Alright, confession time: I start most mornings with Seth Godin’s daily email. They’re consistently thought-provoking, challenging conventional wisdom in the best way.
His recent post, “The name doesn’t matter (that much),” really struck a chord – especially from where I sit in the world of intellectual property.
Seth’s point is brilliant and, frankly, a relief for many fretting founders: We waste way too much time chasing the perfect name or logo. He argues that names like Nike (hard to pronounce?), Starbucks (obscure literary character?), Apple (a fruit?!), and Google (a typo!) weren’t inherently perfect. Their names became iconic because the brands built trust, delivered value, and became beloved. The name became a symptom of their greatness, not the cause.
He nails why we obsess over names: it feels controllable, personal, and everyone on the committee suddenly fancies themselves a linguistic guru. His advice? Find a name that’s “good enough” and get back to building your amazing thing. I always tell my clients that their trademark or patent is rarely what makes them successful; as I have seen in over two decades of experience, it is what you do with it that counts.
Now, here’s where my IP brain chimes in, adding a slight asterisk to Seth’s wisdom. He’s absolutely right that you don’t need perfection to build a great brand. You don’t need a name that sounds cool or means something profound before you start.
BUT… you do need a name that is legally available and capable of being protected.
Think of it this way: While “good enough” might work for marketing aesthetics initially, it’s definitely not good enough if your chosen name is already being used by a direct competitor, or if it’s so generic that the law won’t let you claim it as exclusively yours for your specific goods or services.
Choosing a name that’s distinct – what we trademark nerds call inherently distinctive or one that has acquired distinctiveness through use – isn’t about sounding fancy. It’s about ensuring you can actually own the name in the marketplace and stop others from confusing customers by using something similar.
Picking a name that’s too close to someone else’s established mark, or one that’s merely descriptive (“Top Java” for a coffee shop, shocker!) can lead to headaches. We’re talking potential cease and desist letters, rebranding costs, or worst-case scenario, litigation down the line. Suddenly, that time “wasted” on naming pales in comparison to the time, money, and stress of an IP dispute.
So, yes, don’t agonize endlessly over finding the mystical, perfect name. Instead, focus on building a brand people love, as Seth advises.
But please, please spend a little time early on ensuring the name you choose is actually available and registrable. A quick check can save you a world of preventable pain later.
“Good enough” for marketing aesthetics? Sure. “Good enough” for legal protection? Let’s make sure it is. Because protecting the great thing you build? That definitely matters.
