I built the future. Now I’m not sure it exists.
Six months ago, I built Nerve.io because I believed something deeply:
The future is agentic.
Bots will build.
Agents will transact.
And they will need direct, programmable access to our domain names.
So I built the bridge.
One API to rule them all.
Today, I’m not as convinced.
And I’m stuck.
The Original Thesis Behind Nerve.io
If AI agents are going to buy domains, configure DNS, transfer assets, manage portfolios, and transact online, they cannot rely on humans logging into registrar dashboards.
They need programmable control.
APIs.
Automation.
Infrastructure.
Nerve.io was designed to be that unified layer across registrars. A single, clean interface that agents could use to manage domains without friction.
It felt inevitable.
Now it feels less certain.
Lesson 1: I Optimized for the Future, Not the Present
I built Nerve.io for where I think the world is going.
Not where it is today.
That feels visionary.
It is also dangerous.
Because you can be right about the direction of the world, but wrong about the timing.
If agent-driven domain management is three to five years away, building the infrastructure today may simply be too early.
Early can look identical to wrong.
And early can also lead you down the wrong road entirely.
Lesson 2: Maybe We Don’t Need “One API to Rule Them All”
I assumed centralization would win.
I assumed we would need a unified API layer across all registrars so agents could operate seamlessly.
Now I’m not sure.
Tools like OpenClaw are shifting my thinking.
OpenClaw is an open-source AI agent that runs locally on your computer and can become smarter the more you train it. It can control your browser, navigate websites, fill forms, click buttons, and perform actions the way a human would. No official API required.
If tools like that become mainstream, and they likely will, your personal AI agent might just log into your registrar account and handle everything directly.
No aggregator needed.
No unified API layer.
No Nerve.io.
And if this functionality becomes native on our phones or operating systems within a year or two, the need for a centralized infrastructure layer shrinks dramatically.
That possibility changes the entire calculus.
Lesson 3: I Underestimated Structural Risk
Most domain registrars have an all-or-nothing API key model.
One key.
Full privileges.
Read all domains.
Change nameservers.
Register new domains.
Buy in auctions.
Delete domains.
Everything.
Unlike Stripe, where you can scope API permissions and restrict access, registrars typically do not offer granular controls.
If you give Nerve.io your API key, you are effectively giving it total control over your portfolio.
That is a massive trust ask.
Yes, my own registrar credentials are inside Nerve.io. I put my money where my mouth is.
But would I recommend others do the same?
I’m not sure.
The trust model is fragile. And fragile trust kills infrastructure products.
Lesson 4: I Hand-Waved Compliance
Many registrar terms and conditions explicitly state that you cannot build a product on top of their APIs.
When I started Nerve.io, I told myself:
Build something great first.
Worry about terms later.
That logic works sometimes.
Until it doesn’t.
Infrastructure businesses cannot operate in gray areas forever. If the foundation depends on APIs that explicitly forbid productization, you are building on unstable ground.
I knew this.
I built anyway because nothing was going live and I could learn from the process.
The TAM Question Exists. But It’s Not the Core Problem.
Yes, the total addressable market of domain investors is too small.
But that is not what is stopping me.
I build what I want to see in the world.
I build what I would like to use.
I worry about usage later.
The real issue is deeper than market size.
Why I’m Currently Stuck
Nerve.io works.
The product does what it is supposed to do.
But three uncomfortable realities are colliding:
- The thesis might be early or wrong.
- The infrastructure layer might not be necessary if local agents win.
- The trust model is fundamentally broken because of full-privilege API keys.
The biggest one is trust.
I cannot confidently tell someone, “Hand over total control of your domain portfolio to my system.”
Even if they trust me.
Even if I secure everything perfectly.
The structure itself is flawed.
So I’m in wait-and-see mode.
Watching how agent frameworks evolve.
Watching whether registrars introduce granular API permissions.
Watching whether centralized infrastructure becomes essential or irrelevant.
Sometimes building means shipping faster.
Sometimes it means pausing.
Right now, with Nerve.io, I’m pausing.
Not because it failed.
But because I’m not convinced the world needs it the way I once was.