The Branding Journey: From a Functional Name to VORA

Naming looked easy until the product started growing.

We began with a functional name that described what the app did. That worked early on. But as the product expanded, the name started limiting how users understood the platform.

This post explains how we moved to VORA, what changed, and what we learned from the process.

Phase 1: Purely Descriptive Naming

At first, we used a descriptive identity focused on one use case.
That made sense during prototype stage:

• quick to choose
• clear to insiders
• no branding overhead

But descriptive names age poorly when scope expands.

Phase 2: Broader but Still Generic

Our second naming pass broadened the product scope but remained generic.

It solved the first constraint, but still failed to create a distinct identity users could remember or search for easily.

Phase 3: Choosing VORA

VORA won because it met practical constraints:

• short and memorable
• globally pronounceable
• works in Korean and English contexts
• flexible enough for product expansion

After selecting the name, we aligned UI copy, navigation labels, page metadata, and product messaging around one voice.

The Core Meaning: Voice + Oracle

The most important part of the name was not only how it sounded.
It was what it meant.

VORA comes from Voice + Oracle.

• Voice represents the raw source: real conversations, meeting audio, accents, interruptions, and domain jargon.
• Oracle represents interpretation: turning noisy speech into decisions, action items, and usable knowledge.

That combination describes the product's actual job better than generic labels like "AI meeting tool."

We are not trying to be just another recorder.
We are trying to become the layer that helps teams understand what was said and what should happen next.

In other words:

• audio in
• signal extracted
• decisions surfaced
• follow-up clarified

The "Oracle" part is especially important because it frames VORA as an assistant for judgment and clarity, not just transcription. A transcript tells you what was spoken. An oracle-like system helps you understand what matters in that transcript.

This also gave us a long-term brand direction.
Even if features evolve (summaries, QA workflows, multilingual correction, reporting, domain-aware post-processing), the Voice + Oracle concept still holds.

That is why this meaning became central internally and externally: it is memorable, it is accurate, and it scales with the product roadmap.

The Real Cost of Renaming

Renaming is not just visual replacement.

It affects:

• URLs and redirects
• metadata and social previews
• docs and historical references
• internal logs and support language

Even after a complete pass, legacy traces usually remain. That is normal. The goal is consistency going forward, not perfect historical erasure.

Brand Positioning Decision

We also made a positioning call: keep onboarding simple and remove unnecessary friction.

That decision shaped both copy and product framing. Instead of abstract branding language, we leaned into a practical value message users can verify quickly.

Bilingual Branding Constraint

Because VORA serves both Korean and English users, we chose one shared brand token (VORA) across both language surfaces.

This avoids brand fragmentation and keeps recognition consistent across pages, docs, and external mentions.

Takeaway

Name decisions are product decisions.

If you think your project might become a real product, treat naming early with the same seriousness as architecture and domain setup. Rebranding is possible, but cleanup cost is always higher than expected.