#4 What's the Name of your Solution? (655-5)

Rapid Startup Design Process: Review Steps

Before you expend a ton of effort explaining and defining the solution, you need to give your solution a name. The name, of course, can range from something boring and descriptive (e.g., "Bob's Hamburgers") to meaningless - "Xentropy". Prepare yourself for the reality that this is actually a lot harder and will take far more than time than you would expect.

Finding a name will force you to define a clear solution to the problem. People don't buy a product that is described in 1000 words. They either see an image or a name. So start with finding a name for the solution you want to provide.

It would be helpful to get a URL that is close to or matches that name so that is likely the major constraint. Especially if you want a .com URL. Plug the name and variations of the name into your favorite name search engine. Consider an .io or .bio or .studio name. They are easier to get and for now appear to be just as acceptable.

The process of finding a good name is best done

1. Brainstorming and come up with a wide range of potential names. 
2. Decide what direction you want to go with a name 
3. Seek additional names that are similar to that direction.
4. See if you can find a URL that matches closely
5. Get input.

If after to you tell someone the name, the person's head is tilted when you present it, perhaps that isn't a winner. You are looking for a very positive response, but not for everyone. Remember you have an ideal customer. Your name might be great for a single tech wizard in their 20s but fail for a 40 yo stay-at-home mom (or vice versa). That's ok.

Be wary of asking others for ideas. Other people tend to love their ideas and hate everyone else's name. So when you come back to them with a different name that might be perfect they are likely to reject it in favor of "their" name. So you have lost a potential contributor.

Before you get too attached check out the trademark database. And then google it. See if it is a word in another language. After a while, you will see why car companies often name their product after numbers like 320i and "Bob's Hamburgers". But the next time you will have a better idea of what will work for your target audience and what kind of names appeal to you. It'll go much quicker.

Once you have a clean name and URL, sleep on it and see if you are as excited tomorrow. Then find some other people who have never heard about your struggle to find a name. Do they like it? Do they like the URL? Given the name can they spell the URL and plug it into a browser?

Next up we need some words to describe the solution to the problem you plan to address.