Found|READ

we:

1. picked a list of 50-60 words/prefixes/suffixes we liked

2. wrote a python script to generate permutations, and then

3. ran dig -f on the text file to see which weren't taken

4. scraped buydomains search results to see which ones were easily for sale.

absolutely everything else was a waste of time, although we're also working with a naming agency and that might be promising (but expensive).

amusingly, domains that were occupied by squatters or companies like buydomains were easier to deal with -- at least they're rational and the conversation, though annoying, is straightforward (arrive at a #.)

domains that are occupied but unused (and don't have a 'for sale' sign hanging up) are generally hopeless. if you get a response, you'll generally get some whacko who either won't sell it, or who will only sell for millions of dollars or something. you'll probably not believe me, and will learn this the hard way (just as pg told us months ago :))

ok enough bad news -- some links that might help:

http://blog.guykawasaki.com/2006/02/the_name_game.html

http://onstartups.com/home/tabid/3339/bid/223/The-Startup-Name-Game.aspx

http://foundread.com/2007/08/20/3-rules-for-naming-your-startup/

and last and best (a 100+ page guide)

http://www.igorinternational.com/process/igor-naming-guide.pdf

hope this helps -- it's a struggle :)

Recently, I talked about how "Entrepreneurship is a deep desire to create and destroy at the same time." So clearly we have to be in dissonance with some and resonance with others.

http://foundread.com/2008/04/18/why-you-must-embrace-rejection-to-succeed/

But more importantly, to follow up on your comment. The question really is about "making something people want". We all know that this is a necessary condition but is it also sufficient. In the old days, it would take a lot more than that to succeed (so it was not sufficient). But time has changed. I believe today under certain constraints, it can actually be both. In the following, I talked about "narrowcasting" and "entre-sumers" which are the corner stones for such paradigm shift.

http://foundread.com/2008/04/11/to-yc-or-to-vc-that-is-my-question/