Should my startup name describe what we do or be an abstract word I give meaning to later?
The short answer
Descriptive names help early when nobody knows you (a customer instantly gets "Instamojo" or "BookMyShow"), but they box you in when you expand and they're hard to trademark. Abstract names cost more marketing to load with meaning up front, yet they age better and own more mental space. For most early founders, lean slightly descriptive or suggestive, then let the brand grow into something bigger.
Go deeper, your way
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✍️ Essay
✓ Link checkedFreeBeginner
Why we picked it
This is the founder-lens take on your exact question: Graham argues the best names are cool words that also hint at what you do (his example is Writely), and he is honest that a purely descriptive name is a weaker outcome than one that earns its meaning. It is a starting point, not a rulebook, and it reads fast. We could not complete an automated fetch of this mirror to confirm it loads, so treat the link as best-known-canonical rather than machine-verified.
Why we picked it
Watkins runs a naming firm and gives you an actual framework instead of vibes: her SMILE test (a good name is Suggestive, Meaningful, uses Imagery, has Legs, is Emotional) and her SCRATCH test (the traps to avoid, including a name that is too Restrictive) map directly onto the descriptive-versus-abstract call. It is the most practical single book if you want to sit down and generate and grade candidate names. Read it as a toolkit, not gospel.
Why we picked it
This is the clearest plain-language explainer of the specific downside you are weighing: a descriptive name (think Kentucky Fried Chicken) is instantly clear and searchable, but the article walks through how it starts to only describe a slice of what you do once you expand. It lays out both sides honestly so you can decide, rather than declaring a winner. Good grounding before you commit to a name you will be stuck with.
