The Digital Beyond
The Digital Beyond is a personal blog and editorial resource founded in 2009 by Evan Carroll and John Romano, covering digital afterlife, digital estate planning, and posthumous online legacy issues for consumers, legal professionals, and digital legacy service providers. It is a WordPress content site monetized informally through a published book, speaking engagements, and media appearances, operated as a side project by two user-experience designers in Raleigh, NC.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2009
- HeadquartersRaleigh, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What The Digital Beyond does
The Digital Beyond is a personal content platform and editorial resource focused on digital afterlife, digital estate planning, and digital legacy issues, founded in May 2009 by Evan Carroll and John Romano, two user experience designers based in Raleigh, North Carolina. The site publishes articles, guides, and news coverage across archival, cultural, legal, technical, industry, and news categories, and maintains a curated Online Services List tracking 61 companies offering digital estate planning or online memorial services. The underlying technology is a standard WordPress-based content management system with no proprietary software, no apps, no APIs, and no mobile or AI capabilities; the asset base is editorial content, a domain, and the founders' personal brands.
The business model is hobby-scale and project-based rather than a venture-backed company: the co-founders explicitly describe the site as not their full-time job. Monetization runs through three informal channels: royalties from the co-authored book 'Your Digital Afterlife: When Facebook, Flickr and Twitter Are Your Estate, What's Your Legacy?' published by New Riders/Random House and distributed through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and iBooks; paid speaking engagements by Evan Carroll at venues including SXSW Interactive (2010-2012, 2014), the Library of Congress, the Internet Archive, and RootsTech 2014; and expert media appearances on CBS Sunday Morning, NPR's Fresh Air, The New York Times, The Atlantic, Popular Science, and PBS NewsHour. There are no SaaS products, no subscription paywalls, no direct advertising sales, and no disclosed corporate registration, funding, or employee headcount beyond the two co-founders.
The site serves three audience segments: general consumers researching what happens to their online accounts after death, legal and estate-planning professionals seeking guidance on digital asset inheritance, and digital legacy service providers monitoring the competitive landscape. Its primary defensible assets are first-mover brand recognition in the digital afterlife niche since 2009, a deep archive of editorial content, and the founders' media profile, though the venture has no institutional investment, no parent company, and no formal corporate structure beyond the personal copyright held by the two authors.
The Digital Beyond firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Digital Beyond
- Legal name
- The Digital Beyond
- Website
- https://thedigitalbeyond.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2009
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- The Digital Beyond is a personal blog and editorial resource founded in 2009 by Evan Carroll and John Romano, covering digital afterlife, digital estate planning, and posthumous online legacy issues for consumers, legal professionals, and digital legacy service providers. It is a WordPress content site monetized informally through a published book, speaking engagements, and media appearances, operated as a side project by two user-experience designers in Raleigh, NC.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Digital Beyond industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Digital Legacy and Estate Planning Content
- NAICS
- Web Search Portals, Libraries, Archives, and Other Information Services (5192)
- SIC
- Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Interactive & Enhanced Digital Publishing (multimedia, serialized, interactive fiction) (MPAJAMAL)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Digital Publishing Aggregators & Distribution (e-book distribution, news syndication) (MPAJAMAE)
Keywords
Where The Digital Beyond is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Raleigh
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
The Digital Beyond business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Book Sales: Sale of the book 'Your Digital Afterlife: When Facebook, Flickr and Twitter Are Your Estate, What's Your Legacy?' published by New Riders/Random House.
- Speaking Engagements: Evan Carroll offers keynotes and workshops on technology, customer experience, and digital culture. He has presented at SXSW Interactive (2010-2012, 2014), the Library of Congress, and the Internet Archive.
- Media Appearances: Evan Carroll appears in media outlets as a digital legacy expert, including CBS Sunday Morning, NPR's Fresh Air, The New York Times, the Atlantic, Popular Science, and PBS Newshour.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels5 records
The Digital Beyond product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Digital Beyond operates a free, advertising-free blog and resource platform (thedigitalbeyond.com) that educates consumers and professionals on digital afterlife, digital estate planning, and digital legacy. It publishes articles, guides, a curated Online Services List directory of 61 digital-estate and memorial providers, and supports the co-authored book "Your Digital Afterlife" sold through major retailers.
Product overview
The Digital Beyond operates as a content-focused publication and resource platform covering digital afterlife and estate planning topics. Its primary offering is the website content itself, which includes articles, guides, and news coverage. The company also maintains the Online Services List, a directory of third-party digital estate planning and memorial services, and published the book "Your Digital Afterlife." There is no unified software product or SaaS platform; instead, the portfolio consists of informational content and resources rather than a technical product offering.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- The Digital Beyond Website / Blog A free, openly accessible blog and information resource covering digital afterlife, digital estate planning, and digital legacy topics, organized into Archival, Cultural, Legal, Technical, Industry, News, and Video categories. Targeted at general consumers and legal professionals seeking guidance on managing online accounts and digital assets after death.
- Online Services List A curated directory listing digital estate planning services and online memorial providers, tracking 61 companies in the category (26 of which had become defunct as of March 2014, a 42% mortality rate). Useful for consumers comparing digital-afterlife service providers and for industry observers monitoring the space.
- Your Digital Afterlife (Book) A consumer-facing book co-authored by Evan Carroll on digital afterlife planning, covering how to manage online accounts and digital assets after death. Published by New Riders/Random House and sold as a one-time retail purchase through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and iBooks to general consumers and professionals.
- Digital Death Survival Guide A downloadable guide that helps consumers prepare their digital life for death by outlining concrete steps including listing digital assets, defining posthumous wishes, and selecting a digital executor. Targeted at individual internet users planning their digital legacy.
Quantifiable outcome
- 61 companies tracked in Online Services List as of March 2014
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use The Digital Beyond
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
The Digital Beyond technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
The Digital Beyond partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor.
- SecureSafe (DSwiss)minorSecureSafe acquired Entrustet (April 2012) and LifeEnsured (July 2012). The Digital Beyond's Online Services List tracks SecureSafe as one of the 61 companies in the digital estate planning space. No formal partnership exists between The Digital Beyond and SecureSafe.
- PasswordBoxminorPasswordBox acquired Legacy Locker in November 2013. The Digital Beyond tracks PasswordBox in their Online Services List. No formal partnership exists between The Digital Beyond and PasswordBox.
- PassareminorThe Digital Beyond partnered with Passare.com to create a short ebook on digital estate planning available as a free download. This is a content co-creation/marketing partnership.
- FollrminorIn February 2014, Follr announced a content licensing agreement with The Digital Beyond. Follr users can read and view Digital Beyond content from the Follr software platform. This is a content licensing arrangement.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
The Digital Beyond competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Everplans: Digital estate planning platform offering guides, checklists, and tools for organizing end-of-life information. Most directly comparable to The Digital Beyond in combining consumer-facing educational content with a structured digital legacy product.
- Cake (joincake.com): End-of-life planning content and tools covering wills, funeral planning, and digital legacy. Closely comparable audience and editorial approach to The Digital Beyond's content-led, consumer-facing style.
- Lantern: End-of-life planning platform with extensive content, checklists, and a curated marketplace of service providers. Comparable to The Digital Beyond in building a resource-driven destination for digital and end-of-life planning.
- GoodTrust: Digital estate service focused on protecting and transferring digital assets after death. Overlaps directly with The Digital Beyond's topic area and target consumer audience.
- SafeBeyond: Digital legacy platform allowing users to schedule posthumous delivery of messages, videos, and instructions. Directly comparable to the digital afterlife subject matter covered by The Digital Beyond.
- My Wonderful Life: End-of-life planning platform that combines content and planning tools across wills, healthcare, and digital legacy. Comparable consumer-focused, content-and-tool approach.
Broad incumbents
- Trust & Will: Broader online estate planning service covering wills and trusts. Comparable audience for digital afterlife and estate topics, but operates at a much larger, more productized scale than The Digital Beyond.
- Legacy.com: Largest U.S. obituary and memorial network, touching digital legacy and online remembrance at scale. Comparable subject area but a much broader incumbent with established distribution and ad-supported monetization.
Emerging players
- AfterSteps: Post-death planning platform consolidating tasks and resources for survivors. Adjacent to The Digital Beyond's focus on what happens to digital and personal affairs after someone dies.
- Final Roadmap: End-of-life planning content and tools covering wills, healthcare directives, and digital assets. Overlaps with The Digital Beyond's content-led, planning-oriented approach to end-of-life topics.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
The Digital Beyond social profiles
Digital presenceThe Digital Beyond financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Digital Beyond leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
The Digital Beyond funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Digital Beyond M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Digital Beyond
What does The Digital Beyond do?
The Digital Beyond operates a free, advertising-free blog and resource platform (thedigitalbeyond.com) that educates consumers and professionals on digital afterlife, digital estate planning, and digital legacy. It publishes articles, guides, a curated Online Services List directory of 61 digital-estate and memorial providers, and supports the co-authored book "Your Digital Afterlife" sold through major retailers.
Is The Digital Beyond a public or private company?
The Digital Beyond is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was The Digital Beyond founded?
The Digital Beyond was founded in 2009. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is The Digital Beyond based?
The Digital Beyond is headquartered in Raleigh, United States, in the North America region.
How does The Digital Beyond make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Book Sales are the primary driver. The others are speaking Engagements and media Appearances.
Who are The Digital Beyond's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Everplans, Cake (joincake.com), Lantern, GoodTrust, SafeBeyond and My Wonderful Life. Broad incumbents are Trust & Will and Legacy.com. Emerging players are AfterSteps and Final Roadmap.
Does The Digital Beyond have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Digital Beyond.
What industry is The Digital Beyond in?
The Digital Beyond's product category is Digital Legacy and Estate Planning Content. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAJAMAL, Interactive & Enhanced Digital Publishing (multimedia, serialized, interactive fiction), with a secondary code of MPAJAMAE, Digital Publishing Aggregators & Distribution (e-book distribution, news syndication). Its NAICS code is 5192 and its SIC code is 2741.