First, let me make this clear: I'm no branding expert. But, I have been in the trenches so many times naming companies, products, and features that I can say I have a decent understanding of how the psychology behind branding/naming works. Lucky for me, I also have some friends who do this for a living, so it's easy to get second and third opinions on my ideas.

So let me give you a short summary of my thinking and science behind my recent company naming exercise. I will make a short note about why 2094 is so important in here later - so join my subscriber friends not to miss it. 😉

What I was trying to figure out is if my fondness for names - 2094 Lab and 2094 Project is a good idea or not? I'll use 2094 Lab here as an example.

Let's jump into it!

In the world of brand building, we often mistake creativity for effectiveness. I mean, we all just fall in love with a name that sounds cool and fancy in the moment.

We assume that a name must be unique to be memorable. But neuroscience suggests otherwise. The human brain is a cognitive miser — it seeks to expend the least amount of energy possible to understand new information. And that's the key!

When a user encounters a new domain or business name, their brain performs a split-second calculation involving processing fluency, schema activation, and recall probability.

By analyzing the structural variants of a specific case — Lab2094 vs. 2094Lab (and its sister construct, Project2094 vs. 2094Project) — I will help you uncover the universal psychological rules that determine whether a brand sticks better or rather slips away.

The most critical moment in brand perception is the first 200 milliseconds. This is where the Primacy Effect takes hold: the first piece of information we perceive structures how we interpret everything that follows.

When a potential user sees a name, their brain asks two questions in rapid succession:

1. What is this? (Category/Context)

2. Which one is it? (Identifier/Flavor)
   

Compare 2094Lab against Lab2094.

In 2094Lab, the brain is hit with abstract data first. "2094" is a number without context. Is it a date? A quantity? A pin code? The brain experiences a "processing speed bump." At least that's what the science says.

"2094" creates a moment of cognitive friction while the user waits for the noun ("Lab") to explain what the number means. It would not be the case if "2094" were some generally known number like 1984.

In Lab2094, the word "Lab" acts as a Cognitive Anchor. It immediately (albeit partially) answers the question, "What is this?" It is a laboratory — a place of experimentation, science, and creation. Once the user is grounded in that context, the brain can effortlessly attach the modifier "2094" (with the futurist flavor) to it.

To remember: Always anchor the user in the known (the category) before introducing the unknown (the specific identifier).

To remember a brand, the brain uses schemas — organized patterns of thought or behavior. When we hear a word, we don't just hear a sound; we activate a "mental room" filled with associations.

• "Lab" activates schemas of: Innovation, research, mixing, testing, white coats, technology.

• "Project" activates schemas of: Missions, timelines, collaboration, end-goals.

• "2094" activates schemas of: Sci-fi, distant future, abstraction.

If we lead with the schema-heavy word (Lab or Project), we open the correct mental room in the user's mind. If you lead with the number, the user is left standing in a mental hallway, holding a number, unsure which door to open.

This is why Lab2094 feels like a "narrative universe." The user imagines a physical or digital space (The Lab) dedicated to the year 2094.

Conversely, 2094Lab often fails to trigger this visualization. Because the number comes first, it risks being categorized as a "serial number." It feels less like a destination, address maybe, or like a file name.

There is a linguistic heuristic (a mental shortcut) that humans use to distinguish between "addresses" and "quantities."

• Noun + Number (e.g., Apollo 13, Area 51, Lab 2094, Project 2094):

  This structure implies a singular, specific entity. It mimics the naming conventions of secret military bases, space missions, or software versions. It implies: "This is The Lab, and its designation is 2094." It may even feel premium. In my mind, it feels intentional and like a destination.

• Number + Noun (e.g., 101 Dalmatians, 2094 Projects, 2094 Labs):

  This structure usually implies quantity. It risks sounding like there are two thousand others just like it.

  Consider the variant 2094Project. It sounds remarkably like a folder on a computer hard drive containing the 2,094th attempt at a project. Never had one like this 😃 However, I was told that Project2094 sounds like a classified mission with a specific objective.

To remember: If you want your brand to feel like a unique mission or location, place the Noun first and the Number second.

Phonesthetics is the study of the aesthetic properties of sound. It is useful because a brand name is meant to be spoken, shared, and recommended.

Try saying them out loud:

• Lab-Tw-en-ty-Nine-ty-Four. (Starts with a punchy noun. Rhythm flows downhill).

• Tw-en-ty-Nine-ty-Four-Lab. (Starts with a multi-syllable number. Ends on a soft noun).

Lab2094 begins with a "plosive" and "liquid" combination (L-a-b). It is a monosyllabic downbeat. It commands attention. The rhythm flows from a heavy beat (Lab) to a rhythmic tail (twenty-ninety-four).

2094Lab creates an inverted rhythm. Starting a sentence with "Twenty" is weaker than starting with "Lab." Furthermore, ending on "Lab" creates a "falling intonation." Ending on the hard number "Four" (in 2094) creates a "rising" or sharp finish, which sounds more energetic and confident.
This was honestly the most interesting part my friend introduced to me during the discussion. I mean, the sound - who'd think about it, right.

Psychology dictates that easy to say equals trustworthy. This is known as the Fluency Heuristic.

If a name creates a "stumble" in the mouth or mind — like trying to recall the order of digits in 2094Lab — the subconscious assigns a lower trust score to the business.
Lab2094 rolls off the tongue, increasing the likelihood of word-of-mouth transmission ("Hey, did you hear that episode on Lab2094 Podcast?").

One might argue, "What about Studio 54? What about 7-Eleven? What about 3M?"

I was told that history shows a pattern: Descriptive First, Abstract Later.

Brands like Studio 54 or Area 51 follow the exact rule we are discussing: Place + Number.

Well known brands that now lead with numbers (like 7-Eleven or 3M) often started with longer, descriptive names or spent decades and millions of dollars building that association.

For a new project — whether it is Project2094 or Lab2094 — I do not yet have the luxury of cultural recognition. I am in the "discovery phase." During this phase, clarity and ease are the king and the queen.

• Discovery Phase: You need Lab2094. It explains itself.

• Loyalty Phase: Years from now, when the community is established, they may affectionately shorten it to "The 2094 Lab" or just "2094." But you should not start there. You should earn the abbreviation. 😉
  

Based on the psychological pillars of Primacy, Schema, and Fluency, the winner is clear.

The Winner: Lab2094 (and Project2094)

• Why: It respects the brain’s need for order (Category -> Identifier).

• The Vibe: It feels like a destination or a mission.

• The Recall: It anchors the memory in "Lab," making it easier to retrieve the number "2094" later.

• The Audience: It creates zero friction for new users, podcast listeners, community members, and potential investors.

The Runner Up: 2094Lab (and 2094Project)

• The Risk: It feels like a username or a quantity.

• The Cognitive Load: It forces the brain to hold abstract data before understanding the context.

• Use Case: This structure is best reserved for internal sub-products or file systems, not the public-facing "Hero Brand."
  

I'm not gonna lie, my first instinct was 2094 ... because it looks weird enough 😃 But names should follow the path of least resistance for the user’s brain, allowing them to stop processing the name and start engaging with the content and product. That's especially true in our current information overload era.

That's it for today. In case, you're into these things and curious about the process that followed for the tagline for Lab2094 - let me know. I may write that up too. Working on it now!

This is another one of these unplanned topics that occasionally appear here. But I felt it might be useful for some of you because we name projects and companies all the time, mostly without knowing anything about psychology and the rules behind how others interpret what they read.

What was your last naming adventure and how did you decide for the name you went with? Share for me or the others, I'm really curious!

For now, let's BUILD BETTER businesses!

BFG

ICYMI: Newsletter with argument why your first non-technical hire should be a experienced Distribution Architect and not junior SDR ... read it here.

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