This Entrepreneur Shares How to Name Your Company -- or Fix a Bad Name The founder of Policygenius walks us through the rigorous process she went through to scrap a confusing name and create one that led to success.

By Jason Feifer

PolicyGenius

This is an episode of our podcast Problem Solvers. Each week, an entrepreneur reveals how they overcame an unexpected problem in their business -- and were happier and more successful as a result. The show is hosted by Entrepreneur's editor in chief, Jason Feifer. Listen below, or subscribe on iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts.

A company's name is one of (if not the) biggest early decisions a company founder will make -- and they often get it wrong. Google was first called BackRub, Best Buy was Sound of Music, eBay was AuctionWeb and Policygenius was KnowItOwl.

In this episode, Policygenius's founder walks us through the rigorous process she went through to scrap a confusing name and create one that led to success.

Thanks to our sponsors:

Small business never stops moving, so Dell's US-based Small Business Advisors are trained to keep up. Just call 877-BUY-DELL to get connected. You'll get tailored solutions you can trust, from an advisor who knows your business -- like which Dell PCs with Intel® CoreTM processors are right for you. That way, you can focus on your business and leave the tech questions to Dell.

People hate calling companies and not getting an answer. Companies hate missing calls, and potential new customers. And yet, it happens every day. That's what Ruby Receptionists is designed to solve—all your calls are answered live by a team of friendly, professional remote receptionists, helping you secure customers and build a thriving company. From their offices in Portland, Oregon, Ruby deliver exceptional experiences to your callers by answering calls live in English or Spanish, transferring calls, taking messages, addressing common questions, and making follow-up calls, and more. To learn more or get started, visit Ruby online.

Jason Feifer

Entrepreneur Staff

Editor in Chief

Jason Feifer is the editor in chief of Entrepreneur magazine and host of the podcast Problem Solvers. Outside of Entrepreneur, he writes the newsletter One Thing Better, which each week gives you one better way to build a career or company you love. He is also a startup advisor, keynote speaker, book author, and nonstop optimism machine.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Business News

AI Could Cause 99% of All Workers to Be Unemployed in the Next Five Years, Says Computer Science Professor

Professor Roman Yampolskiy predicted that artificial general intelligence would be developed and used by 2030, leading to mass automation.

Business Ideas

70 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2025

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2025.

Buying / Investing in Business

From a $120M Acquisition to a $1.3T Market

Co-ownership is creating big opportunities for entrepreneurs.

Buying / Investing in Business

Big Investors Are Betting on This 'Unlisted' Stock

You can join them as an early-stage investor as this company disrupts a $1.3T market.

Business News

Mark Zuckerberg 'Insisted' Executives Join Him For a MMA Training Session, According to Meta's Ex-President of Global Affairs

Nick Clegg, Meta's former president of global affairs, says in a new book that he once had to get on the mat with a coworker.