Thread by @seanlinehan

When starting a startup or launching a new brand, your name really matters.

You don't just want a good brand name, you want an A-PLUSS one:

Appropriate
Pronounceable
Likeable
Unique
Spellable
Short

This is the framework we used to name @placement.

Appropriate

Does this name fit your product or business? If you wind up iterating or expanding, can you keep the same name?

ie. Mailchimp is a great name for an email service, but not great for an all-in-one marketing platform

Pronounceable

If your target audience saw your name in writing, could they pronounce it unambiguously?

ie. Twitter is better than twttr

Likeable

When your target audience hears your name are they going to think it's a vibe?

ie. Everlane is better than UNTUCKit

Unique

Is your name clearly differentiated from other companies? Can you trademark it? Get the domain name?

ie. Clubhouse? The audio chat app or the project management SaaS?

Spellable

If your customers were talking about you, could the listener spell your name unambiguously?

ie. Flexport is better than Kuehne + Nagel

Short

Ideally 1-2 syllables or <8 characters.

ie. Zoom is better than GoToMeeting

Of course, there are great counterfactuals for each of these. You definitely don't need to hit 100% of them to succeed.

But if you take the time to hit as many as your can at the start, it'll pay dividends for a long time!