Episode 195: Derek Thompson - What Makes Something A Hit? (Hit Makers) Subscribe on iTunes  or Stitcher Radio The Learning Leader Show "Think of speechwriting like a music composer.  Use repetition and choruses." In This Episode, You Will Learn: What makes something a hit? Is there a formula?  No, there is not a formula... People think there is and that's a mistake Bottom line: "Distribution beats content" -- "This is an unsentimental book" There is power in distribution How did Simon Sinek's TED Talk go viral? It was shared by people with millions of followers on multiple platforms like Reddit Think: Who is my audience? Broadcast your content to the right audience Why do we always watch Dumber and Dumber and Shawshank Redemption? There is nostalgia in art We are always trying to recover existential love How did Bumble spread? Injected into mainstream consciousness through celebrity -- Start with one very attractive sorority and continue to repeat How did Facebook spread? Piggy backed off of other networks (Harvard) How Jon Favreau and President Barack Obama write speeches: They think like musicians Using choruses and repetition The best speeches connect with people where they are -- "The power of repetition in song is remarkable" How has Derek made his book a best-seller? Familiarity and repartition followed by surprise Familiar surprises throughout Great distribution "We don't like pure originality that much.  We like familiarity."  Continue Learning: Follow Derek on Twitter: @DKThomp Read: Hit Makers: The Science of Popularity in an Age of Distraction Connect with me on LinkedIn Join our Facebook Group: The Learning Leader Community To Follow Me on Twitter: @RyanHawk12 You may also like these episodes: Episode 078: Kat Cole – From Hooters Waitress To President of Cinnabon Episode 071: Nate Boyer - Green Beret, Texas Football, The NFL Episode 179: How To Sustain Excellence - The Best Answers From 178 Questions Episode 107: Simon Sinek – Leadership: It Starts With Why Did you enjoy the podcast? If you enjoyed hearing Derek Thompson on the show, please don’t hesitate to send me a note on Twitter or email me. Episode edited by the great J Scott Donnell The Learning Leader Show is supported by FreshBooks: FreshBooks is offering a 30 day, unrestricted free trial to my listeners. To claim it, just go to FreshBooks.com/Learning and enter LEARNING LEADER in the “How Did You Hear About Us?” section.