Essay · Short read, roughly 5 minutes

Startup Names

Paul Graham · Paul Graham (Y Combinator), 2006 Infogami essay Free Beginner

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.

  • The strongest names are both a real word and a nod to what you do, so you rarely have to choose between fully descriptive and fully abstract.
  • A name that works as a verb or a short phrase tends to stick, which matters more than literal accuracy.
  • Naming under constraint (every obvious name is taken) is a test of imagination, not a reason to settle for the most literal option.
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The question it answers

  1. Should my startup name describe what we do or be an abstract word I give meaning to later?

Read with it

  1. Watkins runs a naming firm and gives you an actual framework instead of vibes: her SMILE test (a good name is Suggestive,... Berrett-Koehler / Penguin Random House Book · Short book, around 190 pages Hello, My Name Is Awesome: How to Create Brand Names That Stick Alexandra Watkins
  2. This is the clearest plain-language explainer of the specific downside you are weighing: a descriptive name (think Kentucky... Fabrik Brands (branding agency blog) Article · Medium read, roughly 8 to 10 minutes What are descriptive brand names? The pros and cons of descriptive naming Fabrik Brands
eChai Partner Brands The partnership →