Ask HN: How do you come up with a name for a product?

2 points·f1gm3nt··7 comments

I'm curious what you guys do when you come up for a name with a new product. I recently made some new tools to help me with server management and maintenance, but can't come up with anything I like other than ServerTools.

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Several thoughts: - Just add your company name ahead of 'Server Tools' as the formal name (ie "SCL Server Tools") - Take a key attribute/benefit and do a play off your company theme (ie Monitor + Scenic City >> CityScape >> "ServScape","ServerScape") - What is unique about your tools when compared to what is available? Do a play on that unique differentiator.

When naming I always consider the product benefits not features. So ServerTools is just a bit too literal. Think about what your tools afford you to do. Save time, be more organised, respond to alerts quickly.

Have a play around in Google keyword tool and find all the popular random phrases that people use when they are searching for the solutions that your product provides!

Some might disagree with me on this, but I believe a name should convey what a product does. By hearing your product name, with no background information, I should be able to have a general idea of what your product does or at least what it is used for.

I usually run a random name generator at domainhole.com and pick a few that sound nice to my ear (and that are free). then i try to reference my product by that name for a few days and see if it sticks.

Random questions

- what exactly does it do? - who's your biggest competitor? - what's the target market/country? - do you want a matching domain name?

Maybe we could hash a name out here :)

I usually go with a simple metaphor so I have more to lean on for the design and theme of the product.

ServerZuru.com

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