Andrew

I judge a name by the first sentence written after it. If that sentence has to explain the name, the name isn't doing its job.

The cheapest naming test I know: order a coffee under your brand name and see what ends up on the cup.

Weekend build: added a 2027 UK long weekends page to my free calendar site. Nugget: every 2027 bank holiday in England & Wales lands on a Friday or Monday, and Christmas gets two substitute days (Mon 27 + Tue 28 Dec), so it's 4 days off in a row. founderpicks.site/long-weeke…

Streetwear names get tested in the worst way possible: someone wears it in public and their mates read it out loud. So I check two things: does it look right on a hoodie, and can someone find it again after hearing it once?

Founder question: what's the worst misspelling of your company name you've seen from a real customer? Those typos are free research. They show you exactly how people hear the name, not how you meant it.

Founder question for tonight: did you pick your company name before or after you met your first real customer? I keep seeing names that fit the idea perfectly, then felt wrong once actual customers started saying them out loud.

Been working on making NamoLux simpler to use. The idea is straightforward: you shouldn't need to understand branding to start finding a business name. Just explain what you're building and let AI help with the groundwork. Small improvements, but they make a big difference. #BuildInPublic

Agency names are hard because clients hear them once, in a pitch, and then have to find you again online. So I test an agency name twice: does it sound right said in a room, and can someone type it from memory a week later?

Built a quick practical guide for Name Sprint — clear brief in, shortlist out. Free after sign-in. namolux.com/generate

Founders: who got a vote on your company name before launch? Cofounder, early customers, a friend who just says it out loud? Whose opinion actually changed the final pick?

Founders: did you pick your name before or after checking the .com? Which order would you do again?

Name Sprint concept: a UK home adaptations fitting service — grab rails, ramps, level-access showers so people can stay safely at home. 37 candidates in, 7 kept. levelwood.co showed as available when checked. Would you trust Levelwood on a van? namolux.com/generate

Name Sprint concept: a UK home adaptations fitting service — grab rails, ramps, level-access showers so people can stay safely at home. 37 candidates in, 7 kept. levelwood.co showed as available when checked. Would you trust Levelwood on a van? namolux.com/generate

Checking finalists one tab at a time is how good names get rushed. By tab six you're tired, and tired founders pick whatever's left. Check them side by side instead. When you've got ten names you like, what's your rule for cutting to one?

The most useful thing a launch coach can tell you: which advice to ignore this week. Most launch advice is right for someone. Launch Pulse is about working out whether it's right for your stage.

I used to treat buying the domain as the finish line. It's closer to the starting gun. Owning the domain is one check. The name still has to hold up everywhere else people meet it.

A ten-second naming check most founders skip: search the name on Urban Dictionary before you fall for it. It feels too silly to bother with. That's exactly why it's worth doing. What's the quickest check that's ever changed your mind about a name?

Wellness is the hardest category I've named in: every calm word is already taken. So I judge a wellness name by how it sounds said quietly, then check it's findable. Feeling first, checks straight after.

Founders: do you judge a name by how it looks written down, or how it sounds said out loud? Which one has caught you out?

Founders: what's the cheapest naming test you've ever run that actually changed your mind?