Why SoundRocket?
Anytime one approaches naming a business, a child, a service – there is an internal gut feeling that one must be comfortable with. It is that internal check that can answer Yes when you ask Does this name adequately reflect what it is that I am naming? Without it, the rest is increasingly difficult.
Our name up to this point, Survey Sciences Group, LLC, met this test because it allowed the name to speak for itself. While it was difficult to remember for some, it was always very clear about what it is that we do. So in our case, we had a name that met that gut check, giving us a solid benchmark to compare against when we found our new name.
For many of us, the name SoundRocket resonated well inside.
It wasn’t an immediate decision for all, as this was a very different name, and naming a business is a task with great weight. So for a couple weeks, we each grappled with our fears of what such a change would mean, and how it would be received.
Beyond this internal gut check, there were many logical reasons why SoundRocket was a great fit. Here are some:
- It is memorable.
- It forces the question “What do you do?” or the request “Tell me more.” It causes people to listen to our story.
- Many of our internal processes used language that conveyed rocket imagery. We routinely speak of study launches, and we use a pre-launch checklist prior to data collection.
- Many of the processes we used had origins in the lessons learned from the Challenger explosion and the Columbia accident. The science employed in evaluating what happened on January 28, 1986, as well as the days, months, and years preceding it demonstrated many lessons for the management of science itself. Books such as The Challenger Launch Decision and reports (in particular Chapter 8 from the Columbia Accident Investigation Board Report) played a role in the formation of the processes we use.
- We routinely hear the statement: This is not rocket science – we can handle it on our own. Our response is direct – You are correct, it is not rocket science. It involves the study of humans, which is much more complex than what is involved in the highly predictable science of rocketry.