names create constraints

a name is useful when it helps you make decisions

i care about names because they make an idea easier to hold in the mind. a good name gives a product a shape before the interface is finished.

but a name also creates a promise. once i choose one, i should be able to explain what belongs under it and what does not. if the name can describe everything, it may not help me decide anything.

i want identity to make the work more coherent, not to decorate it. the test is simple: does this choice help me make the next product decision with more confidence? if it does, the name is doing useful work.

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