The Startup Ideas Podcast

The ultimate startup naming guide (must watch for founders)


Listen Later

In this episode, we dive deep into my process for naming my startups and businesses. I share my 4-step guide for coming up with memorable names for startups and how you can apply these principles to come up with your own scroll stopping name. 

Timestamps: 
00:00 Intro
01:09 types of names
01:53  Naming Strategy 1: Descriptive 
03:11 Naming Strategy 2: Phrases 
05:39  Naming Strategy 3: Funny
08:17 Bad Name Examples
12:19 Good Name Examples
16:53 Tofu Name Examples
18:10 Hack your way to a novel name
20:25 Use AI for brainstorming
22:22 Greg's personal name list

1) 3 types of names:
• Bad names
• Good names
• "Tofu" names (bland, forgettable)

2) 3 winning name strategies:
• Descriptive (e.g. @somewhereilive)
• Phrases (e.g. Boss Babe)
• Funny (e.g. You Probably Need a Haircut)

3) Bad name examples:
• WhatsApp (fails telephone test)
• GameStop (negative connotation)
• Google Bard (sounds like barf) 

4) Good name examples:
• Perplexity (matches brand promise)
• Bump (action-oriented)
• Autopilot (clear value prop)

5) Hack your way to a novel name:
• Create "Name Game" note on your phone
• Jot down catchy words/phrases
• Check handle availability bi-weekly
• Test with friends/family
• Create logo mockups

6) Use AI for brainstorming:
• Prompt Claude: "I'm brainstorming names around [your topic]. What are some interesting, clear, direct names that speak to this community?"

7) Greg's personal name list sneak peek:
• AfterParty
• PrettyPerfect
• InvitationOnly
• InCred

8) Pro tip: It's okay to have bad names on your list. Keep refining!

9) Remember: A great name can be the difference between viral growth and crickets.

Want more free ideas? I collect the best ideas from the pod and give them to you for free in a database. Most of them cost $0 to start (my fav)

Get access: https://www.gregisenberg.com/30startupideas 

🎯 To build your own portfolio businesses powered by community you might enjoy my membership.

You'll get my full course with all my secrets on building businesses, peer-groups to keep you accountable, business ideas every single month and more!

Spots are limited.

https://www.communityempire.co/

📬 Join my free newsletter to get weekly startup insights for free:

https://www.gregisenberg.com/

70,000+ people are already subscribed.

To improve your rankings your business on Google and using AI for SEO, sign up to

http://www.boringmarketing.com/

FIND ME ON SOCIAL

X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/gregisenberg
Instagram: https://instagram.com/gregisenberg/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gisenberg/

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

The Startup Ideas PodcastBy Greg Isenberg

  • 4.8
  • 4.8
  • 4.8
  • 4.8
  • 4.8

4.8

199 ratings


More shows like The Startup Ideas Podcast

View all
The Side Hustle Show by Nick Loper of Side Hustle Nation | YAP Media

The Side Hustle Show

1,591 Listeners

Startups For the Rest of Us by Rob Walling

Startups For the Rest of Us

706 Listeners

Niche Pursuits Podcast: Find Your Next "Niche" Business Idea! by Spencer Haws: NichePursuits.com

Niche Pursuits Podcast: Find Your Next "Niche" Business Idea!

192 Listeners

The a16z Show by Andreessen Horowitz

The a16z Show

1,096 Listeners

The SaaS Podcast: Build, Launch & Scale Your SaaS by Omer Khan

The SaaS Podcast: Build, Launch & Scale Your SaaS

186 Listeners

Founders by David Senra

Founders

2,161 Listeners

Noah Kagan Presents by Noah Kagan

Noah Kagan Presents

904 Listeners

Y Combinator Startup Podcast by Y Combinator

Y Combinator Startup Podcast

226 Listeners

The Game with Alex Hormozi by Alex Hormozi

The Game with Alex Hormozi

4,463 Listeners

My First Million by Hubspot Media

My First Million

2,648 Listeners

The UpFlip Podcast by UpFlip

The UpFlip Podcast

252 Listeners

Marketing Against The Grain by Hubspot Media

Marketing Against The Grain

356 Listeners

Moneywise by Hampton

Moneywise

662 Listeners

The Koerner Office - Business Ideas and Small Business Deep Dives with Entrepreneurs by Chris Koerner

The Koerner Office - Business Ideas and Small Business Deep Dives with Entrepreneurs

248 Listeners

The Next Wave - AI and The Future of Technology by Mindstream (Hubspot Media)

The Next Wave - AI and The Future of Technology

55 Listeners