I am working with a new email, bdougie@dinnerpeople.app.
AI's Impact on Learning and Growth
AI is reshaping how we learn and develop skills in the digital age. From personalized learning paths to enhanced feedback systems, AI tools are revolutionizing education and professional development. Though I don’t entirely agree with everything in this post, I think were a good conversation on the X about this.
https://nmn.gl/blog/ai-and-learning
Jessfraz had a quotable reply in a counter response. Junior developers who choose to learn will still exist, the distinction between a great and ok developer will be easier to identify because of the advent of AI.
https://x.com/jessfraz/status/1891871295630983476\
React Evolution with Kent C. Dodds
In our latest Open Source Ready podcast, deep dive into React's journey and best practices with Kent C. Dodds. Explores modern React development, testing strategies, and the framework's evolution from class components to hooks.
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