How to name your startup: The See, Say, SEO Rule
Maybe my most controversial startup opinion is that your company name doesn't matter.
Your name can be whatever you want it to be so long as it meets the criteria of The 'See, Say, SEO' Rule.
1️⃣ See: Show the name to a stranger. When they SEE it, they should be able to pronounce it.
2️⃣ Say: Just say the name to a stranger. When they hear it, they should be able to spell it.
3️⃣ SEO: There is an easy SEO path to #1 on Google and the App Store.
Pick a name that meets the criteria above and immediately turn your attention to the two most important things: building the product and acquiring users.
The video above is one of the first slides I show when I'm asked to lead startup growth and marketing sessions for early-stage teams
Only two things matter at an early-stage startup:
Product Development
Growth
Logos and names and colors, save for a few DTC consumer startups, do not matter, and conversations about them are a distraction.
The only thing that matters is growth, and you need to look no further than four companies that were winners.
🔎 Google was called BackRub.
🤮 Twitter's first logo looked like the barf emoji.
👟 Nike was a shoe *reseller* called Blue Ribbon Sports.
🍎 Apple's first logo was detailed and fragile and borderline unreadable.
Their logos and names didn't matter until/unless their growth was inhibited by their brand.