[Comments-com-amendment-3-03jan20] This will starve startups!

[Tumi Lengoasa]

Good morning,

I find it appalling that none of us in the startup and internet community
were consulted about these price changes and new deal with Verisign. Young
companies across the globe depend on the .com TLD to access international
markets and legitimize their businesses. We are not seeing the same
traction and prestige with other TLDs, and therefore .com is the only
choice for properly positioning our businesses.

Such price increases may seem small in your context, but already the
domains are expensive to users across the globe. If you convert the price
to Indian rupees, South African Rands or Kenyan Shillings, you’ll find that
this price increase will put strain on young entrepreneurs trying to
establish themselves.

Entrepreneurship is the backbone of this globalized economy, and your plans
will harm that. I would not have been able to start and grow my first two
businesses at age 23 without affordable access to .com TLDs, and I am
certain that a price increase will hamstring young entrepreneurs with very
few resources like myself.

I urge you to reconsider this change and to implement a process for
discussion with all companies, stakeholders and users in the domain service
sphere.

Best regards,
Tumi Lengoasa
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*    Tu**mi Lengoasa*
    CEO, [redacted] music group
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