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Naming expert shares the process behind creating billion-dollar brand names like Azure, Vercel, Windsurf, Sonos, Blackberry, and Impossible Burger | David Placek (Lexicon Branding)

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Naming expert shares the process behind creating billion-dollar brand names like Azure, Vercel, Windsurf, Sonos, Blackberry, and Impossible Burger | David Placek (Lexicon Branding)

Lenny's Podcast: Product | Career | Growth

2025/06/29
Lenny's Podcast: Product | Career | Growth

Lenny's Podcast: Product | Career | Growth

2025/06/29
OverviewShownoteHighlightsTranscriptChaptersPins

Shownote

David Placek is the founder of Lexicon Branding, a company that focuses exclusively on the development of brand names for competitive advantage. Lexicon is behind iconic names such as Sonos, Microsoft’s Azure, Windsurf, Vercel, Impossible Foods, BlackBerry...

Highlights

In this episode, Lenny sits down with David Placek, the founder of Lexicon Branding, a company responsible for some of the most iconic brand names in history. From Sonos and Microsoft Azure to Impossible Foods and Vercel, Lexicon has shaped how companies connect with consumers through strategic naming. David shares insights from decades of experience, revealing how great names can create powerful market advantages and why conventional wisdom often gets it wrong.
02:38
A great brand name should be polarizing to create strong brand identity
04:48
Sonos was initially rejected because it didn't evoke emotion, but its palindrome quality and focus on sound made it successful.
11:34
Azure is a successful brand despite initial resistance.
14:35
A distinctive brand name builds stronger consumer bonds over time.
21:03
Most names come from teams working on disguised assignments
28:28
Curiosity, hard work, low ego, and tenacity are key traits for successful brand naming professionals.
32:19
Compound names can multiply associations and enhance brand impact.
37:20
Cursor, Bolt, and Windsurf are cited as examples of AI companies with different product and company names.
42:37
OneSchema prevents bad data from entering the system and generates error reports.
43:10
Names are often eliminated due to negative connotations like those in Australian culture or sexual undertones.
45:55
V is vibrant, Z is noisy, X is fast and innovative.
48:15
Processing fluency impacts brand perception by making simple names more memorable.
52:54
Around 3,000 name ideas are generated initially, but few are ready-to-ship
1:00:52
Generate 1,000-1,500 names without initial evaluation to unlock creativity
1:04:24
Look for what's different in the name list and from the marketplace.
1:07:33
If a percentage of the team hates a name while others love it, it's a good sign.
1:11:01
Invest money in marketing rather than stressing over .com domains
1:12:49
Great brand names evoke experience and emotion, not just describe products.

Chapters

Introduction to David and Lexicon Branding
00:00
The story of Sonos
04:44
The psychology of naming
09:27
The initial resistance to Microsoft's Azure
11:33
The importance of a great brand name
14:35
The three steps of naming: create, invent, implement
18:11
Qualities of great brand name creators
28:23
How long the naming process takes
31:24
The Windsurf case study
32:12
Naming in the AI era
36:10
When to change your name
39:37
The role of linguists
43:10
The power of letters in branding
45:54
The Vercel case study
48:15
The implementation phase
50:12
Client management and market success
52:52
The diamond exercise
55:16
Suspending judgment
1:04:23
Polarization and boldness
1:07:31
Domain names
1:11:01
Final thoughts and lightning round
1:12:48

Transcript

David Placek: Your brand name, nothing's going to be used more often or for longer than that name. Design will change, messaging will change, products will change, but that name is there. Lenny Rachitsky: What's a name that you came up with that you had t...