David Placek (Lexicon Branding)29 June 2025

Naming expert shares the process behind creating billion-dollar brand names like Azure, Vercel, Windsurf, Sonos, Blackberry, and Impossible Burger

6Frameworks

14Insights

Episode overview

Lenny Rachitsky interviews Lexicon Branding founder David Placek about the process behind names including Sonos, Azure, Vercel, Windsurf, Pentium, and BlackBerry. Placek explains a three-stage method—identify, invent, and implement—combining behavioral framing, small creative teams, sound symbolism, linguistic screening, trademark analysis, and market-oriented prototyping. He argues that distinctive names create cumulative and asymmetric advantage, often feel uncomfortable initially, and benefit from polarization rather than immediate consensus. For teams naming products themselves, he recommends defining what winning requires, generating far more possibilities, suspending judgment, and evaluating what each name could enable.

Key ideas

A durable, distinctive brand name can compound recognition over time and provide an asymmetric advantage before launch.
The naming process has three stages: identify desired behavior and experience, invent broadly, then implement through rationale, prototypes, and research.
Small teams working from deliberately different or disguised briefs produce more original names than large brainstorming sessions.
Sound symbolism, processing fluency, international linguistic review, and trademark screening help turn raw ideas into viable names.
A strong name may initially create discomfort or polarization; immediate team consensus can indicate that the choice is too safe.
Founders can frame naming with a four-point diamond: define winning, what they have to win, what they need to win, and what they need to say.
Teams should generate hundreds or thousands of directions, suspend judgment, and speculate about each name's potential before evaluating it.
The ideal domain should not dictate the brand: choose the right name first, then adapt the URL if necessary.

Transcript available · source text is retained privately and is not published

Frameworks in this episode

Marketing3 steps

Identify–Invent–Implement Naming Process

The three-phase discipline Lexicon uses to engineer names, not just brainstorm them.

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Mindset3 steps

Polarization as a Naming Signal

If the team is comfortable with the name, you don't have the name yet — look for tension.

Read →

Marketing3 steps

Sound Symbolism Letter Selection

Choose a name's letters for the feelings their sounds evoke, not just their meaning.

Read →

Marketing3 steps

The Competitor-Launch Name Probe

Test a name by pretending a rival just launched it and watching what it makes people imagine.

Read →

Marketing4 steps

The Naming Diamond Exercise

A four-corner worksheet that turns a naming problem into a behavior-and-experience brief.

Read →

Innovation3 steps

Three-Team Blind Briefing

Disguise the real assignment across parallel teams so creatives are free to make useful mistakes.

Read →

People & resources mentioned

Attributed to the moment in the episode. Timestamps are approximate.

People · 10

David PlacekMentionsDavid is the founder of Lexicon branding which pioneered the field of brand naming
“Today my guest is David Classic. David is the founder of Lexicon branding which pioneered the field of brand naming”
▶ Watch at ~1:00approx.
Bob McFarlandMentionsone of the founders, you know, Bob McFarland, who who's just a wonderful client
“one of the founders, you know, Bob McFarland, who who's just a wonderful client”
▶ Watch at ~7:00approx.
Jack LondonCoinedmentioned
“novels like Jack London's Call of the Wild get rejected so many times.”
▶ Watch at ~10:00approx.
Guillermo RauchMentionsHe's the CEO and co-founder of Verscell, which you guys worked with.
“He's the CEO and co-founder of Verscell, which you guys worked with.”
▶ Watch at ~18:00approx.
Lenny RachitskyMentionstoday we've got another very special compilation episode something I've been pulling on more and more with the podcast and the newsletter
“Thanks for having me, Lenny. Great to be here.”
▶ Watch at ~41:30approx.
Andy GroveMentionsBusiness leader cited for distinguishing competency from motivation.
“the person who taught me that honestly was Andy Grove over the Pentium name”
▶ Watch at ~1:09:00approx.
Andrew RobertsCoinedmentioned
“Second book is uh Andrew Roberts latest book on Winston Churchill.”
▶ Watch at ~1:16:30approx.
Winston ChurchillMentionsChurchill's a really good writer. And he has a whole history of World War II that he wrote
“Winston Churchill is really one of my heroes.”
▶ Watch at ~1:16:30approx.
Taylor SheridanCoinedThe person you know producing and writing those things is incredibly talented.
“Taylor Sheridan I think is his name.”
▶ Watch at ~1:18:00approx.
T. E. LawrenceCoinedmentioned
“it's the the quote from um Te Lawrence, Lawrence of Arabia”
▶ Watch at ~1:19:30approx.

Resources · 31

CapCutCoinedsoftware · ByteDance
“Also Versel and Windurf and Cap Cut and Azure.”
▶ Watch at ~1:00approx.
Lexicon BrandingCoinedcompany · David Placek
“David is the founder of Lexicon branding which pioneered the field of brand naming”
▶ Watch at ~1:00approx.
PowerBookCoinedproduct · Apple
“invented a few names that you may have heard of including PowerBook, Pentium, Blackberry, Swiffer, the Impossible Burger.”
▶ Watch at ~1:00approx.
SwifferCoinedproduct · Procter & Gamble
“including PowerBook, Pentium, Blackberry, Swiffer, the Impossible Burger.”
▶ Watch at ~1:00approx.
Impossible BurgerCoinedproduct · Impossible Foods
“including PowerBook, Pentium, Blackberry, Swiffer, the Impossible Burger.”
▶ Watch at ~1:00approx.
SonosCoinedcompany · Sonos, Inc.
“when we presented Sonos, which has many qualities to it, uh um they it was rejected”
▶ Watch at ~5:30approx.
The Call of the WildCoinedbook · Jack London
“novels like Jack London's Call of the Wild get rejected so many times.”
▶ Watch at ~10:00approx.
Harry PotterMentionsbook · J. K. Rowling
“I think Harry Potter was rejected 16 or 18 times”
▶ Watch at ~10:00approx.
MicrosoftMentionscompany · Bill Gates and Paul Allen
“when Microsoft came to us they were pretty much stuck”
▶ Watch at ~11:30approx.
Microsoft AzureCoinedproduct · Microsoft
“we came up with this word Azure, which is, you know, another word for blue.”
▶ Watch at ~12:30approx.
VercelCoinedcompany · Guillermo Rauch
“He's the CEO and co-founder of Verscell, which you guys worked with.”
▶ Watch at ~18:00approx.
MITMentionscompany
“we've hired PE linguists from MIT, from Berkeley.”
▶ Watch at ~24:30approx.
University of California, BerkeleyMentionsplace
“we've hired PE linguists from MIT, from Berkeley.”
▶ Watch at ~24:30approx.
Stanford UniversityMentionsplace
“we've had a very good relationship with Stanford University with their department of linguistics”
▶ Watch at ~24:30approx.
CodeiumMentionscompany · Varun Mohan and Douglas
“the the name of Windsurf before it was Windsurf was codium, right?”
▶ Watch at ~33:00approx.
WindsurfCoinedsoftware · Codeium
“And there was wind surf sitting on a list.”
▶ Watch at ~34:00approx.
FacebookMentionscompany · Meta
“compounds like PowerBook or Facebook are multipliers of of of associations”
▶ Watch at ~34:30approx.
Y CombinatorMentionscompany · Paul Graham and co-founders
“They you know they they get into Y Combinator or something like that.”
▶ Watch at ~40:00approx.
BlackBerryCoinedfilm · Matt Johnson
“That was one of our rationale, by the way, for Blackberry.”
▶ Watch at ~47:00approx.
GoogleMentionscompany · Google
“think of something like Google versus infosek, right? Google is an experience.”
▶ Watch at ~57:30approx.
InfoSeekMentionscompany
“Google says I don't know what these guys are going to do but it's not this practical mundane infosek”
▶ Watch at ~57:30approx.
PentiumCoinedproduct · Intel
“I just was very fortunate um to to work with him on on Pentium and Seeon and a few other things.”
▶ Watch at ~1:09:00approx.
Resilience: Hard-Won Wisdom for Living a Better LifeRecommendsbook · Eric Greitens
“There's a book called Resilience which was written by a a a former Navy Seal”
▶ Watch at ~1:16:00approx.
Churchill: Walking with DestinyRecommendsbook · Andrew Roberts
“Second book is uh Andrew Roberts latest book on Winston Churchill.”
▶ Watch at ~1:16:30approx.
YellowstoneRecommendstv show · Taylor Sheridan and John Linson
“For me is the Yellowstone series.”
▶ Watch at ~1:17:00approx.
1923Mentionstv show · Taylor Sheridan
“And then the after one 1923 which is the postwart”
▶ Watch at ~1:17:30approx.
1883Recommendstv show · Taylor Sheridan
“if you really want the the the truth about the American West, it's it's 1883.”
▶ Watch at ~1:18:30approx.
Hardy fly rodRecommendsproduct · Hardy
“it's a it's a Hardy. It's an old British fly rod, but it's a beautiful rod.”
▶ Watch at ~1:19:00approx.
Lawrence of ArabiaRecommendsfilm · David Lean
“An amazing movie.”
▶ Watch at ~1:20:30approx.
DreamWorksRecommendscompany
“and it's DreamWorks. Um, I I think it's a wonderful name”
▶ Watch at ~1:20:30approx.
Lenny's PodcastCoinedpodcast · Lenny Rachitsky
“You can find all past episodes or learn more about the show at lennispodcast.com.”
▶ Watch at ~1:22:30approx.

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Insights & moments

The myth-busts, hot takes, explainers, and tools worth keeping.

Myth Buster· 1

Myth Buster08:00

You Won't Know the Right Name When You See It

Placek dismantles the near-universal client belief that they'll instantly recognize the right name. Clients come in seeking comfort, but the bolder, more imaginative names feel uncomfortable at first, which is precisely why they get rejected. His maxim: there is no power in comfort.

Almost no client actually knows the name when they see it
Comfort-seeking makes clients reject the boldest, most imaginative names
Lexicon has completed roughly 4,000 naming projects
Great names require processing and living with the discomfort first
'There is no power in comfort' — not in the marketplace

“they're going to know it when they see it”
David Placek · 08:00

“there is no power in comfort”
David Placek · 09:00

#naming#psychology#comfort#decision-making

Hot Take· 2

Hot Take22:00

Big Brainstorms Don't Make Great Names — Disguised Teams Do

Placek says large brainstorming sessions failed him; the best names came from small two-person teams. Lexicon runs three teams where only one knows the real client, another is told they're working for a different company, and a third names something entirely non-tech. Freed to make mistakes, the decoy teams produce most of the winners.

Large brainstorms don't produce great names; small teams do
Lexicon uses at least two or three teams of two people
Only one team knows the true assignment
A second team is told they work for a different company (e.g. Apple not Microsoft)
A third team names something unrelated like a bicycle or car
Most winning names come from the second or third team

“We'll replace if we're working for Microsoft, the second team thinks they're working for Apple.”
David Placek · 22:30

“most of our names have come out of the second or third team”
David Placek · 23:00

#naming#process#creativity#teams

Hot Take1:11:00

The .com No Longer Matters — Get the Right Name First

Placek argues the .com has become like an area code and matters far less than it did 25 years ago, especially as AI search erodes SEO. Get the right name first; if you can't get the exact domain, use a prefix or a .ai. He'd rather spend $30,000 on marketing than on buying a URL.

The .com/URL has become an area code — largely irrelevant
AI search will make SEO less important
Get the right name first, then chase the domain if you can
Workarounds: a prefix, a small word, or a .ai
People fixated on the .com are often older; Placek would spend the $30k on marketing

“the com or URL address has become an area code”
David Placek · 1:11:00

“I'd put the $30,000 into marketing.”
David Placek · 1:12:30

#domains#seo#naming#startups

Explainer· 5

Explainer14:30

The Cumulative and Asymmetric Advantage of a Great Name

Placek argues the name is the most-used, longest-lived brand asset, so a distinctive name compounds a bond with customers over time (cumulative advantage). A non-descriptive name also gives you an edge before you even launch (asymmetric advantage), which a generic descriptor cannot.

The name is used more often and lasts longer than any other brand element
Distinctiveness drives cumulative advantage as customers see it repeatedly
A great name delivers asymmetric advantage before launch
Descriptive names like 'cloud pro' can't stand out among ten rivals
Lexicon's mission is the 'right' name, not merely a 'good' name

“Nothing's going to be used more often or for longer than that name.”
David Placek · 14:30

“Why not start with an advantage in the marketplace and you won't get an advantage if you're descriptive?”
David Placek · 15:30

#naming#strategy#competitive-advantage#branding

Explainer36:00

What Makes Naming AI Products Different

Placek says AI is the fastest-moving category he's seen, and engineer clients tend to want more sophisticated names (like Codium, Anduril, Anthropic). His research across markets found developers optimistic about AI while consumers are skeptical, so he pushed Codium toward something more tangible and graspable — which became Windsurf.

AI is the fastest-progressing category Placek has experienced
Engineers gravitate toward sophisticated, abstract names
Lexicon invested ~$20,000 researching AI perception across countries
Developers are optimistic; consumers are skeptical and worried
Codium was steered toward a more tangible, natural name

“engineers come to us wanting more sophisticated names, right?”
David Placek · 37:30

“Developers are all totally positive on it.”
David Placek · 38:00

#ai-naming#research#developers#consumers

Explainer39:30

The Three Times It Makes Sense to Change Your Name

Placek lays out when a rename is worth the disruption. First, startups that grabbed any name early and have since sharpened their direction. Second, companies that have genuinely pivoted so the old name no longer fits. Third, merged companies that need a fresh start signaling new, bigger capabilities.

You must argue the change is worth it — bigger companies face bigger projects
Case 1: startups that just needed a name early and have since evolved
Case 2: the company pivoted and the name no longer reflects it
Case 3: a merger warranting a new start and expanded capabilities

“you have to make an argument that it's worth the change, right?”
David Placek · 40:00

“They're raising money and they just need a name.”
David Placek · 40:00

#rebrand#startups#naming#strategy

Explainer45:30

Every Letter Has a Feeling: The Science of Sound Symbolism

Placek explains sound symbolism — Lexicon's proprietary research on what each of the 26 letters evokes. V is the most alive and vibrant sound (Corvette, Viagra), B is among the most reliable (a rationale for BlackBerry), Z is noisy (Azure), and X is fast, crisp, and connotes innovation.

Each letter sends a signal that evokes a certain vibration or experience
V is the most alive and vibrant sound (Corvette, Viagra)
B is one of the most reliable sounds — part of the BlackBerry rationale
Z is a noisy letter (Azure); X is fast, crisp, and about innovation
Letters carry both sound-symbolic and semantic value

“the sound of the letter B is is one of the most reliable sounds in the English alphabet”
David Placek · 47:00

“the founder actually said, I I thought the people at Lexicon were crazy when they presented BlackBerry”
David Placek · 47:00

#sound-symbolism#linguistics#letters#branding

Explainer49:00

Processing Fluency: Why Vercel Feels Easy to the Brain

Placek uses Vercel to explain processing fluency — the idea that lazy brains lean toward easy-to-process information. Vercel is a coined word built from familiar, easy pieces (ver = truth/green, cell = accelerate), so the brain leans in rather than walking past. Complicated names are a liability.

Vercel is a coined name assembled from familiar, easy-to-process parts
'ver' evokes truth/green; 'cell' evokes accelerate — what they do
Cognitive science says brains are lazy and dislike complexity
Easy-to-process names make the brain lean in
Complicated names are a liability Lexicon avoids

“that's known as processing fluency”
David Placek · 49:30

“our brains are a little bit on the lazy side”
David Placek · 49:30

#vercel#processing-fluency#cognitive-science#branding

Story· 4

Story05:30

Why David Flew Back to Santa Barbara to Save the Sonos Name

Placek recounts how the Sonos founders initially rejected the name for not being 'entertainment-like' enough. He believed in it so strongly he flew back down to Santa Barbara unbilled to make a second case, and a founder finally reframed the decision as naming for the marketplace rather than for themselves.

Sonos was rejected at first for lacking emotion and not being entertainment-like
Placek argued the company sold sound/speakers, not entertainment itself
Sonos is a palindrome that reads the same flipped or turned upside down
Founder Bob McFarland realized they should name it for customers, not themselves
Placek says he rarely fights this hard but felt strongly enough to fly back unbilled

“we're trying to name this for ourselves and what we really should be doing is naming it for the marketplace and the customers”
David Placek · 07:00

“I'm so glad that I had this internal energy to I got to go down there and make a bid for this”
David Placek · 07:30

#naming#sonos#client-persuasion#branding

Story11:30

How Azure Beat Microsoft's Instinct to Just Say 'Cloud'

Microsoft came to Lexicon wanting a descriptive name starting or ending with 'cloud.' Placek pushed back, warning they'd drown in an ocean of cloud-this-cloud-that. Azure (another word for blue) kept a subtle sky link while standing out on its noisy linguistic qualities; one client called it 'a dumb idea' before warming to it.

Microsoft wanted a descriptive 'cloud' name for its cloud service
A descriptor would leave them lost among competitors
Azure preserved a blue-sky-clouds link without being literal
The Z gives it noise and signal in a crowded market
A descriptor makes a statement; a great name starts a story

“That's just a dumb idea.”
13:30

“you don't want to make a statement here. You want to you want to start a story right?”
David Placek · 14:00

#azure#microsoft#descriptive-names#branding

Story32:30

How 'Windsurf' Was Found Sitting on a List

Formerly Codium, the AI coding product needed a name for something intangible. Lexicon's rule is to make the intangible tangible, so one team was tasked with listing everything that communicates dynamic flow and movement in real words, metaphors, and sports. Windsurf was sitting on that list — an experiential compound that checked every box.

Windsurf was Codium before the rename
Naming intangible code/process is hard; make it tangible
A team listed real words, metaphors, and sports about flow and movement
Windsurf captures a smoother, more dynamic coding flow
It's a compound and a literal physical experience

“the name of Windsurf before it was Windsurf was codium, right?”
David Placek · 33:00

“it checks all the boxes it's it's a wonderful image it's an experience literally a physical experience”
David Placek · 34:30

#windsurf#codium#ai-naming#story

Story1:08:30

Polarization Is a Sign of Strength: Andy Grove and Pentium

Placek learned from Intel's Andy Grove that tension in a team over a name is a good sign. Internally, engineers pushed the descriptive 'ProChip' against 'Pentium,' and Grove chose Pentium precisely because the polarization revealed energy for it. If your team is comfortable, you probably don't have the name yet.

Lexicon looks for polarization and tension, not consensus
Polarization signals strength and energy in a name
Andy Grove picked Pentium over the descriptive 'ProChip'
Grove read the argument as energy for Pentium
Comfort across the team means you likely don't have the name yet

“polarization is a sign of strength in the word”
David Placek · 1:08:30

“that tells me there's energy for Pentium here and he said that's why I think we should go with it”
1:10:00

#pentium#intel#polarization#decision-making

Takeaway· 2

Takeaway34:30

Why Compound Names Multiply: 1 + 1 = 3

Placek explains Lexicon's research finding that compound names like PowerBook and Facebook multiply associations rather than add them. Clients often resist compounds as too long, so Lexicon ran research to prove the multiplier effect and now shares it to win teams over.

Compounds like PowerBook and Facebook multiply associations
Two images combine so 1 + 1 = 3
Clients often want a shorter single word instead
Lexicon researched compound effectiveness to counter that objection
Imagery from both halves reinforces the name

“So 1 plus one equals three, right?”
David Placek · 35:00

#compounds#naming#research#branding

Takeaway1:02:00

Stop Evaluating, Suspend Judgment, and Speculate

For anyone naming on their own, Placek's core advice is to generate far more than you think you need — thousands of names and directions — and resist the human urge to over-evaluate. Instead of judging what's wrong with a name, speculate on what you could do with it and how you'd execute.

200 names is not enough; aim for a thousand or more directions
Generate names without evaluating them at first
Humans survive by spotting what's wrong, which sabotages naming
Speculate on a name's potential and execution instead of judging it
The test is how you'd execute a name, as with the Windsurf imagery

“don't evaluate them just just generate names and directions”
David Placek · 1:02:00

“stop evaluating, suspend judgment, and speculate”
David Placek · 1:06:00

#naming#process#creativity#judgment

Key ideas

Frameworks in this episode

Identify–Invent–Implement Naming Process

Polarization as a Naming Signal

Sound Symbolism Letter Selection

The Competitor-Launch Name Probe

The Naming Diamond Exercise

Three-Team Blind Briefing

People & resources mentioned

People · 10

Resources · 31

Insights & moments

⚡Myth Buster· 1

You Won't Know the Right Name When You See It

◆Hot Take· 2

Big Brainstorms Don't Make Great Names — Disguised Teams Do

The .com No Longer Matters — Get the Right Name First

✶Explainer· 5

The Cumulative and Asymmetric Advantage of a Great Name

What Makes Naming AI Products Different

The Three Times It Makes Sense to Change Your Name

Every Letter Has a Feeling: The Science of Sound Symbolism

Processing Fluency: Why Vercel Feels Easy to the Brain

❝Story· 4

Why David Flew Back to Santa Barbara to Save the Sonos Name

How Azure Beat Microsoft's Instinct to Just Say 'Cloud'

How 'Windsurf' Was Found Sitting on a List

Polarization Is a Sign of Strength: Andy Grove and Pentium

▲Takeaway· 2

Why Compound Names Multiply: 1 + 1 = 3

Stop Evaluating, Suspend Judgment, and Speculate

Myth Buster· 1

Hot Take· 2

Explainer· 5

Story· 4

Takeaway· 2