Derek Thompson

Familiarity breeds content.

People don’t actually like creativity; they’re threatened by it.

To sell something familiar, make it surprising. To sell something surprising, make it familiar.

The most successful hits are familiar surprises.

Music is a language, and the best songs are those that speak in sentences we already understand.

Mere exposure to something makes us like it more.

Popularity is not a measure of quality; it’s a measure of familiarity.

Virality is often a myth; most hits are not sudden explosions, but slow burns.

Creative work that succeeds is both new and nostalgic.

We are drawn to the comfort of the known and the thrill of the new.

Distribution is sometimes more important than content.

Hits are made, not born.