Ever wonder why European company sounds so mundanely wierd (as oppose to obscurely wierd here in the Valley) ? Egg, Orange, Song, Thus vs. Yahoo, Google, (any startup name).

Well, here is a article with interesting insights into the phenomenon titled “Accidental Naming”

Remember the days of drugs.com selling for $700K? Well, Naseem certainly believe that branding requires clear brand names rather than simple English words. I tend to agree with him but do think that company name should connote something (implicitly or explcitly) in order for the startup to have a leg up in creating a brand personality for the company.

As wierd (and frivolous) as it sounds I find the process of finding a name quite a bonding experience for the founding team. In many ways its the first step toward creating and finding a collective vision for the venture. People like to talk about strategic inflection points, in the first 3-6 month of launching a company, a simple “naming” exercise can be that turning point. The brain storming, debate, and agreement process can be the very first step in learning to work together and finding common ownership in a “work product.” Many times it can become the “point of no return” where everyone decides to jump in and forgoe their previous commitments/jobs.

Ofcourse, dont let finding a name kep you from tending to the many short term priorities you can’t take your eyes off - like product development and funding. . . .