aso-naming

name	aso-naming
description	Turn a product concept into ranked Title + Subtitle candidates using the Brand+Keyword formula, 4 angles, safety/collision checks, and a 12-point rubric. Use before launch, before a rename, or for naming a sister-SKU.
user-invocable	true
argument-hint	[concept or flags: --validate <name> | --rename <current-name> | --from-proposal | --from-brief]
allowed-tools	Agent AskUserQuestion Read Write Edit Glob Grep Bash WebFetch

/aso-naming

Standalone naming pipeline. Produces a ranked shortlist of Title + Subtitle candidates following the framework at specs/aso-pipeline/strategic-product-naming.md.

Use when:

• Launching a new product and a name has not been locked in
• Validating a working name before committing (App Store submission, trademark filing, domain purchase)
• Renaming an existing app (carries migration cost — surface it honestly)
• Naming a sister-SKU in a portfolio play (per specs/aso-pipeline/smart-aso-techniques.md §1.5)

This skill is also invoked from:

• /aso-pipeline build (after the app brief is constructed)
• /product-explore (offered at the end of the proposal pipeline)

Mode Detection

Parse $ARGUMENTS:

Argument pattern	Mode	Behavior
(none) or free text	explore	Generate a shortlist from scratch
--validate <name>	validate	Score a specific candidate against the rubric, suggest alternates if it fails
--rename <current-name>	rename	Lead with migration cost, then propose alternatives
--from-proposal	explore	Read docs/proposal.md to seed concept / target user / category
--from-brief	explore	Read aso/config/app_brief.yaml to seed inputs

Phase 0: Preflight

Light preflight — this skill is intentionally low-dependency.

1. Verify the framework spec is present at specs/aso-pipeline/strategic-product-naming.md. If absent, report:

   Missing spec: specs/aso-pipeline/strategic-product-naming.md. This skill depends on the strategic naming framework. Restore the file from the nextc-claude repo and re-run.

   STOP. Do not spawn the agent.

2. Optional context (informational only — never failure conditions):

   • docs/proposal.md — seeds concept and target user
   • aso/config/app_brief.yaml — seeds platforms, locales, competitors
   • aso/handoffs/keywords_to_metadata.md — seeds measured keyword demand

3. Report preflight state to the user:

   Preflight passed.
     Spec: specs/aso-pipeline/strategic-product-naming.md ✓
     Proposal: docs/proposal.md [found/not found]
     App brief: aso/config/app_brief.yaml [found/not found]
     Keyword handoff: [found/not found]
     Mode: [explore/validate/rename]
   

Output Destination

Default output path:

Invocation context	Path
Standalone /aso-naming	aso/outputs/naming-worksheet.md
Inside /product-explore	docs/explore/naming.md
Inside /aso-pipeline build	aso/outputs/naming-worksheet.md, also pre-fills aso/config/app_brief.yaml.title_options

The spawning context passes the chosen path into the agent's spawn prompt.

Cost & Time Estimate

Mode	Tokens	Time
explore	~25K	~5 min
validate	~12K	~3 min
rename	~30K	~6 min

Show the estimate before spawning.

Spawn the Agent

Agent(
  subagent_type: "nextc-aso:aso-naming",
  model: "sonnet",
  prompt: """
  Mode: [explore/validate/rename]
  Working directory: [cwd]
  Output path: [aso/outputs/naming-worksheet.md | docs/explore/naming.md | custom]

  [If --validate:]
  Candidate name to validate: [name]

  [If --rename:]
  Current app name: [name]
  Reason for rename (if user provided): [reason]

  [If --from-proposal or proposal exists:]
  Proposal context available: docs/proposal.md (read it for concept, target user, category)

  [If --from-brief or brief exists:]
  App brief available: aso/config/app_brief.yaml (read it for platforms, locales, competitors)

  [If keywords handoff exists:]
  Keyword handoff available: aso/handoffs/keywords_to_metadata.md (use for measured demand)

  Framework spec (mandatory read): specs/aso-pipeline/strategic-product-naming.md
  """
)

After the Agent Returns

1. Display the consultant SUMMARY from the agent's return block to the user.
2. Show the path to the worksheet output.
3. If the agent's quality gate is WARN or FAILED, surface the reason prominently — never bury it.
4. Offer next steps based on context:
   • Standalone: "Run the validation checklist in aso/outputs/naming-worksheet.md (3–5 manual searches + WoM test). Come back with results and I'll lock in metadata via /aso-pipeline run."
   • From /aso-pipeline build: "Brief updated with title candidates. Run /aso-pipeline run to continue with full optimization."
   • From /product-explore: "Proposal updated with naming recommendation. Next step is /aso-pipeline build or /flutter-kickoff depending on where you are."

Mode-Specific Notes

explore (default)

Most common path. Spawns the agent with mode=explore. The agent runs all 10 process steps (see nextc-aso/agents/aso-naming.md).

If --from-proposal is set or docs/proposal.md exists, the agent reads the proposal first and reuses concept + target user + category. The user is asked only for missing fields.

validate

User has a working name and wants it scored — do not generate a new shortlist unless the candidate fails the quality gate. The agent scores against the 12-point rubric, runs the collision and WoM checks, and either:

• Approves: "Strong on 11/12. The one weak point is X — here's how to mitigate."
• Fails: "Weak on criterion Y (score 2). The candidate has [collision risk | WoM risk | famous-brand echo]. Here are 2 alternates that score 4+ on the same angle."

rename

Highest-cost mode. Lead with the migration cost analysis (lost rankings, lost word-of-mouth memory, paid-reacquisition cost), THEN explore alternatives. If the user's stated reason for renaming is not "we hit a collision" or "we got a trademark cease-and-desist," challenge whether the rename is worth it before generating candidates.

Error Recovery

Failure	Recovery
Spec file missing	Stop in preflight (see Phase 0)
Agent returns QUALITY_GATE: FAILED	Display reason, offer: revise concept and re-run, OR run /aso-pipeline keywords first to get measured demand data
WebFetch collision check blocked	Agent produces manual collision queries — user runs them and reports back
User dislikes all candidates	Re-spawn agent with refined inputs (different stage, different keyword angle, different target audience)