Fountain of Youth

I’ve been thinking about companies pursuing longevity.

Companies are not around forever, though a common view is that permanence is good. That’s why companies build huge headquarter buildings. The reality is that the average life expectancy of all firms is only 12 years. Some [Link to Arie De Geus] attribute mortality to managers focus on the bottom line, rather than human factors.

Greatness is fleeting, friends: places with the highest growth rates have the highest rate of corporate mortality. My company? It’s the exception that proves the rule.

You better name it right

Naming a company is important when starting a business.

A company name should sound different. Claris, Claritin, Claria, etc. are similar, although belong to different businesses. A Company name should also sound logical e.g. Fluent Inc. -fluid flow simulation company. Fluent’s competitor is Scryu, a Japanese company. Because the brand is what the company stands for, and Scryu definitely does not sound well in English, I’m afraid it might be not as effective as Fluent outside Japan. Another example is that of Toyota MR2, which is known by a different name in France. Rather than the MR2, it is called “Coupe MR,” because “MR2″ in French sounds like “merdeux,” which means “shitty.”

When naming a company, check what the name sounds like in the most widespread languages.

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