Reading Time: 6 minutesBefore you pick a name for your new Power App or solution, think twice! There is more to a name than meets the eye. What does your company name mean to prospects today? Semiotics is an area of research that focuses on understanding how we interpret and make sense of signs, including words, emoticons, images, icons, and objects. In the context of culture, the same object or sign can have different meanings: a thumbs-up in Canada means “good job”. In Australia, Greece, or the Middle East it can mean “sit on this” or “up yours”. I’ve taken a minute to analyze the Microsoft Dynamics 365 and NetSuite product names from a semiotic perspective to give you an example. When creating new apps or bringing new services offers to market, choosing a name should be a deliberate and thoughtful decision-making process.

Reading Time: 2 minutesI have moments when this all feels surreal. Like watching a movie. Yet it is reality. I have lost all sense of time and space, mornings run into evenings, workdays blur into weekends. Yet the days of the week have not changed. I miss the commute when my brain has time to transition between home and work, yet I appreciate my body not being in constant motion. I feel grateful and blessed, yet sad and afraid all at once. I miss the comfort of structure and routine, yet I love the freedom of breaking from it.