Team workshop
How to agree on a business name with co-founders
When co-founders disagree about a business name, another round of suggestions may not solve the problem. First work out whether you disagree about the brief, the evidence or personal taste. Use this workshop to make that distinction visible.
By Esmii · Practical resources for your naming process
Before the meeting: agree on the decision
Write down the audience, offer, practical requirements and decision owner. Agree how you will resolve a disagreement before anyone advocates for a favorite. You might seek agreement on one name, or appoint a final decision-maker who considers everyone’s feedback. Choose the process that fits your team; do not imply a vote is binding if it is only advisory.
Share a small shortlist with the same information for each candidate. Ask everyone to respond independently with Yes, No or Not decided and one concrete reason. Not decided is useful when someone lacks information, rather than a response to pressure out of them.
A suggested 30-minute naming review
Use this as a starting agenda, not a deadline for skipping unfinished checks. If you uncover a serious unresolved question, the meeting can end with assigned research rather than a final name.
- Minutes 0–5: reread the brief and confirm that the decision process still fits.
- Minutes 5–10: review new research and mark missing information explicitly.
- Minutes 10–20: discuss the strongest objection and strongest case for each finalist.
- Minutes 20–25: identify which disagreements need evidence and which are trade-offs.
- Minutes 25–30: record the decision or assign the remaining actions and next review.
Turn vague objections into useful questions
‘It sounds wrong’ is hard to act on. Ask what the person expects a customer to misunderstand. If the concern is spelling, run a spelling test. If the concern is meaning, ask people from the intended audience what the name suggests. If two people simply prefer different sounds, record that as a preference.
For example, ‘Candidate B feels too playful’ becomes ‘Will the customers we serve read it as approachable or unserious?’ Agree what observation would change your view before collecting feedback. This makes it harder to keep moving the criteria to protect a favorite.
When the team is still split
Check whether all finalists meet the non-negotiable requirements. If they do, the remaining decision may be a trade-off rather than a missing perfect name. Return to the decision process you agreed at the start and document the reasons.
If none meets the brief, reopen ideation with the specific gap in mind. Keep the rejected shortlist and the reasons so you do not repeat it. Avoid declaring a winner solely because it has the most Yes responses while important checks remain unfinished.