Naming things: a short field guide
Why the best names are often the least clever — and a process for landing one without a 40-person committee.
FernandaSplendor teamFeb 18, 20261 min readWhy the best names are often the least clever — and a process for landing one without a 40-person committee.
Clever names age fast
Punny names work for a quarter. Boring-but-true names work for a decade.
A three-step process
- Write the one-sentence pitch.
- List nouns the pitch implies.
- Combine, prune, say out loud, repeat.
If you can’t say it on the phone without spelling it, you don’t have a name. You have a logo.
Trademark, .com, the rest
Check trademark and a usable domain before falling in love. Falling in love makes you negotiate poorly.
Field notes
Key takeaways
- Say it out loud, often.
- Boring > clever.
- Check trademark before committing emotionally.
