Our new Names with stories interview features Grant Powell, an expert in developing some of the most innovative technologies and digital products, a real estate investor, and a numismatist. Grant is here to talk about one of his latest projects, Curios, a Web3 tool for every creator and business that wants to mint and sell NFTs.
In every moment there is the possibility of a better future.
Grant Powell, Curios.com
Tell us about yourself. How did you start Curios, and what do you do?
I’m Grant Powell – the founder of Curios. I’ve been building technologies for at least 20 years, a long time now. I’ve built a number of startups, including the first-ever app integrated with Spotify’s web API. It was called Curiously, not to be confused with Curios. I’ve also built the first-ever live streaming platform for YouTube, featuring concerts such as Alicia Keys, Bonnaroo, Coachella, and other amazing performances. And I also built the first ever peer-to-peer secured lending platform called YouPawn. So I’ve been doing technology startups for a long time. In addition, I have been an avid collector since a very young age; my specialty is rare coins. I was very excited to discover the ability to collect digital things through NFTs, and when I went out and tried to do that through Opensea and other platforms, I found it extremely difficult. That’s why I started Curios because I knew there was a better way to power people to create, sell, buy, and collect digital things such as NFTs.
I started Curios because I knew there was a better way to power people to create, sell, buy, and collect digital things such as NFTs.
Grant Powell, Curios.com
How long have you been operating Curios?
I started Curios back in 2020. We officially incorporated in January of 2021, and we just completed our seed raise a month ago. We’ve raised 5 million in a very successful crowdfunding campaign.
Great. You mentioned you’d had a business that was called very similar earlier. So what were the reasoning and the process for naming Curios?
Total coincidence. Curiously was a fun name, chosen for a music dating app, targeting people who were curious to get out there and discover new music and people.
Curios is actually plural for collectibles. A Curio is an object of intrigue or a collectible.
How did you get the domain name?
I’ve been buying and selling domain names for many years. I had a portfolio of about a thousand domain names at one point. I still have maybe two or three hundred. Domain names are a lot of luck in timing. Ideally, we would’ve gone perhaps with something like Curio (singular), but that domain wasn’t available. Curios, however, was for sale for a very high price, depending on who you ask. Luckily the person who owned it was willing to lease it before we bought it. As a startup, we weren’t sure if our company would succeed and if we were going to stick with that name. So it allowed us to experiment with the name and, in time, have the funding to acquire it. It was a bit of luck but also a bit of strategy. I researched the domain, found the owner, and negotiated a good deal where we could do the lease to buy, which was a very important strategy for the company.
I researched the domain, found the owner, and negotiated a good deal where we could do the lease to buy, which was a very important strategy for the company.
Grant Powell, Curios.com
Exactly. Most entrepreneurs in that situation would go, “Oh, I’ll just get another name or add a dash,” and you didn’t. You worked out a way to get the right name. I am very curious to get your thoughts on that because you’ve been in the digital space for like 20 plus years, and you also run a marketing company.
There’s a saying that says the name doesn’t make the company; the company makes the name. I believe there is some truth to that, but there’s also a lot of power in having a name that immediately tells a story of what your company does.
Usually, there’s not one single word or name that could tell that story; there are a few different words. So in our case, Curio or Curios was a word that would work, collectible or collectibles would’ve worked. There were a couple of other options I can’t remember off the top of my head that we were exploring. We also had a range of possibilities, and again, luckily, one of them was available. I think you can always look at synonyms, words that mean the same thing but are different, which helps expand your possibilities of domain names that may or may not be available for sale. It’s very much a creative process to identify what your company offers, how you tell that story, which words can tell that story for you, and then which domain names are available tied to any of those.
How much do you feel branding generally matters in blockchain and Web3?
I think branding is very important universally for any type of company. I was mentored early on by Susan White, a branding expert who did much for Calvin Klein and ran around consultancy afterward. Branding is very important. Anytime you have a company that faces a consumer, even a business as a customer, your brand represents everything. It represents how much they trust you and how much they value your services. It represents the quality, your vision, and your philosophies. Particularly with blockchain and Web3 companies, where these are new technologies, there are risky technologies to some people, and there have been scams and rug pulls; it’s absolutely paramount that you build a strong brand that people trust.
…with blockchain and Web3 companies, where these are new technologies, there are risky technologies to some people, and there have been scams and rug pulls; it’s absolutely paramount that you build a strong brand that people trust.
Grant Powell, Curios.com
Again, the brand is important for any industry, but definitely, in one where people tend to have concerns over risks or fears, a brand helps them overcome that.
To find out what makes the brand Curios unique and sets it apart from competitors, what biggest challenge it overcame and how, and what’s next for the Curios team, see the full interview below.
How does your brand name match your company vision? What new horizons can a better name open? Get in touch if you feel your brand deserves a better name, we are always happy to help.
branding business Curios domain domain name domain names domains Grant Powell interview naming startup
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