A failure or success?
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Rea,
Did you know that one of the most useful inventions - the Post-it Note - started as a failed experiment? It’s a story about how mistakes, when looked at with the right mindset, can turn into amazing opportunities.
In 1968, a scientist at 3M named Spencer Silver was trying to create a super-strong adhesive (like a really powerful glue). Instead, he accidentally created something very different - a very weak adhesive that could stick to things but also peel off easily without leaving a mark. At first, this seemed like a complete failure. After all, who would want glue that doesn’t stick very well?
For five years, Silver tried to get his colleagues interested in his “failed” adhesive, but nobody could think of a good use for it. Then something interesting happened. Another 3M scientist named Art Fry was singing in his church choir and kept getting frustrated because the little paper bookmarks he used in his hymnal kept falling out.
One day, he had an idea: what if he used Silver’s weak adhesive to create bookmarks that would stick to the pages but could be removed without damaging them? He tried it, and it worked perfectly! But Fry soon realized these sticky notes could be useful for much more than just bookmarks.
When 3M finally launched Post-it Notes in 1980, they weren’t an immediate success. People had to try them to understand how useful they could be. The company started giving away free samples, and once people used them, they were hooked. Today, Post-it Notes are used all over the world, and it all started with a “failed” experiment.
What I find amazing about this story is how it shows us that sometimes what looks like a failure might actually be an unexpected success in disguise. It’s also remarkable that it took 12 years from Silver’s “failed” experiment to the final product - good ideas often need time to develop. It reminds me that looking at things differently can turn what seems like a mistake into something wonderful.
Next time something doesn’t work out the way you planned, try asking yourself: “Could this ‘failure’ actually be useful in a different way?” You might be surprised by what you discover!
Love, Abba
