A recent article I read discussed a fascinating list of inventions that were "accidentally" found, some which have become institutions in our marketplace. I was more fascinated however by the people behind these inventions and their specific characteristics that enabled such great success.
Did you know for example, that potato chips were the result of a well-known chef trying to get back at a customer who complained that his fries were too thick, bland and soggy? The chef, George Crum sliced a potato paper thin, deep fried it so it was very fragile and added a stack of salt, intending to teach the complaining customer a lesson. To his surprise, the customer loved the "chips" and ordered a second helping and the rest is history as they say. (http://www.csmonitor.com/Technology/2012/1005/The-20-most-fascinating-accidental-inventions/Potato-chips)
Actually, the rest would not be history if George Crum, the NY chef in question and inventor had just taken this episode as a failed attempt to get back at a customer. Other "unplanned" inventions in this article were teflon, X-rays, plastic, stainless steel and Play-doh. Play-doh was particularly fascinating because it started out as a cleaning product for taking soot from wallpaper as a result of coal mines. As coal mines diminished, the profits from the cleaning product began to decline. The sister of the company owners was using the product as a dough with her students in her class and the brothers saw the opportunity to change the direction of their product. This change of direction turned these company owners into millionaires and the product became a household name.
Here are some of the characteristics I identified in these inventors:
1. Entrepreneurs and inventors are tenacious
In many of the examples that I saw, the inventors were already trying to be creative and looking for solutions to specific problems when they stumbled on the new invention. The descriptions of their tenacity and hard work would indicate highly focused individuals who just kept going. An example of this to me would be John Goodenough, a engineering professor at the University of Texas in Austin who invented the first lithium ion battery in 1991. In 2013 at the age of 90, speaking of the deficiencies that still remain in the battery, he said, "I'm working on it, I'm optimistic in a sense that I'm willing to keep working on it. I think we can do some interesting things." http://www.stuff.co.nz/science/8217648/Battery-holding-back-a-green-future.
2. They are open to new directions
The very fact that we have their inventions or products would indicate their ability to shift their focus when a completely unexpected outcome took them in a new direction. True entrepreneurs are not frightened to step outside of their self-identified paradigms. They are not bound by rigid visions or by their original intentions. This would appear to apply not only to products but also to looking at ourselves and remaining open to new ways of viewing our vision, goals, skills and expertise. A friend gave me a suggestion to view ourselves as being a spider on its spider web, feeling for the very delicate movements on the web and adjusting/acting as quickly as possible in accordance with those movements.
3. Someone had to recognize the value of the unintended inventions
When a student tried to create a cure for malaria he stumbled on creating artificial dyes that have impacted the fashion industry. The adhesive that enabled the 3M sticky labels was found by accident but at first 3-M considered it to be useless and not worth developing. It took 5 years before someone was able to see the value of the Post-it note and develop it commercially. Can you imagine life without Post-it notes? John Walker who invented the first match in 1826 did not consider it worth patenting or developing. It took Samuel Jones to copy Walker's process and to invent "Lucifers". Likewise, the inventor of teflon was not the person who saw its value for cookware. It was the wife of a French Engineer called Marc Gregoire who suggested that the teflon would be great for cookware and he introduced the "Tefal" label to the market as a result.
It is not enough to have created something new. It is important to see the value in what has been developed, to have vision and the courage to develop the idea. Of course, they were assisted by a willing public who spotted a product that they liked.
4. Once entrepreneurs spot a new opportunity or a new idea they market it.
Similarly, I noted that those who went on to develop these wonderful inventions that have changed our lives had the courage to invest and work to bring the inventions into the public marketplace. The father of the inventor of the fabric dye, mauve invested everything he had because of his belief in his son's product and they both became wealthy as a result. Sometimes, in order to truly market a product it is necessary for the inventor to let go of total control over his/her invention. A true entrepreneur will recognize their own limitations and seek the assistance of others with expertise to complement their vision. Finding the right supporting partners and/or staff is a key skill of the visionary business owner.
5. Word of mouth is vital to the success of any new service or product.
In the case of Crum's "Saratoga chips" word spread quickly about this new, delectable food and Crum was able to finally open his own restaurant as a result. When we want to market ourselves, our services or our products we should remember that 84% of respondents over 54 countries were most influenced by the recommendations and opinions of family and friends. (Nielsen 2007 Global Survey of Trust in Advertising, Q3 2007 and Q1 2013). In our business world, this might extend to the opinions of our colleagues. With social media intensifying people's ability to share their opinions on almost anything, that word of mouth marketing has increased in importance.
While these are all about very concrete inventions, I can equally see the principles they reveal apply in other sectors. Tenacity, vision, the flexibility to change direction, recognizing value and then courage to implement a plan are all great skills for those who instigate and manage a nonprofit service. We then need to find ways to get people talking about our product or service. These skills are equally important to nonprofit organizations. Successful nonprofit instigators are more than visionary. They are people who work hard to implement their vision and they need to adapt to the changing needs of the community. Certainly, word of mouth has tremendous impact on the reputation and use of nonprofit services or their ability to raise funds. These are foundational principles being exhibited by inventors.
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