Comments on: A Two-part Rule for Naming Your Startup http://gigaom.com/2008/06/21/a-two-part-rule-for-naming-your-startup/ Trusted Insights and Conversations on the Next Wave of Technology Thu, 26 Nov 2009 13:00:29 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: Gigaom: A Two-Part Rule for Naming Your Start-Up | MessagingLab http://gigaom.com/2008/06/21/a-two-part-rule-for-naming-your-startup/#comment-953218 Gigaom: A Two-Part Rule for Naming Your Start-Up | MessagingLab Tue, 16 Jun 2009 14:25:10 +0000 http://gigaom.com/?p=13849#comment-953218 <p>[...] an article that has a formula for naming your [...]</p> [...] an article that has a formula for naming your [...]

]]> By: Looking to Hire an Engineer? 3 Reasons to Forgo the Phone Screening http://gigaom.com/2008/06/21/a-two-part-rule-for-naming-your-startup/#comment-940319 Looking to Hire an Engineer? 3 Reasons to Forgo the Phone Screening Sun, 26 Apr 2009 15:01:18 +0000 http://gigaom.com/?p=13849#comment-940319 <p>[...] Paull is a software engineer and a startup consultant. [...]</p> [...] Paull is a software engineer and a startup consultant. [...]

]]> By: Digital Notepad » Blog Archive » Articles on naming your startup http://gigaom.com/2008/06/21/a-two-part-rule-for-naming-your-startup/#comment-904523 Digital Notepad » Blog Archive » Articles on naming your startup Mon, 13 Oct 2008 19:51:36 +0000 http://gigaom.com/?p=13849#comment-904523 <p>[...] GigaOM - A Two-part Rule for Naming Your Startup [...]</p> [...] GigaOM - A Two-part Rule for Naming Your Startup [...]

]]> By: The 15 dumbest names for Web 2.0 startups http://gigaom.com/2008/06/21/a-two-part-rule-for-naming-your-startup/#comment-904474 The 15 dumbest names for Web 2.0 startups Mon, 13 Oct 2008 15:55:48 +0000 http://gigaom.com/?p=13849#comment-904474 <p>[...] Need To Know About Naming a Startup TechRepublic - The dos and don’ts of naming your start-up GigaOM - A Two-part Rule for Naming Your Startup Seth Godin - Sloppy naming Fort Worth Startup blog - Naming your startup Entrepreneur.com - Naming [...]</p> [...] Need To Know About Naming a Startup TechRepublic - The dos and don’ts of naming your start-up GigaOM - A Two-part Rule for Naming Your Startup Seth Godin – Sloppy naming Fort Worth Startup blog – Naming your startup Entrepreneur.com – Naming [...]

]]> By: John Smith http://gigaom.com/2008/06/21/a-two-part-rule-for-naming-your-startup/#comment-889767 John Smith Tue, 22 Jul 2008 10:21:08 +0000 http://gigaom.com/?p=13849#comment-889767 <p>Evan.</p> <p>Let's see:</p> <p>Google Yahoo Oracle Intel Adobe Amazon</p> <p>Yep, you're right the names above would never work. Thank you for your insightful comments.</p> <p>Are you a dot.com wannabe?</p> Evan.

Let’s see:

Google Yahoo Oracle Intel Adobe Amazon

Yep, you’re right the names above would never work. Thank you for your insightful comments.

Are you a dot.com wannabe?

]]> By: links for 2008-07-08 « Brent Sordyl’s Blog http://gigaom.com/2008/06/21/a-two-part-rule-for-naming-your-startup/#comment-887501 links for 2008-07-08 « Brent Sordyl’s Blog Tue, 08 Jul 2008 14:33:02 +0000 http://gigaom.com/?p=13849#comment-887501 <p>[...] A Two-part Rule for Naming Your Startup made up of two components: * a word that relates to the company product in a direct, literal sense * a word not literally related to the product, but rather a metaphorical adjective (tags: startup domains) [...]</p> [...] A Two-part Rule for Naming Your Startup made up of two components: * a word that relates to the company product in a direct, literal sense * a word not literally related to the product, but rather a metaphorical adjective (tags: startup domains) [...]

]]> By: dumbfounder http://gigaom.com/2008/06/21/a-two-part-rule-for-naming-your-startup/#comment-886063 dumbfounder Fri, 27 Jun 2008 17:24:33 +0000 http://gigaom.com/?p=13849#comment-886063 <p>I think PermaPage and ArchWeb are ginormously generic sounding. Xobni is excellent, it is inbox backwards, and that's basically what they are doing with their product. It's hard to say if Paypal is a good name, or it's just that it is so well known that we think it is very good (might be too generic). Brightmail is too generic, never heard of IronPort. Vidoop is indeed terrible. Twitter is simply excellent. And yes, we have taken flak for the Searchles name, but some people do like it a lot. (we are often called search-less)</p> <p>First impressions do matter, but they certainly matter less so on the web than in real life, when all you have to do is click on something to see what it's all about.</p> <p>@Dave Winer: you came up with the name Radio? You are older than I thought.</p> I think PermaPage and ArchWeb are ginormously generic sounding. Xobni is excellent, it is inbox backwards, and that’s basically what they are doing with their product. It’s hard to say if Paypal is a good name, or it’s just that it is so well known that we think it is very good (might be too generic). Brightmail is too generic, never heard of IronPort. Vidoop is indeed terrible. Twitter is simply excellent. And yes, we have taken flak for the Searchles name, but some people do like it a lot. (we are often called search-less)

First impressions do matter, but they certainly matter less so on the web than in real life, when all you have to do is click on something to see what it’s all about.

@Dave Winer: you came up with the name Radio? You are older than I thought.

]]> By: What’s in a name? | Business in General http://gigaom.com/2008/06/21/a-two-part-rule-for-naming-your-startup/#comment-885988 What’s in a name? | Business in General Thu, 26 Jun 2008 23:18:12 +0000 http://gigaom.com/?p=13849#comment-885988 <p>[...] the name Twitter doesn’t follow the Two-Part Rule from Evan Paull, it is most definitely a well-recognized and memorable name. And what about Kleenex [...]</p> [...] the name Twitter doesn’t follow the Two-Part Rule from Evan Paull, it is most definitely a well-recognized and memorable name. And what about Kleenex [...]

]]> By: Arthur Freydin’s Blog » Blog Archive » Xobni is a Bit More Useful with LinkedIn Integration, But Not Much http://gigaom.com/2008/06/21/a-two-part-rule-for-naming-your-startup/#comment-885886 Arthur Freydin’s Blog » Blog Archive » Xobni is a Bit More Useful with LinkedIn Integration, But Not Much Thu, 26 Jun 2008 15:39:15 +0000 http://gigaom.com/?p=13849#comment-885886 <p>[...] email analytics & more plugin, just integrated [very sparse] LinkedIn data. No matter if Xobni is a bad startup name or not, it shows a lot of promise. I’ve used Xobni on and off ever since it was profiled on [...]</p> [...] email analytics & more plugin, just integrated [very sparse] LinkedIn data. No matter if Xobni is a bad startup name or not, it shows a lot of promise. I’ve used Xobni on and off ever since it was profiled on [...]

]]> By: mikepk.com » Blog Archive » Wonder Bread http://gigaom.com/2008/06/21/a-two-part-rule-for-naming-your-startup/#comment-885676 mikepk.com » Blog Archive » Wonder Bread Wed, 25 Jun 2008 19:49:06 +0000 http://gigaom.com/?p=13849#comment-885676 <p>[...] thinking more on names and reading a lot of the commentary that seems to have been sparked by that same GigaOm post. I still think we’re overly obsessed with startup names, but I felt like my last post on it [...]</p> [...] thinking more on names and reading a lot of the commentary that seems to have been sparked by that same GigaOm post. I still think we’re overly obsessed with startup names, but I felt like my last post on it [...]

]]> By: Brian Kirk http://gigaom.com/2008/06/21/a-two-part-rule-for-naming-your-startup/#comment-885459 Brian Kirk Wed, 25 Jun 2008 00:08:30 +0000 http://gigaom.com/?p=13849#comment-885459 <p>Evan-</p> <p>I like where you article takes us. Of course, regardless of the name the start-up really needs to focus on what it is they are offering & whether or not there is any value for what they are offering. No matter how good the name is, they aren't going to get far if their product/service doesn't make any sense.</p> <p>One thing that concerns me about your approach is that naming your start-up based on your initial product/service can hinder your growth with new products or services. If PayPal realized after 6 months that no one wanted to use their product & to stay alive they'd need to switch gears & roll with a new product/service wouldn't they be hindered with a name like PayPal if they wanted to offer some sort of web-based marketing solution?</p> Evan-

I like where you article takes us. Of course, regardless of the name the start-up really needs to focus on what it is they are offering & whether or not there is any value for what they are offering. No matter how good the name is, they aren’t going to get far if their product/service doesn’t make any sense.

One thing that concerns me about your approach is that naming your start-up based on your initial product/service can hinder your growth with new products or services. If PayPal realized after 6 months that no one wanted to use their product & to stay alive they’d need to switch gears & roll with a new product/service wouldn’t they be hindered with a name like PayPal if they wanted to offer some sort of web-based marketing solution?

]]> By: Evan Paull http://gigaom.com/2008/06/21/a-two-part-rule-for-naming-your-startup/#comment-885362 Evan Paull Tue, 24 Jun 2008 18:36:20 +0000 http://gigaom.com/?p=13849#comment-885362 <p>More great comments! I love Kathy's description of the Lycos etymology: it really is a very clever name, but as she explains, that doesn't always translate into a good user reaction, and that reinforces my theory that there is really a science to naming a company.</p> <p>Dave has some good names in there, I think NewsJunk, Manila, and FlickrFan work especially well. Also a good list of names for first gen software hits -- lots of good names there.</p> <p>Microsoft is actually a great name! In programming terms 'micro' refers to code that is fast, simple, elegant, and generally bug-free: the polar opposite of the software Microsoft actually produces (irony anyone?). A great example of the power of naming...</p> More great comments! I love Kathy’s description of the Lycos etymology: it really is a very clever name, but as she explains, that doesn’t always translate into a good user reaction, and that reinforces my theory that there is really a science to naming a company.

Dave has some good names in there, I think NewsJunk, Manila, and FlickrFan work especially well. Also a good list of names for first gen software hits — lots of good names there.

Microsoft is actually a great name! In programming terms ‘micro’ refers to code that is fast, simple, elegant, and generally bug-free: the polar opposite of the software Microsoft actually produces (irony anyone?). A great example of the power of naming…

]]> By: Genlighten Blog — Genealogy Documented » Blog Archive » Startup Names — How We Came Up with “Genlighten” http://gigaom.com/2008/06/21/a-two-part-rule-for-naming-your-startup/#comment-885355 Genlighten Blog — Genealogy Documented » Blog Archive » Startup Names — How We Came Up with “Genlighten” Tue, 24 Jun 2008 18:14:16 +0000 http://gigaom.com/?p=13849#comment-885355 <p>[...] a recent post, Evan Paull writes on FoundRead that names of successful startups tend to be a compounds [...]</p> [...] a recent post, Evan Paull writes on FoundRead that names of successful startups tend to be a compounds [...]

]]> By: links for 2008-06-24 | JeremiahTolbert.com http://gigaom.com/2008/06/21/a-two-part-rule-for-naming-your-startup/#comment-885291 links for 2008-06-24 | JeremiahTolbert.com Tue, 24 Jun 2008 16:33:41 +0000 http://gigaom.com/?p=13849#comment-885291 <p>[...] A Two-part Rule for Naming Your Startup - GigaOM I need a business name. (tags: startup business naming marketing) [...]</p> [...] A Two-part Rule for Naming Your Startup – GigaOM I need a business name. (tags: startup business naming marketing) [...]

]]> By: Danny http://gigaom.com/2008/06/21/a-two-part-rule-for-naming-your-startup/#comment-885262 Danny Tue, 24 Jun 2008 12:01:30 +0000 http://gigaom.com/?p=13849#comment-885262 <p>when choosing a name for our company, we had lots of great names, but all the domains were taken, untill we found tonepedia.com. so i guess that the most important name for a unique company name on the web sphere is a free domain :D</p> when choosing a name for our company, we had lots of great names, but all the domains were taken, untill we found tonepedia.com. so i guess that the most important name for a unique company name on the web sphere is a free domain :D

]]> By: Batavier http://gigaom.com/2008/06/21/a-two-part-rule-for-naming-your-startup/#comment-885239 Batavier Tue, 24 Jun 2008 09:19:25 +0000 http://gigaom.com/?p=13849#comment-885239 <p>Perma... not sure I'd like to have that in my company name... Anyway, nice article, but the names you came up with aren't that good. And if the product/service is good enough, it seems the name doesn't matter (see your own Twitter example and of course Google or even Apple).</p> <p>Paypal, Ironport and Brightmail are good examples of the naming rules you give. You could have mentioned Microsoft as well. :)</p> Perma… not sure I’d like to have that in my company name… Anyway, nice article, but the names you came up with aren’t that good. And if the product/service is good enough, it seems the name doesn’t matter (see your own Twitter example and of course Google or even Apple).

Paypal, Ironport and Brightmail are good examples of the naming rules you give. You could have mentioned Microsoft as well. :)

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