If I could choose to have just one super-power, it would be inv=
isibility.
Thank you. I just wanted to make myself clear.=
~~ANSWERS TO QUI=
Z~~
1.=
Pierre founded an auction site (simply named AuctionWeb) but wanted a shor=
t, catchy name. He wanted ‘Echo’, but the name was taken, so sh=
ortened it.
eBay (short of Echo Bay)
2, On the oth=
er hand, Rob Kalin wanted to build a sales brand from scratch. He chose for=
eign words he thought meant “oh yes” and it stuck.
Etsy (roughly Italian for “oh, yes”)
3. Larry call=
ed his program “BackRub” to analyze the web’s links to de=
termine how important a website was. A better name was stumbled on by =
a simply spelling error.
Google (googol =3D =
1 + 100 zeroes)
=
4. Bronx entrepreneur Reuben needed a Danish-sounding name for hi=
s product because he thought it represented old-world traditions and crafts=
manship. Produced a new word that meant nothing at all.
Haagen-Dazs (pseudo-Danish with false =E4 or the digraph zs)
5. The Hassenfeld boys started =
a textile company making sheets and tablecloths. During World War II, they =
thought there’d be more money in marketing toys.
Hasbro (shortened Hassenfeld Brothers)
6. Imagine a company named for =
its founder, his farm, and hometown.
IKEA (i=
nitials of founder Ingvar Kamp=
rad, Elmtaryd, the farm on which he grew up, and Agunnaryd, his nearby vill=
age.)
7. Mike and Kevin launched a check-in app for computers called ̶=
0;Burbn” that included messages and pictures.
Instagram (combined instamatic camera with telegram)
8. Carpenter Ole ope=
ned a shop that made ladders, stools, and ironing boards. But after persona=
l tragedies and financial disasters, he needed cash fast, so focused on mak=
ing inexpensive toys. He hoped the children would play well with them.=
Lego (Danish for “play well”)
9. Blue Ribb=
on Sports was the U.S. distributor for Onitsuka Tiger (later known as Asics=
). But when Phil decided to manufacture his own shoes, he needed a new name=
=2E He liked “Dimension Six”, "Peregrine", and “=
;Bengal", but they needed a real winner.
Nike (goddess of victory)
10. Founders of advanced tech ideas Jensen, Chris, an=
d Curtis couldn’t think of a name, so just labeled their idea files as &quo=
t;next version." At least they knew every other company would be jealo=
us of their innovative ideas.
Nvidia (combin=
ed NV for new version; Invidia is Latin for envy)
11. Irwin, a professor turned e=
ntrepreneur, helped lead a startup-minded group of colleagues from “L=
inkabit” to form a company with superior messaging.
Qualcomm (goal of delivering “quality communication=
221;)
12. Joe and Jeff Foster inherited the family shoe company that needed a r=
e-brand. They wanted to convey light and fast footwear and settled on =
either Mercury or Cougar to represent agility. Found both were already regi=
stered names. They looked in a South African dictionary, altered the spelli=
ng, and a new brand took off running.
Reebok=
(South African gazelle, spelled rhebok)
~~
Dr Bob Griffin
[email protected] www.grif.net
"Jesus Knows Me, This I Love!"
t.com