Startup Naming

Finding a brand name that actually has an available .com domain is a common bottleneck for founders. This skill solves that by running registry-level RDAP checks in real-time, ensuring you never fall in love with a name you cannot own. It moves beyond generic brainstorming by mapping competitor naming patterns, filtering for searchability, and performing rigorous pronunciation and cultural sensitivity passes.

What it does

• Registry verification performs live RDAP checks to confirm exact-match .com availability before showing any name.
• Competitor mapping identifies naming clusters and white space in your specific industry to ensure differentiation.
• Multi-pass filtering runs every candidate through religion, pronunciation, and signboard tests to ensure global durability.
• Searchability audits checks for Wikipedia collisions and exact-phrase competition to ensure you can own page one of search.
• Objective scoring ranks finalists out of 30 points across six criteria like evocative depth and architectural fit.

How it works

1. Intake phase triggers a two-part interview covering business goals, brand sentiment, and metaphor preferences.
2. Analysis phase scans competitors and word banks to generate 150-300 raw candidates.
3. Verification phase executes bulk registry checks and filters for social handle availability and web collisions.
4. Final delivery presents 8-12 scored names with dictionary, business, and philosophical meanings.

Frameworks & tools

The skill utilizes Python scripts for RDAP registry queries, web search for trademark and social handle checks, and a proprietary methodology for sound symbolism and brand architecture.

Why this beats prompting it yourself

Generic prompts produce taken domains, trademark-infringing names, or "startupy" cliches. This skill enforces a "dot-com or nothing" rule and uses registry-level data to prove availability, saving days of manual searching.

Use cases

• Startup founding to secure a high-gravitas parent brand name and domain.
• Product launches to name sub-brands that fit into an existing company architecture.
• Company rebranding to find evocative names that survive market pivots.
• Portfolio management to generate names for holding companies or VC funds.

Known limitations

Network restrictions may occasionally block RDAP registry access. The skill provides preliminary checks only and is not a substitute for formal legal trademark clearance. Free and open source: https://github.com/hunainx/startup-naming