Imagine turning a personal frustration into a thriving business that simplifies life for developers worldwide. That’s exactly what Anthony Eden, founder of DNSimple, did. His story is one of persistence, family, and a passion for keeping things simple—both in tech and in life.
The Spark That Started DNSimple
Anthony’s roots in the domain world go deep—back to 1999, when he helped build one of the first domain registrars during the .com boom (and subsequent bust). Over the years, he dabbled in registries and registrars, even running the registry for the Northern Mariana Islands’ .mp TLD. But it was in 2010, after a failed startup venture, that the idea for DNSimple took hold. Managing his own domains through GoDaddy’s clunky interface, he thought:
“Why am I putting up with this? I can do better!”
With years of experience under his belt, he set out to create a tool that stripped away the complexity of DNS management, launching DNSimple as a Florida LLC that same year.
Juggling Family and a Fledgling Business
Starting a company is tough, but doing it with four kids—including triplets—adds a whole new layer of challenge. When Anthony began DNSimple, his triplets were nine, and his youngest was two. He credits his wife’s unwavering support as a cornerstone of his success:
“I have a wonderful wife who is extremely supportive and who really took on a lot of the responsibility throughout the kids’ early ages to make sure that they were educated well and that they were always taken care of.”
For the first few years, Anthony didn’t quit his day job. He worked as an independent contractor and later joined Living Social, carving out DNSimple as a side hustle he nurtured during nights and weekends. It wasn’t until three years in—around late 2012 or early 2013—that he started drawing a salary, a testament to his grit and strategic balancing act.
Growing Simple, Staying Simple
DNSimple launched in July 2010, just three months after Anthony began coding it—an MVP built to solve his own pain points. “I wanted something that was so simple that took away all the crap that you didn’t need,” he explained. From a single web server (possibly on Heroku) and four unicast DNS servers, it grew organically by listening to customers. Early adopters paid right away, fueling his motivation. Over the years, DNSimple evolved, adding domain registration and an API, but its core mission never wavered: simplicity. WITH over 400,000 domains and 17,000 customers, at the time of this episode, DNsimple handles a hefty load of DNS requests while keeping the focus on what developers need—speed, trust, and no fluff.
Standing Tall Among Giants
Competing with behemoths like GoDaddy, Amazon’s Route 53, Google, and Microsoft’s Azure DNS could intimidate anyone. But Anthony saw a niche and owned it.
“My niche was engineers like me, developers who were building web apps who wanted something easy and didn’t want all the extra stuff.” - Anthony
DNSimple didn’t try to be everything to everyone—no hosting, no email, just streamlined DNS and domain management. When the big players entered the game, Anthony shrugged: “Yeah, they’re going to get business. But there’s enough business out there for all of us.” By staying laser-focused on simplicity, DNSimple carved out a loyal following.
A Vision for the Next Decade
What’s next for DNSimple? Anthony’s dream is bold yet straightforward: “The vision is one where the people that use DNSimple don’t actually have to think about DNS.” He’s spent a decade building a stable, profitable, remote-first company that lets him and his team live life on their terms—moving between the U.S. and France, spending summers at a Michigan cabin. Now, he’s looking ahead, intrigued by the internet’s evolution. He hopes to see a shift back to distributed systems, where data and control aren’t hoarded by a few giants. “The fact that we’re trying to tie everything into a smaller and smaller number of very big companies is a real problem,” he mused, citing ideas like the Interplanetary File System (IPFS) as inspiration for a more decentralized future.
Lessons for Aspiring Entrepreneurs
Anthony’s advice for anyone starting a business is deceptively simple yet profound:
“If you really want to have a business… you need to actually solve a problem that people are willing to pay you for.”
It’s not just about building something cool—it’s about finding value that scales, whether that’s for 100 customers paying $100 a month or a larger, well-funded audience. He also cautions against chasing venture capital unless you’re sure you can turn a dollar into five. “When your customers are paying you, that is your customers investing in your business,” he said.
Luck played a role in his journey—born a middle-class white guy in America, he acknowledges his privileges—but it’s his tens of thousands of hours coding (sometimes while feeding newborns) and a supportive team that turned DNSimple into a success.
Conclusion
Anthony Eden’s story with DNSimple is a masterclass in turning necessity into opportunity. From a frustration with clunky DNS tools to a decade of growth, he’s built a company that’s not just profitable but human—run by a remote team that carries the pager together, listens to customers, and prioritizes life outside the screen. Whether you’re a developer needing a no-fuss DNS solution or an entrepreneur dreaming of your own venture, Anthony’s journey offers inspiration and a nudge to keep it simple. Check out DNSimple for yourself—and maybe, in the next decade, we’ll see Anthony’s vision of a thought-free DNS and a more distributed internet come to life.
A few few additional resources you might enjoy:
How DNSimple was founded, a cartoon!
How DNS works, a comic too :)
Lastly, if you are thinking of buying a domain or switching your DNS provider, here's $5 you can use right away.
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