#118 — The Diamond Framework for startup naming

The Diamond Framework is a four-point exercise designed by Lexicon Branding to help founders anchor their naming process in strategic fundamentals, not just personal taste or trends. It asks: What does winning look like for us? What do we already have to win? What do we need to win? And what do we have to say to win? This framework surfaces real gaps, assets, and market truths—ensuring your final name isn't just ‘cool’ but deeply connected to brand ambition, differentiation, and messaging. For example, the founders of Sonos moved from a safe, descriptive name to 'Sonos' after using this approach to realize their brand was about experience, not just entertainment.

Descriptive names blend into the crowd and rarely create emotional impact or recall. Bold names often feel uncomfortable at first because they are unfamiliar—they stand out by design. Lexicon’s research and decades of experience show that the best names—like Pentium, Sonos, and Azure—faced internal resistance at first but created massive value long-term. Andy Grove chose 'Pentium' over 'ProChip' specifically because team polarization meant there was energy and intensity, not consensus-driven blandness.

Aim to generate at least 1,500–3,000 ideas or directions before you allow evaluation. Most founders stop at 100–200 names, which short-circuits true creativity. Lexicon’s naming teams work in small groups, often with different fake briefs, to maximize creative surface area—for example, the name 'Windsurf' was found by a team working on a metaphorical brief, not the main assignment.

Names that succeed—like Google, DreamWorks, or Windsurf—often come from teams thinking outside the directly obvious domain. By assigning creative teams fake or adjacent briefs, or by seeking metaphors in unrelated industries, you force the brain to break free from clichés. Founders can use this by choosing words or concepts from unrelated fields (e.g., pulling from sports or nature magazines), then finding unexpected connections.

Sound symbolism recognizes that letters and sounds trigger subconscious feelings—'V' feels vibrant (Corvette, Viagra, Versel), 'B' signals reliability (Blackberry), and 'Z' is noisy (Azure). Lexicon invests heavily in linguistics, using a 100+ country network of experts to ensure names sound right globally and avoid hidden pitfalls. For best results, founders should prototype names aloud and vet across diverse cultures for both pronunciation and accidental meaning.

A .com is increasingly seen as an 'area code,' not a necessity. While a .com can still add authority, most consumers care more about your name and what you stand for. Workarounds—such as adding verbs, location, 'get', 'try', or using alternate TLDs—are now common and accepted. Lexicon recommends spending your energy on choosing the right name, not obsessing over exact domain availability.

Change your name if: 1) Your original name was just a placeholder and is now holding you back; 2) You’ve undergone a major pivot and the name no longer fits the new business; 3) You’ve merged or acquired another company and need to signal new direction and capabilities. For example, Windsurf changed from its corporate name Kodium after a product-level naming success. Timing is key—act when the business stakes justify the rebrand.

Disagreement isn’t just normal—it’s a signal you’re on to something powerful. The best names often split the room. Andy Grove (Intel) chose 'Pentium' because the intensity of team debate showed it was memorable. Look for polarization, not comfort, and ask whether the name creates energy, not just consensus.

Prototype names in real-world contexts: put them on swag, ads, press releases, and ask trusted outsiders, ‘If your competitor launched with this name, would you be curious or intimidated?’ Also, run linguistic and cultural screens to avoid global missteps. For consumer vetting, ask, 'Does this name make you feel like this brand is different from the rest?' as that creates a predisposition to consider your product.

Sonos is a standout case. Originally, the founding team resisted the name as not emotional or descriptive enough. The Lexicon team, using the Diamond Framework, reframed the discussion around intended market behavior and experience. Sonos, a palindrome symbolizing sound and flow, was chosen because it promised lasting cumulative and asymmetric advantage in the market. Today, Sonos is synonymous with premium audio, demonstrating the power of a strategically grounded name.

Most founders settle for safe, descriptive, or available names, mistaking consensus and comfort for quality. This leads to generic brands that blend in, like 'CloudPro' in a sea of cloud providers. Experienced naming agencies recommend embracing discomfort and polarization, seeking names that spark strong—even mixed—internal reactions. Iconic cases like Pentium and Sonos only emerged after founders resisted the urge for safe consensus in favor of bold, distinctive choices.

Unlike classic value-prop or positioning canvases, the Diamond Framework makes founders examine both assets and gaps, behaviors and messages. It forces brutal honesty ('what we lack to win'), encourages debate, and prioritizes experience over descriptors. Compared to tools like the Brand Pyramid or Simon Sinek’s Golden Circle, the Diamond digs deeper into behaviors, market predispositions, and the emotional context needed for a name to truly differentiate. Its flexibility makes it ideal for rapid-growth and pre-product fit startups.

Research shows people associate letters and sounds with emotions and traits—'V' is vibrant (Viagra, Vercel), 'B' is reliable (Blackberry), 'Z' is energetic or noisy (Azure). Lexicon Branding and other top agencies leverage this science, vetting and engineering names for maximum global impact. This linguistic nuance can be the difference between a name that sticks (Google, Swiffer, DreamWorks) and one that’s quickly forgotten.

Beyond qualitative gut-checks, founders should test for processing fluency (how easy the name is to say and recall), distinctiveness (does it stand out from category norms), and emotional response (does it create curiosity or excitement?). Tools like mock ads or real-world prototypes, combined with consumer surveys that ask for emotional reaction—not 'fit to concept'—are the gold standard. For example, DreamWorks excelled because it immediately set story-driven expectations.

A strong brief should define desired behaviors, target feelings, where the team wants the brand to go (not just what it is today), and competitor context. Including aspirations, experience goals, and metaphors is crucial; avoid overfocusing on exact adjectives or product features. When briefing for ‘Swiffer,' emphasizing the sense of effortlessness and joy in cleaning led to breakthrough directions.

Start by running regional and global trademark searches early in the process (USPTO, EUIPO, WIPO databases). Use linguist networks or country experts to vet for negative, confusing, or culturally sensitive meanings in target markets. Many agencies now test names with in-market linguists, saving founders from late-stage disasters, like naming mishaps that mean ‘bad luck’ or worse in key international markets.

Costs range from a few thousand dollars for DIY, up to $50K–$250K for agency-led jobs with legal and research. Justifiable triggers include meaningful company pivots, M&A events, or if the existing name causes market confusion or legal obstacles. Windsurf, originally Kodium, rebranded to unlock stronger market perception as it shifted focus.

Bold names accelerate cumulative and asymmetric advantage. They're repeated more often, easier to imprint, and more likely to get talked about. Sonos, for instance, anchored its product in sound experience, not just entertainment, and steadily built emotional bonds with customers across years—driving brand preference and premium pricing.

Use small, diverse teams and assign them both real and ‘fake’ briefs to encourage lateral thinking. Draw inspiration from unrelated industries, magazines, and metaphors. The best names often appear in lists not targeting the company’s direct category—Windsurf was born from sports metaphors, not software jargon, during the diamond process.

Early evaluation kills unconventional ideas before their potential emerges. Founders should generate hundreds or thousands of raw names, then speculate on what each could become or trigger for customers. Force yourself and your team to only judge after seeing names mocked up in context—caps, t-shirts, ads, or launch screens. This method seeds both emotional and pragmatic brand opportunity.