Dear YC,
I’m nearing completion of a web application planned to launch near the end of May. The only problem, well one of the problems, is that I’m completely lacking any ideas for a name. I don’t think I’m alone, but I find this to be one of the hardest parts of developing. I was wondering if anyone had any ideas, methods, thoughts, or anything at all worth discussing on this topic.
Thanks!
-msteff
Good question msteff! Names are very important, to be sure! Here’s a trick I use all the time when my newest company needs a good name:
Pretend you are in a rock band or own an ad agency that pretends it’s a rock band. Give yourself a non-sequitur of a name that doesn’t attempt to communicate your already in-definable style.
If you’re stumped, take an adjective and a noun that don’t go together; combine. Strawberry Frog. Velvet Underground. Zeus Jones. Led Zeppelin. Rick James. Got the hang of it?
Now check to see if your name has a .com yet? It does? Eliminate all vowels and check again. Still stuck? Put a few of them back in. Got it? Good.
(If you STILL can’t get a dot come with no vowels, consider making your app a mobile one and get the oft-ignored .mobi address. People will make fun, but stick to your guns. You’re an innovator.)
Let’s walk through a demo, just to make sure we’re all on the same page:
- Adjective: Tasty, Noun: Shirt.
- TastyShirt.com? No.
- TstyShrt.com No.
- TastyShrt.com Yes.
- Profit.
Love,
YC
Link.
