How do you decide between a descriptive name and a brandable name?

A descriptive name can communicate the category quickly. A brandable name can give the company more room to change and create its own meaning. I would choose based on how much education the market needs and how likely the product is to expand.

For a narrow tool with strong search intent, descriptive language may help. For a company that expects to add products, enter new markets, or build a broader identity, a distinctive name can be more durable.

The useful test is not which style is fashionable. Ask what a customer must understand in the first five seconds and what the company may need to become in five years.

My checklist
• Can the intended customer pronounce and spell it after hearing it once?
• Could the company use it if the product expands?
• Have trademark, conflict, and social-handle risks been reviewed?
• Is the price compatible with runway and the cost of a later change?
• Is the transfer path clear, with escrow or another appropriate safeguard?

I would treat the answers as evidence, not as a score that forces a purchase. Sometimes the right conclusion is to wait, choose another name, or keep the current domain until the business has more information.