# How to name your startup: David Placek - named Vercel, Azure & Blackberry

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/scaling-devtools/how-to-name-your-startup-david-placek-named-vercel-azure-blackberry
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/scaling-devtools/how-to-name-your-startup-david-placek-named-vercel-azure-blackberry.md
Podcast: [Scaling DevTools](https://stenobird.com/podcast/scaling-devtools)
Published: 2025-02-27T11:56:30+00:00
Episode link: https://podcast.scalingdevtools.com/episodes/david-placek
Audio file: https://media.transistor.fm/7c2fce83/82bed1fb.mp3
Processing state: failed
JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/scaling-devtools/episodes/how-to-name-your-startup-david-placek-named-vercel-azure-blackberry
Duration seconds: 2827

## Resource

David Placek from Lexicon - the man who named Vercel and Azure - explains the importance of selecting a name that goes beyond simply describing what a product does. He shares what you can do to come up with a great name. We cover: Common Naming Pitfalls: Discusses why names that merely describe a product or service fail to capture imagination and differentiation. The Strategic Impact of a Name: Explains how a well-chosen name can deliver significant returns on investment by reinforcing brand behavior and market positioning. Sound Symbolism and Cognitive Science: Covers research into how letter sounds (for example, the “V” in Vercel) influence perception and contribute to a name’s effectiveness. The Naming Process: Details the rigorous process behind naming—from trademark searches and legal reviews to global linguistic evaluations and whiteboard sessions with clients. Advice for Early-Stage Founders: Encourages startups to first define their market behavior and the change they intend to create. The right name will emerge from a clear strategic vision. This episode is brought to you by WorkOS . If you're thinking about selling to enterprise customers, WorkOS can help you add enterprise features like Single Sign On and audit logs. Links: Lexicon Branding Vercel PG .com quote

## Actions

- request_transcript: `POST https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/scaling-devtools/episodes/how-to-name-your-startup-david-placek-named-vercel-azure-blackberry/transcription-requests` — Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode.
- read_markdown: `GET https://stenobird.com/podcast/scaling-devtools/how-to-name-your-startup-david-placek-named-vercel-azure-blackberry.md` — Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource.

A page view does not enqueue transcription. Agents should invoke `request_transcript` explicitly when they need this episode processed.

## Transcript

Full transcripts are not published on public pages unless there is a clear rights basis.