Here’s a story from my own experience that shows how a little creativity (and a custom email domain) turned mass registration into a profitable side hustle. Maybe this will inspire you to try something similar on another platform.

Back when Discord usernames came with unique numbers, everyone wanted the cool combos. If you managed to get something like valera#1337, it felt like a trophy. But the catch? You needed an email to set up an account, which added costs for proxies, CAPTCHA-solving, and more. But I saw an opportunity. Instead of using standard emails, I decided to try a custom domain.

The Setup

I bought a .ru domain for 1$ and set up the MX records through Yandex to funnel everything to one admin account, no matter the username. This hack allowed me to skip individual verification, so I could filter out only the handles with “rare” numbers. Locally, this didn’t spark much interest, but in Western markets, demand was high.

I started threads on popular forums and even set up my own storefront. When an order came in, I’d go through a final verification, attach a phone number, and change the account details for the buyer. It felt like a smooth process… until it wasn’t.

The Challenges

Of course, no setup is flawless. I soon learned that without careful management, this approach could backfire. Some accounts would get flagged or restricted, especially if I pushed the setup too hard. Managing orders on forums was also tricky—competition was fierce, and it took a lot of tweaking to keep my listings visible.

Lessons Learned

Reflecting on this experience, a few key points stand out:

1. Test the limits, but adapt fast: In mass registration, one small oversight can cost you the whole setup. Experiment with limits, but have a plan to adapt if the platform tightens its policies.
2. Go where the demand is: If there’s a unique selling point on a popular platform, like usernames in Discord, there’s likely demand somewhere. Forums can be a goldmine for finding out what people want. Don’t underestimate the value of a bit of market research.
3. Focus on efficiency, not just volume: Automating everything is tempting, but the real success came when I slowed down, optimized the process, and focused on quality over quantity. A few high-quality accounts with in-demand usernames outperformed massive registration attempts.

Have you found any creative ways to use automation or custom domains? Sometimes, all it takes is one inspired night to turn a simple idea into something far bigger.