How to name a company so the name still works in five years

A good name is not clever. It is durable. The names that age worst are the ones that described exactly what the company did on the day it launched.

We start naming from the position, not from a word list. If we know what the brand stands for and where it wants room to grow, the shortlist writes itself and the weak ideas fall away fast.

Then we test for the boring things that sink names later: is it easy to say once and spell after hearing it, does it clash with a competitor, is the domain within reach, does it mean anything unfortunate in the languages your market speaks.

The winner is rarely the most exciting name in the room. It is the one still standing after every objection.