Naming a Side Project Without Losing a Weekend
Side projects die in the naming tab — a one-evening process that ends with a name, a domain and the momentum to actually build the thing.
Timebox the whole exercise to one evening
Name paralysis kills more side projects than code ever does. The rule: one evening, three generator batches, one shortlist of three, one registrar check. Ship with the best available; the name matters less than the shipping. Every famous product you admire was almost named something worse.
The weekend-trip test
A side project name must survive being mentioned to a friend: “I’m building ___” said without embarrassment or explanation. If you have to explain the pun, the pun is for you alone. Generate, shortlist, say each aloud to someone whose opinion you trust — the right name survives the conversation.
Own the name lightly, upgrade later
Day one needs the domain and one social handle, not a trademark filing. Side projects pivot; names should be cheap to outgrow. The exception: if the project starts earning, spend the trademark money that same month — success is when naming debt starts costing interest.
The .com fallback ladder
| Step | Move |
|---|---|
| Variant ending | -base, -works, -ly |
| Add a prefix | get, try, use |
| Stronger coinage | Invent — the dictionary sold out |
| Pay resale | Last resort before the first user |
Frequently asked questions
What if the .com is taken?
Variant endings, a prefix (“get”, “try”, “use”), or a stronger coinage — in that order. Paying $4,000 for a resale domain before the first user is how side projects die in the naming tab.
Does the name affect launches?
Yes on Product Hunt and Hacker News the name is the first impression — sayable and searchable beats clever every time.