
Random startup tip #1: Picking a name - matt
http://blog.mattrubens.com/2007/07/06/random-startup-tip-1-picking-a-name/
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coffeeaddicted
What I find more important now in retrospect is to agree upon a name as one of
the first things when working together with someone. _Not_ because the name is
important, but because this will be the first decision where you can find out
how good you will work together when you have an argument. If you can't decide
on a name, work with someone else.

~~~
pg
This is a good point. We find it also works as a predictor of success at the
level of whole startups. When a group is spending half their time agonizing
over what to call themselves, that's probably a sign of deeper breakage.

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mr_luc
Is this a troll, or did the author not realize that urbandictionary isn't
exactly a reliable resource?

The entry in urbandictionary for "googe" tries to be funny but is clearly
fake.

I suppose it's technically possible for someone to name their startup
something like "Blumpkn", but I'd say this is a non-issue.

It's a good idea to think about a word before buying it as a domain, but
that's common sense.

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matt
Fake meaning what? Doostang is just a ridiculous name regardless, but it might
have served Google well to see if 'googe' had any other connotations (whether
or not they're in Merriam/Webster) before putting it in a logo.

~~~
mr_luc
First, the stem of the cherry was intended to be the L, but it's acknowledged
that it doesn't look that way.

Secondly, "Googe" doesn't connote anything, unflattering or otherwise.

When I say fake, I mean that people try to invent new words on
urbandictionary, and not words that people have ever used before. Don't
believe me? Then just click a letter on urbandictionary and read the entries
sequentially instead of by popularity.

To sum up: the examples used in the article are completely ineffective, but
know what words mean before attaching them to the identity of your company.

