Papermark.com: The $20K Domain Decision That Made Sense at $25K MRR

Marc Seitz launched Papermark as a side project—an open-source alternative to DocSend that helped teams securely share documents and data rooms. He started at Papermark.io, the domain extension of choice for developers and bootstrapped startups.

For over a year, Papermark.io was perfectly fine. The product hit a nerve. Companies were tired of DocSend's outdated interface, slow performance, and overpriced fees. Papermark offered a modern, fast, transparent alternative.

And it was working. Monthly recurring revenue was growing.

Then, when MRR crossed $25,000, Marc made a decision: spend $20,000 on Papermark.com.

The Timing Question

When Marc posted about the purchase on Twitter, he asked: "I spent $20,000 on papermark.com. vibe or waste?"

The responses were mixed. Some people thought $20K was excessive. Others understood immediately.

For a bootstrapped company, $20K is a significant investment. But Marc's timing made it strategic. At $25K MRR, the domain purchase could be covered in one month of revenue.

As he later explained: "We would never spend $20k on a domain on day 0 and would not recommend it to anyone."

The key was waiting until the business could afford it without breaking stride.

Why It Mattered

Papermark operates in the document-sharing and data room space—an industry where trust and credibility are everything. Companies use these tools to share sensitive financial documents, legal contracts, and confidential business information.

A .io domain works for developer tools and early-stage projects. But for B2B document sharing where enterprises are evaluating vendors, Papermark.com signals something different:

• Legitimacy - A .com says "we're serious about this business"
• Trust - Enterprises expect .com for mission-critical tools
• Brand maturity - Moving from .io to .com marks a transition from side project to real company

As Marc put it: "Credibility and trust were the main reasons, particularly for our field where it makes a difference for customers."

The Open Source Angle

What makes this story particularly interesting is that Papermark is open source. The code is free. Anyone can fork it, modify it, and run their own version.

But the business is built on trust. Enterprises don't want to self-host document sharing infrastructure—they want a reliable service they can depend on. That's what Papermark.com sells.

The domain became part of the moat. Competitors can copy the code, but they can't copy Papermark.com. In the open source world, brand and trust become the differentiators.

The One-Month Payback

The brilliance of Marc's timing was the payback calculation. At $25K MRR, a $20K investment pays for itself in less than a month. After that, it's pure upside.

Compare that to buying the domain on day 0 when revenue is zero. The same $20K would feel like a massive gamble. But at $25K MRR, it's a rounding error covered by 30 days of revenue growth.

The domain purchase marked a transition point: from scrappy side project to legitimate B2B business.

Vibe or Waste?

So what's the verdict? Vibe or waste?

For Papermark, it was vibe. The domain reinforced their positioning as the professional, trustworthy alternative to overpriced incumbents. In a space where credibility matters, Papermark.com gave them the foundation to compete at the enterprise level.

As Marc reflected, they wouldn't recommend spending $20K on a domain on day 0. But at the right stage, with the right business model, in the right market? It's not just a vibe. It's an investment that pays for itself in weeks and compounds for years.

Sometimes the best time to buy the domain isn't when it's affordable. It's when you can afford it without feeling it.