Naming a startup? How to do it fast without getting it wrong

Too many founders treat naming like a checklist item – it’s a sprint, a late-night brainstorm. But the name you choose now won’t just go on the pitch deck, it’ll follow you into every meeting, funding round, and market. It becomes shorthand for who you are, what you stand for, and why people should care.

Here’s the bit that most founders don’t think about either. Change your name once, people understand. Change it twice, you look unsure. Change it three times? You start to lose investors, confuse talent, and weaken your positioning. Constant renaming screams indecision and makes potential partners wonder what else you haven’t figured out.

Here’s where startups tend to go wrong with their naming choices. We’ve done the hard work figuring it out so you don’t have to!

Naming for the product, not the company

What you sell today won’t be what you sell in three years. A name that locks you in now means you can’t pivot later.

Crowdsourcing creativity

Investors, mates, your mum – everyone’s got an opinion. But consensus doesn’t build brands. Strategy does.

Skipping the trademark and domain checks

If you can’t own it legally, you don’t own it at all. Names that survive validation become assets. The rest? Just noise.

Falling in love with cleverness

Startups obsess over sounding smart, but smart doesn’t always sell. Instead, clarity builds belief.

So, if that’s what startups do wrong, then what do smart founders do differently?

Name for the long game

Think beyond MVP. Name the company you plan to build, not the feature you’re launching.

Choose simplicity over smart

A good name helps you sell to investors, to talent and to customers. If it’s too smart for its own good, you’ll pay for it later.

Test fast, but don’t skip strategy

Sure, if you’ve got to move quick, go ahead. But pressure test it. Check trademarks. Sense-check the meaning in every market that matters (so you don’t end up with any big, unfixable blunders).

Commit once you choose

You can tweak logos and shift messaging no problem, but swapping names mid-flight spooks funders and alters momentum. Get it right early, then stand behind it.

Build your story into your name

Great startup names don’t just describe – they create a world people want to be part of. Think about how your name tells your story.

The bottom line

Your name is your opening line. It’s what investors recall when they’re comparing pitch decks in the wee hours of the morning. It’s what customers remember when they’re flicking down their news feed. And it’s what future hires whisper when deciding if they want in. Do it fast, but do it properly. Because naming isn’t just branding – it’s business strategy.

Nothing kills momentum faster than second-guessing your own name, so tag us in and let’s get it right first time. Send us an email or fill in the contact form to get started.