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How To Name Your Company

6 points by michjeanty 19y ago

mixmax 19y ago
Finding the right name is overrated. The classic story is Apple - After a lot of discussing what the name of their new company should should be Steve Jobs said that if there wasn't agreement the next day he would just call it apple and be done with it. And they seem to have done OK. Often names of companies sound ingenious because they just seem to fit so well to the company, but what people tend to forget is that the reason the name fits the company is because your association of the two are linked. Google is an example - there are probably thousands of names that are just as good, but they don't sound it because they have no mindshare. Google sounds like a great name because you recognise it instantly and associate it with a great company - nothing more. As long as you can get the .com domain (or be creative like del.icio.us) and make sure you don't infringe on trademarks you'll be fine. And you should also google your proposed name just to see what else it means. There is a classic story of an upscale bathroom factory that called their new line of showers for goldenshower. Bad idea.
- kingnothing 19y ago
  Another classic story is Enron. The company was originally to be named Enteron, but at the last minute someone realized that enteron is synonymous with intestines.
- timcederman 19y ago
  Getting the .com name is right - but don't try to just on the "creative" bandwagon (http://www.cederman.com/?p=30 http://www.cederman.com/?p=30). It's interesting that people do go for such similar patterns, when easily memorable stuff is still available (eg, I named my blog before I registered the domain, and the domain was still available - http://www.ofallandsundry.com/ http://www.ofallandsundry.com/)
technoguyrob 19y ago
Starting a business with a weak company name is kind of like driving a car — without an engine, it probably isn’t going to go anywher. I humbly disagree. Starting a business with a weak company name is kind of like driving a car with a weak company name--it'll run just fine either way. Also, the A-Z thing is cute on motivational posters in grade school. Fitting business advice in such a manner to make it follow a fluffy pattern (and hence invariably involve a lot of repetition and bullshit) is not. "K is for Kleenex"? Please, just get to your point. Edit: After careful thought, I have concluded this is a bad article.
- mixmax 19y ago
  Exactly - Haagen dazs is one of the worlds leading ice cream companies and I had to look it up to get their name right. Google suggest tells me I'm not the only one who has no idea how to spell it. And they're doing just fine.
  - dimitry 19y ago
    Interestingly enough Haagen Dazs is not a European company, but the founder(s) wanted a European-sounding name. Naming is definitely important. Perhaps just not to the level that the writer puts it.
    - mixmax 19y ago
      Interesting - I thought they were Dutch, the crazy name sounds like it. Maybe there's a method in their naming madness after all.
redorb 19y ago
you can't polish a turd. Just make sure your name isn't a turd and you'll be fine
phaedrus 19y ago
It's like famous first sentences of classic novels - the sentence is famous because the novel was classic; a classic first sentence did not make the novel famous.

6 points by michjeanty 19y ago

Finding the right name is overrated. The classic story is Apple - After a lot of discussing what the name of their new company should should be Steve Jobs said that if there wasn't agreement the next day he would just call it apple and be done with it. And they seem to have done OK. Often names of companies sound ingenious because they just seem to fit so well to the company, but what people tend to forget is that the reason the name fits the company is because your association of the two are linked. Google is an example - there are probably thousands of names that are just as good, but they don't sound it because they have no mindshare. Google sounds like a great name because you recognise it instantly and associate it with a great company - nothing more. As long as you can get the .com domain (or be creative like del.icio.us) and make sure you don't infringe on trademarks you'll be fine. And you should also google your proposed name just to see what else it means. There is a classic story of an upscale bathroom factory that called their new line of showers for goldenshower. Bad idea.

kingnothing 19y ago
Another classic story is Enron. The company was originally to be named Enteron, but at the last minute someone realized that enteron is synonymous with intestines.
timcederman 19y ago
Getting the .com name is right - but don't try to just on the "creative" bandwagon (http://www.cederman.com/?p=30 http://www.cederman.com/?p=30). It's interesting that people do go for such similar patterns, when easily memorable stuff is still available (eg, I named my blog before I registered the domain, and the domain was still available - http://www.ofallandsundry.com/ http://www.ofallandsundry.com/)

technoguyrob 19y ago

Starting a business with a weak company name is kind of like driving a car — without an engine, it probably isn’t going to go anywher. I humbly disagree. Starting a business with a weak company name is kind of like driving a car with a weak company name--it'll run just fine either way. Also, the A-Z thing is cute on motivational posters in grade school. Fitting business advice in such a manner to make it follow a fluffy pattern (and hence invariably involve a lot of repetition and bullshit) is not. "K is for Kleenex"? Please, just get to your point. Edit: After careful thought, I have concluded this is a bad article.

mixmax 19y ago
Exactly - Haagen dazs is one of the worlds leading ice cream companies and I had to look it up to get their name right. Google suggest tells me I'm not the only one who has no idea how to spell it. And they're doing just fine.
- dimitry 19y ago
  Interestingly enough Haagen Dazs is not a European company, but the founder(s) wanted a European-sounding name. Naming is definitely important. Perhaps just not to the level that the writer puts it.
  - mixmax 19y ago
    Interesting - I thought they were Dutch, the crazy name sounds like it. Maybe there's a method in their naming madness after all.

redorb 19y ago

you can't polish a turd. Just make sure your name isn't a turd and you'll be fine

phaedrus 19y ago

It's like famous first sentences of classic novels - the sentence is famous because the novel was classic; a classic first sentence did not make the novel famous.