Whatever stage of growth you’re currently in, your north star should be the function you want to become synonymous with.
What do you want your name to mean?
Because after all is said and done, your product or service is a means to an end. All the technical excellence and expert architectural decisions that contribute to your unique service offering are interpreted by the end user in boring, simple thought processes—>Whenever I want to do xxxx, I think of [insert startup name].
That’s what all your playbooks should optimize for.
When people want to solve a problem, they reach for a name that feels naturally tied to the action they want to take. And if you really win, there’s another layer: Rather than just coming to mind, your name replaces the action itself.
You don’t say “search for it online.” You say, “Google it.” n You don’t say “order a ride.” You say, “Uber there.”
This phenomenon is something I’ve personally experience and it has shaped my consumption decisions, at home and abroad.
To this day, whenever I refer to ride-hailing as “Ubering.” “I’ll Uber to you at 6 pm today”. “I’ll be with you shortly, I’m on the phone with my Uber driver” (nevermind that it was actually a Bolt driver). But that’s just me.
In the early days of ride-hailing services in Lagos, between 2014 & 16, Bolt became the default word. Uber entered in 2014. Bolt followed in 2016 and scaled aggressively. For a large segment of the market, Bolt wasn’t an Uber alternative; it was the introduction to Ride-hailing. As their first experience, it naturally became THE word.
Then inDrive arrived in 2019. And if you live in Lagos, you know what daily hold-up feels like. You know how surge pricing can turn a normal trip into a life-threatening financial decision. inDrive didn’t try to out-Uber Uber. It leaned into control, negotiation, and affordability.
When there was fear of prices stretching too far, people opened inDrive.
Over time, in certain conversations, “check inDrive” became synonymous with “find the cheaper option.”
Three companies. Same category. Different associations forming in different pockets of the same city.
The learning here, for builders, is to actively build mental shortcuts in the minds of your users because associations like these don’t happen by accident.
And if you’re entering a market that feels somewhat crowded, fear not!
You don’t have to own the entire category. You just have to own a behavior inside it.
Pick the verb you want to represent, decide what you want to be synonymous with, and reinforce that idea over and over again.
:::tip
And if you’re serious about testing that clarity in the real world, there’s a practical place to start.
HackerNoon’s Proof of Usefulness Hackathon is built around a simple question: Does your product actually solve a real problem for real people? It’s one thing to declare what you want to be synonymous with. It’s another to prove it publicly.
If you’re building something meaningful and want to sharpen your positioning while competing for over $150,000 in cash prizes and software credits, this is a solid first step.
You can get started here: https://www.proofofusefulness.com/
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Now, let’s take a look at three startups that are clearly attempting to anchor themselves to specific mental shortcuts.
Meet Pettr App, CreaThink Solutions, and Saturn: HackerNoon Startups of the Week
Pettr App
Pettr App is a digital platform designed to simplify pet ownership by centralizing pet care management in one place. From health records and appointments to service access and reminders, Pettr aims to reduce the administrative friction that comes with caring for animals.
Rather than treating pet services as isolated transactions, Pettr positions itself as an ongoing companion to pet owners — a structured way to organize what is often an emotional and time-sensitive responsibility. Over time, that kind of utility has the potential to become second nature.
CreaThink Solutions
CreaThink Solutions provides end-to-end digital services that combine strategic thinking with technical execution. The company works with businesses to design, develop, and deploy tailored digital solutions — from platforms and websites to broader transformation initiatives.
Its positioning leans into the idea that building well begins with thinking well. By blending creativity with structured problem-solving, CreaThink focuses not just on delivering digital products, but on helping organizations approach technology with clarity and intention.
Saturn
Saturn is a social scheduling platform built for high school students, designed to make managing school life more intuitive and connected. By organizing class schedules, clubs, sports, and social plans into one shared space, Saturn helps students navigate their daily routines with less friction.
In environments where coordination can easily become chaotic, Saturn aims to bring structure and visibility to student communities — turning scheduling into something collaborative rather than fragmented.
Different industries. Different audiences. Different problems.
But the principle is the same.
When your function is clear, your name travels. And when that function is reinforced consistently enough, your brand becomes a verb.
