Walid Boulanouar recently shared something that caught my attention: "you already used nano banana
you just don’t know why it’s called that." Then he went on to explain that he and his team shipped almost 20 client workflows using "nano banana," only to discover the name had a surprisingly human origin story.

That small moment is the whole lesson.

In a world where product names are often engineered in spreadsheets (keyword lists, trademark scans, domain hunting), Walid is pointing to something more primal: people adopt what they can remember, repeat, and tell a friend about.

"make the first touch human. silly even. memorable
people try what they can say out loud."

Let’s unpack the "nano banana" story, why it went viral, and how you can use the same principle to name and launch what you are shipping this month.

The nano banana origin story (and why it worked)

Walid described a late night scenario that feels familiar to anyone who has ever shipped under pressure: Google DeepMind needed to submit Gemini 2.5 Flash Image to LM Arena for anonymous testing. It was urgent, it was late, and a product manager had to pick a codename fast.

In Walid’s retelling, PM Naina Raisinghani dropped the codename "nano banana":

"nano" because she is short and into computers
"banana" because friends call her "naina banana"

The model hit #1. The goofy codename started spreading. And then something important happened: Google kept the name because the internet had already decided.

Even if you are not in AI, this is a textbook pattern:

A human story creates a sticky label.
The label makes the thing easier to talk about.
The talking becomes distribution.
Distribution makes the label feel inevitable.

Walid’s post is funny, but it is also a reminder that naming is not just branding. Naming is go-to-market.

Why "silly" names can beat "smart" names

I have seen teams over-optimize names for sophistication. The result is often a word that signals "enterprise" but fails the simplest adoption test: can someone say it out loud, unprompted, without checking a slide?

Walid’s point lands because "nano banana" is:

Speakable: two common words, easy rhythm
Visual: it paints a picture
Emotional: it triggers a smile
Story-backed: it has a real origin
Shareable: you want to tell someone why it is called that

That last part is the secret. When the name contains a story hook, every mention becomes a mini piece of content.

The first-touch principle: naming as onboarding

Walid wrote: "make the first touch human." I interpret that as: your product name is the start of your onboarding flow.

Before users experience value, they experience friction:

Do I understand what this is?
Do I trust it?
Can I explain it to my boss or my friend?
Do I feel safe trying it?

A human, slightly playful name can lower that friction. It signals that there are humans behind the product, and that the product might be approachable.

This does not mean every company should sound like a meme. It means you should design for the moment of introduction, because that is where adoption begins.

A practical framework: rename one thing like it is 2:30 am

Walid challenged readers to do this:

"pick one thing you’re shipping this month
rename it like a human would at 2:30 am
then watch adoption."

Here is a structured way to apply that without turning your roadmap into chaos.

1) Choose the asset that needs momentum

Do not start with your entire company rebrand. Start with something shippable and measurable:

A new feature
A workflow template
An internal tool you want teams to adopt
A pilot offer or service package
A campaign

The best candidates are the ones you need people to talk about.

2) Create 10 names in 10 minutes (no judging)

Set a timer. Write names that are:

Two to three words max
Easy to pronounce
Slightly vivid (an object, a metaphor, a character)
Not too clever to explain

Examples of the vibe (not prescriptions): "Inbox Zero", "Mailchimp", "Figma", "Notion", "Slack". These names are memorable because they are simple, visual, and easy to repeat.

3) Force the "say it out loud" test

Walid nailed this: "people try what they can say out loud." Test your shortlist like this:

Ask someone to read the name once.
Ask them to repeat it 5 minutes later.
Ask them to introduce it in a sentence: "We use X to do Y."

If they stumble, you just learned something.

4) Add a one-sentence origin story

"Nano banana" is sticky because it comes with lore. Build lore intentionally:

Why did you call it this?
What problem does it solve?
What does it feel like when it works?

You do not need to manufacture mythology. You just need one line people can repeat. The story makes the name portable.

5) Ship the name with consistent packaging

A playful name fails if everything else is generic. Match it with:

A crisp subtitle (what it does)
A tiny demo (gif, screenshot, 30-second clip)
A clear call to action

Think: fun name, serious clarity.

Where this matters most in AI, agents, and automation

Walid mentioned shipping almost 20 workflows for clients using nano banana. That detail matters because workflows and agent systems have a special adoption problem: they are hard to describe.

Automation is abstract until it is named and framed.

Compare:

"Workflow v7 - Sales inbound enrichment" (accurate, forgettable)
"Lead Honey" (memorable) + subtitle: "Auto-enrich inbound leads in 90 seconds"

The second version travels further in conversations, even if the first is technically clearer. You can still keep technical labels internally, but your user-facing name should do distribution work.

The balance: human does not mean unserious

A fair pushback is: "What if I sell to regulated industries?" or "What if my buyers are conservative?"

You can still apply Walid’s principle without going full goofy:

Aim for human and concrete, not childish
Use clarity as the anchor (subtitle, positioning)
Keep the playful layer optional (codename externally, formal name in contracts)

Sometimes the best move is a dual-name approach:

External brand: memorable
Internal or legal descriptor: precise

This is common in enterprise software and helps you keep credibility while still being talkable.

A simple takeaway for your next launch

Walid’s post is a reminder that the internet rewards what feels human.

If you want adoption, do not just build features. Build a name people want to repeat.

Pick one thing you are shipping this month. Rename it like a sleep-deprived, brilliant human at 2:30 am. Give it a one-sentence origin story. Then watch what happens when the name starts doing marketing for you.

This blog post expands on a viral LinkedIn post by Walid Boulanouar, get one engineer with swarm of agents | aiCTO ay automate & humanoidz | building with n8n, a2a, cursor & ☕ | advisor | first ai agents talent recruiter. View the original LinkedIn post →