The world’s biggest naming myth
by Jeffery Racheff
Leaping from his bathtub, running naked down the streets of ancient Syracuse and screaming EUREKA!, Archimedes had a great idea. The Greek inventor, engineer and all-around bad-ass, bare-assed scientist had just discovered one of the most famous principles in science …
Startups: If we only had a brand
by Danny Altman
When you’re out to change the world, things are happening fast. Between raising money, finding good people, building a product, and dodging bullets, there’s not a lot of time to think about branding. By the time you finish reading this, …
February 17th: come to Office Hours
by Rose Linke
Stuck in a naming rut? Perfect timing. We spend the majority of our waking hours naming things, so we thought it would be nice to reach out and help those of you in naming need. We can’t work with everyone …
Lost in translation — why having a pronounceable and spell-able name matters less than you think
by Brook Barman
Everyone wants the perfect name. They want it to be edgy, imaginative, and inimitable, but only so long as it’s also easy to spell, easy to say, and impossible to forget. The only trouble being, easy and evocative are natural enemies. And nothing is …
I’ll bet you’re a marketing genius
by Danny Altman
Marketing is a good idea. Except for the way most of the world does it. Most marketing starts with the premise that people are total idiots so you need to pound stuff into their heads with a 2×4. They still …
Why your brand sucks
by Brook Barman
Brands are pretty hard to build. And while some heroic efforts have yielded brands that really do make the world a more interesting, beautiful place, let’s face it, the vast majority of the brands out there suck. If you …
How to find a name you can grow into
by Brook Barman
In some Native American communities, a name is something that is developed, not given. Children come into life with their own innate set of skills and talents, and live without a name until the community has had a chance to …
How to name a startup
by Eli Altman
You don’t have to be a high tech guru to understand the importance of building something right the first time. The same thing applies to finding a name for your company. If you’re running a startup, you probably have a …
Types of company and product names — A field guide
by Eli Altman
Before there were so many vegetarians, the expression was, “There’s more than one way to skin a cat.” If you’re trying to name a company or a product, there are, in fact, a lot of ways to go. If you …
WTF to do with corporate acronyms
by Eli Altman
by Eli Altman Over the weekend I was interviewed by Jacki Lyden on NPR’s Weekend Edition about the Wisconsin Tourism Federation. Recently they got tired of WTF jokes and changed their name to the Tourist Federation of Wisconsin (TFW). I …