Build Startups Like Pop Songs: Catchy First, Deep Later

Pop music is catchy. You listen to a song in a car or at a friend’s place, and it sticks in your head. I often feel compelled to Shazam it and listen again. These songs can be exceptional — they’re great at both grabbing and holding attention. They nail both substance and marketing.

But others are a letdown. These are great at grabbing attention, but not at holding it. Strong on marketing, but with no substance.

Then there are songs that don’t lodge themselves in your head on first listen, like Divine Moments of Truth. In fact, the first time I heard it, it didn’t sound good at all. It’s the opposite of catchy. It almost felt like it was telling me, “Why don’t you try something else?” But after a couple of listens it revealed its beauty. These songs don’t grab attention, but hold it. So it’s no surprise that Divine Moments of Truth has a fraction of plays of the top of the pops. Songs like this are strong on substance but have no marketing, like my failed startup Futurecam.

If you’re starting a startup, you need to do both: grab attention and hold it. Be catchy on the first listen and reward the listener on the tenth and the twentieth listen.