A domain can be clever, useful and even valuable to the right business while still being a poor investor asset. The missing variable is often liquidity.
Buyer depth matters
A category-defining .com may appeal to many companies and investors. A narrowly specific phrase can have excellent utility but only a handful of natural buyers. The second name may have high retail value and weak wholesale liquidity at the same time.
Extensions change the exit
Extensions with broader recognition and investor participation generally create deeper wholesale markets. Smaller or category-specific TLDs can work extremely well, but the exit pool is usually narrower.
Construction matters too
Natural language, shortness, clean spelling and immediate meaning help because more buyers can understand the name without explanation.
Investor lesson: do not only ask whether a domain is good. Ask who the next buyer is likely to be if the ideal end user never appears.