01
Turn a vague idea into a brief
Bring whatever you have—a theme, a feeling, two rival directions. The consultant asks the questions that turn it into a brief worth generating from.
Name ideas with domain availability
Turn rough name ideas into a checked, shareable shortlist.
Start where ideation really starts—vague, half-formed, a few directions you cannot choose between. The consultant helps you shape a brief, explore broadly, then converge on names with live domain availability you can share with cofounders.
You get six checked names by default from a brief you refine together, each critiqued honestly, so a pile of loose ideas becomes a shortlist you can actually decide on.
How it works
From a rough brief to names you can act on.
02
Explore broadly, then converge
See a range of directions first, use the critiques to work out what you actually respond to, and narrow toward the ones that hold up.
03
Keep a shortlist you can share
Save the names with their open domains, then share or export the shortlist so cofounders can weigh in on real, registrable options.
Sample output
What a checked shortlist looks like.
Sparrowmint
7/10Playful and characterful for an early idea, though the two images it pins together—a bird and a herb—pull in different directions and may need a reason to coexist.
sparrowmint.com · availablesparrowmint.co · taken
Loma
8/10Short, open on most endings, and effortless to say; the flip side of that minimalism is that it means almost nothing until you give it context.
loma.com · takenloma.co · availableloma.io · available
Quillbend
6/10Distinctive and evocative for a writing or editing tool, but its imagery is narrow and could feel constraining if the idea broadens beyond that niche.
quillbend.com · availablequillbend.net · available
Veranova
7/10Carries a fresh, "new spring" feeling that flexes across directions; the watch-out is that -nova endings are well-worn, so it is a little less ownable than it sounds.
veranova.com · availableveranova.co · availableveranova.io · taken
Illustrative sample. Live runs check domain availability in real time and critique names against your actual brief.
What gets evaluated
A usable name has more than one job.
From vague to a brief
Ideation stalls when the input is too loose. A short brief—product, audience, feeling, market—gives the generation something real to push against.
Breadth before depth
Early on, a spread of different directions is more useful than many variants of one. See the range first, then commit to a lane.
Critique to converge
Honest critiques are how a broad set narrows. They reveal what you actually value, which turns scattered ideas into a defensible shortlist.
Availability grounds the ideas
Live domain checks keep ideation honest, so you converge on names you could register rather than ones that only exist in a brainstorm.
A shortlist you can share
Cofounders decide better on a small, concrete set with real domains than on a hundred loose suggestions. Saving and sharing is built for that moment.
Ideas are cheap; clearance isn't
An appealing idea with a free domain still needs register, trademark, and marketplace checks before it becomes a decision.
Getting from a vague idea to a usable brief
Most naming starts foggier than the tidy case studies suggest: a mood, a metaphor, two directions that both feel half-right. Trying to generate from that fog produces scattered results, because the generation has nothing firm to aim at. The first useful move is not more ideas but a little structure—what the thing is, who it is for, how it should feel, and where it will live.
That is a conversation, not a form. The consultant can draw the brief out by asking what you are reacting to in your own rough ideas, which ones you would defend and why. By the time you generate, there is a target, and the names come back sharper because the input finally is.
Breadth versus depth in brainstorming
There are two different jobs in naming and they want opposite tactics. Early, you want breadth: several genuinely distinct directions, so you can find out what you respond to before you commit. Generating twenty variations of a single idea at this stage feels productive but only deepens a lane you have not yet chosen.
Once a direction earns your attention, switch to depth: refine within it, test the strongest candidates, and pressure the details. Knowing which mode you are in prevents the common trap of polishing the first thing that felt clever. Ask for a wide spread first, then narrow deliberately—the critiques are there to tell you when a direction is worth going deep on.
Converging on a shortlist you can share
The purpose of ideation is not a long list; it is a decision. Convergence happens by using the critiques to work out what actually matters to you—distinctiveness, warmth, a clean .com, room to grow—and letting the weaker directions fall away. A handful of names you can defend beats a spreadsheet you will never reread.
That small set is also what makes cofounders and clients useful. Save the finalists with their open domains and share or export the shortlist, so the people making the call are reacting to real, registrable options rather than abstractions. Just remember that a shared shortlist is a starting point for clearance, not the end of it—domain availability is a snapshot, not a trademark search.
Frequently asked questions
I only have a vague idea—is that enough to start?
Yes. Bring a theme, a feeling, or two competing directions and the consultant helps shape it into a brief. Discussing and refining the brief is free; tokens apply when you generate checked names.
Should I explore lots of directions or refine one?
Early on, favor breadth—several distinct directions to find what you respond to. Once one earns your attention, switch to depth and refine within it. The consultant can do either on request.
How does the critique help me narrow down?
The critiques reveal what you actually value by naming each option's strengths and watch-outs. That is how a broad, scattered set converges into a shortlist you can defend.
Can I share the shortlist with my cofounders?
Yes. Save the names with their open domains, then share a link or export the shortlist, so the people deciding with you are reacting to real, registrable options.
Do the name ideas come with live domain availability?
Yes. Each generated name is checked live against the extensions you chose, so ideation stays grounded in names you could actually register rather than ones that only exist in a brainstorm.
Is a shared shortlist the same as clearing a name?
No. A shortlist with open domains is where clearance begins, not ends. Domain availability is a snapshot; run company-register, trademark, and marketplace checks before you commit.
Keep exploring
Related naming tools
Bring the brief. Leave with a shortlist.
Generate or assess names, check the relevant domains, and keep refining until the choice holds up.
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