The 2024 Framework for Naming a Startup

By Fofafi Strategy Team • 8 min read

The standard advice for naming a company is broken. "Make it tell the user exactly what you do," they say. This leads to names like FastInvoice or ReliableCloud. These are not brands. They are descriptions.

The Problem with Descriptive Names

When you name your company exactly what it does, you encounter three catastrophic problems:

  1. The Pivot Problem: What happens when FastInvoice decides to build an expense management platform? The name actively harms the new product line.
  2. The Trademark Problem: You cannot effectively trademark generic terms. If someone launches FasterInvoice, you have very little legal recourse.
  3. The Cost Problem: The domain FastInvoice.com will cost you 10x more than an invented name, assuming the current owner even wants to sell.

The Rise of the Empty Vessel

Look at the most valuable brands in the world: Google, Apple, Sony, Rolex. None of them describe the product. They are "empty vessels." The brand equity is poured into the name over time through product quality, marketing, and customer experience.

"An empty vessel name allows a company to pivot, expand, and completely redefine itself without dragging legacy linguistic baggage along."

The CVCVCV Structure

If you choose an invented name, it must be easily pronounceable. The most successful structure is Consonant-Vowel-Consonant-Vowel-Consonant-Vowel (CVCVCV). It inherently follows the phonetic rules of almost every major language.

Names like Fofafi, Zibiri, or Vumalo pass the "Radio Test." If you hear them spoken once, you know exactly how to spell them.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is an exact-match domain (EMD) good for SEO?
In 2012, yes. Today, Google's algorithms heavily discount EMDs. Brand signals (searches for your specific company name) are vastly more powerful than having a keyword in the URL.
Should we use a .io or .ai?
If you cannot afford the .com, they are acceptable starting points. However, understand that you are renting space. If the .com is owned by a competitor, a percentage of your organic traffic will always flow to them.