In this edition of “What’s in a name”, we at Silicon Canals spoke to Ed Johnson, co-founder and CEO of uRoutine to discover how a temporary name has made its way into the company’s permanent mission. 

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Social media is flawed, and it hinders productivity. Individuals constantly consume bite-sized content, moment after moment, often unaware of how much it holds them back.

In a world addicted to doom scrolling, uRoutine was created to help people take back control of their time, focus, and habits.

Dubbed as “the productive social network”, the London-based company aims to address productivity and well-being challenges many people have faced since the pandemic and the rise of remote work.

The platform allows users to create and copy routines, connecting with friends and experts such as healthcare professionals and personal trainers.

uRoutine has already attracted more than 3,500 pre-registered users between May and July 2025.

In this edition of “What’s in a Name,” we spoke to Ed Johnson, Co-Founder and CEO of uRoutine, to uncover the story behind how a temporary placeholder name developed into a brand that emphasises structure, mindfulness, and accountability. 

The inspiration behind the name

According to Ed, the naming journey began with a mission and the availability of a domain name without trademark issues.

“I think nowadays with so many brands, this is half the battle. I honestly wasn’t a huge fan of it at the start,” says Ed.

However, as they explored the concept of the brand and, more specifically, the logo, they realised there were numerous creative ways to adapt it. Because the name starts with the letters ‘U’ and ‘R.’

“So, uRoutine could be pronounced in a couple of ways – u-routine or your-routine, which in itself adds something interesting. It also allows us to play on words around ‘you are’. Our podcast, coming out in October, is called ‘u R Infinite’, for example,” he adds.

A name that mirrors the mission

Ed says that routines, combined with accountability, are at the core of the brand.

“So with the name uRoutine, it perfectly describes the very core of what we’re delivering – an app to help people create their routines, and explore the routines, habits and commitments of others,” explains Ed.

From placeholder to permanent mission

Ed shared that they had initially registered a few different .com domain names. The founders began working with uRoutine as a placeholder, but as they started designing and experimenting with logo ideas, the name grew on them and eventually stuck.

“The part that always takes the longest, in my experience, is the trademarking. Although, fortunately, I actually trademarked the name 3 or so years earlier, because I was sure I wanted to do something with it,” he says.

Why the “.com” domain mattered

In a digital world where domain extensions are evolving, Ed believed that securing the .com domain was key to long-term credibility.

“Had we not been able to secure the .com domain easily, I probably would’ve moved back to the drawing board. I know trends around domain extensions are changing, and perhaps I am old-fashioned in my view here, but I think that, particularly older generations (arguably anybody 35 or older), tend to assume the .com domain. Marketing just becomes that little bit more of a challenge with other domains, in my experience,” he explains.

On the trademarking front, they didn’t have any issues or challenges and went through without any contention or dispute.

The evolution of “uR”

The brand’s identity may still evolve. Ed predicts users adopting a shortened version, much like other iconic brands have done over time.

“I love the idea that it might be referred to ‘uR’ in time. A bit like Instagram being referred to as ‘Insta’ and ‘IG’. Who knows, but we’ll see how users adopt and adapt it. The app icon is already ‘uR’, so we’re halfway there already!”

Does a name define success?

For Ed, a name’s memorability helps, but it’s not the make-or-break factor.

“Probably not. I do think it needs to be memorable enough that it’s not easily forgotten, but I remember with my last startup, PushFar, several investors told us they hated it, but it didn’t stop the business from ultimately getting to a healthy exit and growing an impressive client and user-base,” he concludes.