How to Name Your Company, Part 2: AI and the Problem with Shortcuts
Why do the work when it might be a prompt away?
Be sure to check out How to Name Your Company, Part 1: Principles of the Right Name before reading this post to know how to apply these steps like a pro.
Now is the time. You’ve been doing the real work. And if you’re still holding out for the flawless name to reveal itself… it won’t. It’s time to decide. You know you now have to put in the work.
So, what does “putting in the work” look like when determining a name? Is it an isolation room with a whiteboard for a week? Is it walking along the beach until an epiphany hits you square in the face and the universe reveals what was always your company name? Is it simply asking ChatGPT?
The reality is that although most entrepreneurs and founders have strong opinions when it comes to their solutions, most do not consider themselves “creative”. This means that they tend to punt in situations like brand, design, and naming, making use of an LLM like ChatGPT or Grok extremely tempting when trying to uncover a name.
Here’s the truth: naming is a muscle you can develop. And just like any muscle group, the more you work it out and develop it, the better you will get.
It’s like skipping training and expecting to run a marathon - shortcuts might get you to the starting line, but not across the finish. When we default to AI as a shortcut for our creative output, outcomes are the exact opposite of “creative”: impersonal, generic, and lacking any glimmer of soul.
Why putting in the work matters.
Listen. I am the king of shortcuts. I once convinced my girlfriend in college to bypass the trail to hike directly up the side of a mountain to save time. I also learned that I could take 21 units a semester and still get a 2.7 average while doing the absolute minimal amount of homework. BA in 3 years, baby.
If the outcome of the shortcut brings the result you want, by all means, take it. Unless you simply love the process, it’d be silly not to. But if the shortcut takes you up a side of a mountain through thickets of Poison Oak, trust me, the juice isn't worth the squeeze.
Defaulting to AI for creative outcomes is a shortcut with a cost.
If you want the best possible outcome for your name, here are the reasons why I think putting in the work is required to give your new company the right name.
1. Creativity requires a point of view.
What makes great art isn’t necessarily the outcome or enjoyment of that medium by the consumer, but the expression and point of view of the creator, uniquely telling their specific story through their specific lens.
I recently heard a quote from Rick Rubin about AI art:
“The AI doesn’t have a point of view. Its point of view is what you tell it. …You can have a great script for a film, give it to five great directors, and you’ll get five completely different films.”
When choosing a name, the primary fuel must be your taste and values, framed by your point of view. Whether you consider yourself creative or not, an authentic expression of your experience is the right name for your company.
A name shaped by your lens will always be distinct.
2. Working for it makes it more meaningful
In 2008, I launched my first SaaS product. The monthly fee was low, but the buy-in cost was intentionally high. Our assumption was that if customers paid a big upfront fee, they’d be more committed, ultimately leading to a higher customer lifetime value. (CLV).
Turns out we were right.
Over our eight years of running the company before our eventual sale, we experienced exponential annual growth with very limited cancellations. Once bought in, the high initial fee forced them to commit the time needed to ultimately find the value in our solution, in turn finding longevity with our product.
Putting time and work into naming your brand (as with most things) will inevitably produce a higher level of commitment, buy-in, and pride when sharing your company with others.
In these beginning days of the AI revolution, it’s super easy to jump all-in without analyzing what is lost in the new processes. We brush past much-needed growing pains for the sake of time savings and output. Although this might benefit some crafts, if not used with the correct restraints, AI can be destructive to the creative industry.
The work of storytelling and meaning in your creative processes is always worth the work. Even if the work you put in is only known by you, your passion and POV always translates to the customer.
Use AI to refine (rather than create)
I’m not saying you should stick your head in the sand and ignore AI.
AI is most powerful when used as a tool for a specific purpose. Use an LLM to help refine your thoughts, ideas, and language to give you the best outcomes throughout this naming process. Used the right way, AI can be the key that opens a door to new memories or threads of ideas and thoughts that could reveal the foundations of your brand’s name.
Feel free to use AI, but use it to encourage your creativity rather than replace it.