Article · 6 min read

Should You Name Your Company After Yourself?

Denise Lee Yohn · Harvard Business Review Freemium Beginner

This is the cleanest, research-backed answer to the exact question, and it refuses to give you a blanket yes or no. Yohn walks through two academic studies (one finding a name boost, one finding the opposite) and lands on 'it depends' on your business type, which is the honest starting point most founders need before deciding.

• Naming after yourself can signal founder confidence to the market, which sometimes correlates with better returns.
• The same choice can lower resale value and make the company look too dependent on one person.
• The right call hinges on whether you are the product (consulting, craft) or building something meant to run without you.