Your brain is constantly scanning for one thing: anything that might be important. A threat. A reward. A shift in the pattern.
When something stands out, attention floods in. That instinct is at the core of great storytelling, and it’s what we’re unpacking today. You’ll get the science behind why novelty is critical for pitching and storytelling plus:
3 ways to lean into novel storytelling
Fun research fact about 45-day recall
Short video I made that shows how novelty hooks an audience fast.
Enjoy this novel approach to getting you noticed... LG
Founder Story Tip: Winning Attention With Novelty
Most founder stories fail before they even start because nothing in them forces the brain to pay attention.
If you want people to stop scrolling, lean in, and actually remember what you say, you need one thing working for you: novelty.
nov·el·ty - the quality of being new, original, or unusual.
The brain has a hard time ignoring anything new, unusual, or surprising. You can use that to your advantage.
YOUR BRAIN SEEKS OUT NOVELTY
Russell Poldrack, professor of psychology and neurobiology at Stanford University, spent years using imaging technology to understand how the brain learns, makes decisions, and responds to information.
His research revealed that the brain is built to respond to novelty.
Novel elements light up the systems that determine what we pay attention to. They break patterns. They shake the brain out of autopilot.
Ben Silbermann, founder of Pinterest, leaned into novelty from day one. Instead of explaining features, he opened demos by sharing his quirky collections: bugs, stamps, and birdwatching images. The personal and unexpected visuals made the product instantly memorable.
Neuroscience backs this up. Research in Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews shows that unusual stimuli boost perception, learning, and motivation.
A single unexpected detail can turn a forgettable moment into a memorable one.
LOOKING FOR THREATS AND REWARDS
Novelty also activates the brain systems built to detect change, a mechanism rooted in survival.
When your audience sees something new, the brain asks a simple question: is this a threat or a reward?
That split-second evaluation sparks attention, memory, and curiosity.
Reed Hastings, founder of Netflix, used this instinct when pitching the future of streaming. He framed it as a threat and a reward at the same time. Video stores such as Blockbuster were dying. Internet bandwidth was rising. Netflix was the solution that removed pain and unlocked freedom. That contrast made investors sit up because it reframed reality in a way they had not considered.
When something breaks the expected pattern, your audience cannot ignore it. Novelty becomes the hook that pulls them in.
NOVELTY TRIGGERS DOPAMINE
Novel experiences trigger dopamine, the neurotransmitter tied to desire, attention, and memory formation.
When your story introduces something fresh, your audience feels a small internal reward. Their brain wants more of it. If your story feels predictable, their dopamine stays flat and attention fades fast.
Alexis Ohanian built Reddit around this principle. Every refresh offered new surprises: odd links, unexpected debates, strange corners of the internet. The constant novelty created dopamine loops that kept users returning.
This same effect kicks in during storytelling. A surprising metaphor. A visual prop. A twist they did not see coming. Novelty makes your story addictive.
AND IMPROVES RECALL
Novelty does more than capture attention. It strengthens memory.
Research from University College London showed that new experiences increase recall. Work in Nature Communications found that novelty boosts the brain’s ability to retain information learned before or after the new stimulus.
Melanie Perkins used this perfectly when she founded Canva. In early meetings, she opened with a live demo showing how to design a clean layout in under a minute. Most people had never seen design software behave that fast. The moment stuck because the novelty made the concept unforgettable.
People remember stories through anchors, not paragraphs. Novelty gives them that anchor.
Novelty is not a gimmick. It is biology. It is the fastest way to earn attention, spark curiosity, trigger emotion, and make your story stick.
Storytelling Lessons: Hack Their Attention
Here are three specific actions you can take to make your founder story unforgettable:
Open with an unexpected visual or action
Ben Silbermann did not start with features. He opened with his personal collections and showed how Pinterest brought them to life. That unexpected visual made the product stick. Start with something people can see. A physical demonstration, a prop, or a vivid image creates instant engagement.
Frame your solution as both threat and reward
Follow Reed Hastings. Show what is breaking or disappearing (the threat) and position your solution as the unlock (the reward). It is one of the fastest ways to show urgency without sounding dramatic.
Anchor one surprising stat or demo
Pick one moment that makes people stop, like Melanie Perkins demonstrating Canva in seconds. Do not overload your story with surprises. Choose one anchor your audience will repeat to others and build around it.
Fun Fact: Novelty Improves Memory
In a study published in Frontiers of Psychology, students who experienced a novel event one hour before or after learning a geometric figure remembered it far more accurately, and the improvement lasted for 45 days.
This is why adding one unexpected moment to your founder story makes it far more likely your audience will remember it long after you stop talking
Video to Watch: Learning to Let Go of Control
In this video, “The Power of Novelty to Create a Founder's Story Audiences Cannot Ignore,” I break down how novelty triggers curiosity, dopamine, and instant engagement. You’ll see why one unexpected moment can lock in an audience, plus a crazy example of Bill Gates releasing mosquitoes onstage at the famous TED Conference to make a global issue impossible to ignore. Watch here.
The Power of Novelty to Create a Founder's Story Audiences Cannot Ignore
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