github-repo-product-naming

GitHub Repository Product Naming Skill

Purpose

Name public developer projects so they are memorable, searchable, association-rich, and aligned with the actual product identity.

A good repo name is not just a category. It is a compressed mental model.

Weak:

workstation-setup
engineering-methods
profile-updater-app
automation-tool
my-scripts

Stronger:

AgentDesk
SystemSmith
ProofStack
CodexBar
LazyVim
OpenClaw

The name should make a visitor think:

“I roughly know what world this belongs to, and I want to inspect it.”

When to use

Use this skill when the user asks about:

• naming a repo
• renaming a repo
• choosing a product name
• choosing a repo slug
• making names more memorable, badass, viral, open-source-native, or marketable
• splitting a repo into multiple public repos
• building a coherent repo ecosystem
• writing GitHub About descriptions
• turning a technical folder name into a product-like project
• avoiding wrong associations
• checking whether a name is already overloaded

Also use this skill automatically inside github-repo-launch-page whenever the repo name affects adoption.

Core principle

Names work through association transfer.

A strong name borrows meaning from things people already know, then twists it toward the new use case.

Examples of association transfer:

OpenAI -> OpenClaw / OpenCode / OpenSpec
LazyGit -> LazyVim -> LazyBrowser / LazyDocs / LazyForms
Codex -> CodexBar
language models + chaining components -> LangChain
mythic messenger -> Hermes Agent

The goal is not random cleverness. The goal is to trigger the right mental shortcut.

Inputs to collect

Before naming, identify:

1. Thing being named

   • repo
   • CLI
   • app
   • skill pack
   • framework
   • plugin
   • profile system
   • setup system
   • documentation system

2. User

   • developer
   • maintainer
   • data engineer
   • AI-agent builder
   • job seeker
   • creator
   • operator
   • personal productivity user

3. Job to be done

   • setup machine
   • write profile
   • build agents
   • review code
   • structure tickets
   • document systems
   • avoid repeated work
   • automate browser workflows
   • package reusable methods

4. Emotional promise

   • ready
   • control
   • leverage
   • proof
   • speed
   • craft
   • calm
   • clarity
   • local ownership
   • fewer repeated decisions

5. Technical identity

   • code
   • agents
   • systems
   • architecture
   • browser
   • desk/workstation
   • proof/evidence
   • docs
   • workflows
   • skills

6. Wrong associations to avoid

   • boats, games, fanfiction, crypto, malware, surveillance, military, dating, gambling, low-quality SEO, unrelated companies, or too-generic consulting language

7. Ecosystem relationship

   • standalone project
   • one repo in a suite
   • plugin for existing tool
   • extension of a known pattern
   • personal brand system

Naming patterns

1. Familiar token + twist

Use when the project lives inside a known movement or trend.

Formula:

<known-token><twist>

Examples:

OpenClaw
OpenCode
OpenSpec
AgentDesk
CodexBar

Good for:

• AI agents
• developer tools
• open-source utilities
• plugins/extensions
• trend-adjacent products

Risk:

• may look derivative if the twist is weak
• may imply affiliation if too close to a trademark or company name

2. Ecosystem prefix + adjacent use case

Use when users already understand a naming family.

Formula:

<ecosystem-prefix><new-domain>

Examples:

LazyVim
LazyGit
LazyDocker
AgentBrowser
AgentInbox
AgentDesk

Good for:

• making annoying workflows easier
• developer utilities
• setup systems
• UI wrappers around known tasks

Risk:

• “Lazy” can imply low rigor if the audience values discipline
• avoid copying active brands too closely

3. Technical concept as metaphor

Use when the project’s architecture or mental model is the hook.

Formula:

<technical-concept><mechanism>

Examples:

LangChain
VectorStore
SystemSmith
ProofStack
CodeGraph

Good for:

• frameworks
• architecture tools
• skill systems
• engineering-method repos
• knowledge systems

Risk:

• too abstract if the subtitle does not clarify the use case

4. Surface metaphor

Use when the project places something in a familiar UI/location.

Formula:

<known-thing><surface>

Examples:

CodexBar
ClaudeDesk
SlackLens
JiraRadar
GitHubPilot

Good for:

• desktop apps
• menu bar apps
• dashboards
• browser extensions
• CLI wrappers
• assistant surfaces

Risk:

• can become too literal if the surface is not central

5. Craft / forge / smith metaphor

Use when the repo is about engineering judgment, methods, systems, or transformation.

Formula:

<object><craft-word>

Craft words:

Smith
Forge
Craft
Foundry
Workbench
Kit
Stack
OS
Lab

Examples:

SystemSmith
ProofForge
SignalCraft
AgentFoundry
MethodKit

Good for:

• reusable engineering methods
• agentic AI practices
• architecture frameworks
• code/design review systems
• public methodology repos

Risk:

• Forge, Craft, and Foundry are often overused
• check collisions and wrong associations

6. Proof / signal / evidence family

Use when the repo turns private evidence into public positioning.

Examples:

ProofStack
SignalCraft
ProofKit
StoryProof
CareerSignal

Good for:

• career positioning
• LinkedIn/resume systems
• portfolio/story generators
• credibility artifacts
• public-safe achievement transformation

Risk:

• too vague if it does not mention career, resume, or public profile in subtitle

7. Agent + environment/surface

Use when the repo prepares places where humans and agents work.

Examples:

AgentDesk
AgentBrowser
AgentInbox
AgentShell
AgentOS
AgentBridge

Good for:

• workstation setup
• browser automation
• WSL2/macOS/CLI setup
• MCP/tooling environments
• agent-human workspaces

Risk:

• too broad if the repo is only a narrow script collection

8. Negative manifesto

Use carefully. It can be memorable, but usually works better as a tagline than a repo name.

Examples:

never-do-work-twice
dont-repeat-yourself
zero-to-one

Good for:

• manifestos
• essays
• slogans
• top README lines

Risk:

• too long
• harder as a namespace
• defined by avoided pain rather than desired identity

Often convert it into:

Name: SystemSmith
Tagline: Never solve the same engineering problem twice.

Scoring rubric

Score candidates from 1-5.

Association fit

Does it trigger the right world?

1 = random or wrong domain
3 = somewhat related
5 = immediately points to the right ecosystem

Specificity

Does it express the actual project rather than a generic category?

1 = vague category
3 = usable but broad
5 = compressed mental model

Memorability

Would someone remember and repeat it?

1 = forgettable
3 = decent
5 = short, distinctive, sticky

Wrong-association risk

Does it trigger unrelated meanings?

1 = strong wrong association
3 = manageable ambiguity
5 = clean association

Important: high score here means low risk.

Ecosystem fit

Does it fit the user’s other repo names?

1 = disconnected
3 = acceptable
5 = coherent naming family

Slug quality

Is it good as a GitHub repo slug, package, CLI, URL, and folder?

1 = long/ugly/confusing
3 = workable
5 = short, lowercase, command-friendly

Expansion potential

Can it hold future scope without becoming misleading?

1 = too narrow or too grandiose
3 = enough room
5 = can become a suite/category

Total possible score: 35.

Only recommend names that score at least 26 unless the user explicitly wants a weird or experimental name.

Wrong-association test

Before recommending a name, test it manually.

Ask:

1. What does this word already mean?
2. What would Google autocomplete likely show?
3. What would GitHub search likely show?
4. Does it sound like a game, fanfiction tool, crypto coin, malware, military tool, adult product, or unrelated company?
5. Does it imply affiliation with a company or product the user does not own?
6. Does the subtitle fix the ambiguity, or is the ambiguity too strong?
7. Would a technical recruiter, open-source maintainer, or engineer understand the intended domain within 5 seconds?

Reject names where the wrong association is stronger than the intended association.

Example:

ShipCraft

Problem:

• “ship” strongly triggers boats, ships, games, maritime history, and model-building.
• It may be intended as “ship software,” but the compound makes the maritime reading too strong.

Verdict:

Reject for software engineering methods unless the project is actually about shipping/logistics/maritime.

Collision checks

Check or ask the user to check:

• GitHub repositories
• package registries relevant to the project: npm, PyPI, crates.io, Homebrew, Docker Hub
• domain availability if a website matters
• search engine top results
• trademark risk for commercial use
• social handles if public branding matters

Collision does not automatically reject a name. Reject when:

• top results are unrelated but dominant
• an active project in the same category already owns the name
• the name implies false affiliation
• the slug is unavailable in the user’s GitHub namespace
• the wrong association is hard to override

Output format

Produce:

## Naming Diagnosis

Current name:
Problem:
Desired association:
Associations to avoid:

## Best Recommendation

Product name:
Repo slug:
Tagline:
GitHub About description:
README hero:
Topics:

## Why This Works

- Association:
- Specificity:
- Memorability:
- Ecosystem fit:
- Wrong-association risk:

## Candidate Table

| Candidate | Score | Association | Risk | Verdict |
|---|---:|---|---|---|

## Rejected Names

- Name — reason rejected.

## Final Copy

# <ProductName>

> <Tagline>

<Positioning paragraph>

Tone rules

Use concrete judgment. Do not present 20 names as equally good.

Prefer:

• one strongest recommendation
• 3-6 serious alternatives
• explicit rejection reasons
• a clear final decision

Avoid:

• generic name storms
• names that merely describe the folder
• hype words without product identity
• names whose ambiguity has to be explained away
• names that imply company affiliation

Arthur-specific naming system

For Arthur Zakirov’s public repo ecosystem, prefer a coherent product family:

ProofStack   -> career proof and public-safe positioning
AgentDesk    -> machine and AI-agent workstation setup
SystemSmith  -> engineering methods for code, agents, and architecture

ProofStack

Use for:

• career positioning
• resume/LinkedIn/profile systems
• private evidence to public artifact workflows
• portfolio/blog/story generation
• recruiter/interview material
• proof-before-claim writing systems

Canonical copy:

# ProofStack

> Turn private work evidence into public-safe career signal.

ProofStack helps convert raw achievements into credible resumes, LinkedIn sections, portfolio stories, articles, and interview material without leaking private details or overclaiming.

About description:

Turn private work evidence into public-safe resumes, LinkedIn sections, portfolio stories, and interview material.

Topics:

career-positioning
resume
linkedin
portfolio
technical-writing
proof-of-work
agent-skills
codex
claude-code
public-profile

AgentDesk

Use for:

• workstation setup
• WSL2/macOS/Windows setup
• monitor/browser/Bitwarden/OpenClaw/Codex/Claude setup
• local machine as agent-ready workspace
• human + AI developer environment setup

Canonical copy:

# AgentDesk

> Make any machine ready for human + AI work.

AgentDesk is a setup system for WSL2, macOS, browsers, monitors, Codex, Claude Code, OpenClaw, and other tools that turn a fresh machine into a productive agent-ready workstation.

About description:

Setup system for turning WSL2, macOS, browsers, and developer tools into an agent-ready workstation.

Topics:

workstation-setup
wsl2
macos
developer-productivity
ai-agents
codex
claude-code
openclaw
browser-automation
agent-workstation

SystemSmith

Use for:

• software engineering methods
• code review and self-review
• security hygiene
• technical messaging
• living artifacts and documentation
• information architecture
• agentic AI engineering
• system architecture
• reusable engineering judgment

Canonical copy:

# SystemSmith

> Engineering methods for code, agents, and architecture.

SystemSmith turns recurring engineering judgment into reusable agent skills: how to scope tickets, review your own work, write durable docs, avoid leaking secrets, structure technical messages, reason about agentic systems, and build cleaner software/information architectures.

About description:

Engineering methods for code, agents, docs, security, reviews, and system architecture.

Topics:

software-engineering
system-design
agentic-ai
ai-agents
agent-skills
code-review
technical-writing
security
information-architecture
developer-productivity
codex
claude-code

Name-to-boundary mapping for Arthur’s current split

Use this boundary unless the repository evidence says otherwise:

ProofStack:
- resume
- LinkedIn
- bio
- public career positioning
- article/story frameworks
- portfolio proof
- proof-safe achievement packets

AgentDesk:
- hardware
- OS setup
- WSL2
- macOS
- browsers
- monitors
- Bitwarden local profile
- OpenClaw/Codex/Claude setup
- machine-specific config

SystemSmith:
- SWE method
- self-review
- security
- messaging framework
- living artifacts
- format markdown
- engineer agentic AI
- system/information architecture

If a skill overlaps:

• If it installs/configures a machine or tool, put it in AgentDesk.
• If it expresses career signal or public profile value, put it in ProofStack.
• If it teaches engineering judgment, architecture, documentation, review, communication, or agent design, put it in SystemSmith.

Naming checklist

Before final answer:

• Current name assessed.
• Desired association stated.
• Wrong associations listed.
• At least 6 candidates considered.
• Rejected names include reasons.
• Final name has tagline and literal subtitle.
• Repo slug is lowercase and CLI-friendly.
• GitHub About description is provided.
• Topics are provided.
• README hero copy is provided.
• Ecosystem fit is explained.