Blog

Color writing for builders

Field notes on picking brand colors, WCAG contrast, dark mode design, Tailwind tokens, and rebranding shipped products.

2026-05-01 · naming, founders

The 8-point startup name checklist before you buy the .com

Eight tests every founder should run on a startup name before clicking buy on the .com. Pronounceability, search collision, trademark, social handles, and the 5-second test.

2026-05-01 · domains, dns

Five myths about domain availability that cost founders money

Domain expiry, NXDOMAIN, parked pages, registrar holds, and the truth about premium pricing. What a clear DNS check actually proves.

2026-05-01 · naming, patterns

Six naming patterns that built billion-dollar brands

Portmanteau, vowel-drop, syllabic neologism, and three more naming patterns with worked examples and where each one fails.

2026-05-01 · domains, tld

Should your startup buy .com, .io, or .ai in 2026?

Real conversion-rate data on .com vs .io vs .ai across cold traffic, plus when each TLD is the right call.

2026-05-01 · legal, trademark

Trademark clearance for early-stage founders without a lawyer

How to run a 30-minute self-clearance pass on a startup name before paying for legal review. USPTO TESS, common-law search, and what a clean check does and does not protect.