Yeah, the much more common scenario with startups is exactly what happened here: 1. you choose a name for your product, start using it 2. you try registering

Yeah, the much more common scenario with startups is exactly what happened here: 1. you choose a name for your product, start using it 2. you try registering it as your business starts to materialize 3. "oh shit we weren't the only ones who picked that name"