Naming Your Startup in the AI Era with Anthony Shore - FiredUp!

In this episode of the FiredUp! podcast, Anthony Shore shares the do’s and don’ts of naming your company in the era of AI and actionable steps you can take right now to understand the art and science of naming. 

Anthony Shore is the Chief Operative of Operative Words. Over the course of 30 years, he has introduced more than 250 product and company names to the world. Trained as a linguist at UC Santa Cruz, his BA thesis received the Chancellor’s Award and Linguistics degree Honors. As Global Director of Naming and Writing for Landor Associates, he led naming, nomenclature, and brand strategy projects for Global 500 companies for 13 years. A year at Lexicon Branding and prior jobs as a photomechanical typesetter, software marketer, product manager, copywriter, and door-to-door fundraiser have shaped his real-world and holistic perspective on brand naming. In 2009, he started his agency, Operative Words, to focus exclusively on what he is good at: creating memorable and effective brand names in six words or fewer.

Anthony, Morgan, and Chris discuss:

• The impact of AI on naming trends, such as understanding user intentions even if they misspell, reducing the importance of domain names.
• How naming has shifted away from made up words and missing vowels to real, powerful language with meaning.
• The importance of balancing between cognitive load and clarity in naming.
• Rapid-fire evaluations of trending and popular company names, especially in the AI sector.

Think about your current brand or product name. Does it create productive friction to get attention, or is it clear and trustworthy? 

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