In 1902 Minnesota Mining got stuck with a small mountain of low-grade anorthosite sand that no-one had use for. Unable to sell the lot they looked for a way to get rid of it a few sprinkles at a time, which is when they invented ‘sandpaper’… and a whole new industry.
When they realised the glue they’d used could work just as well on plastic tape, they invented what we now call ‘sticky tape’ and by the time they discovered that iron oxide + sticky tape = ‘audio tape’ they’d realised there was more to life than mining.
That’s when they changed their name to Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing, or as we now know them, 3M.
American Express began as a courier service, Nokia started out in forestry. Virgin began as a record shop before moving into financial services, travel, media and entertainment, publishing, consumer electronics, mobile phones, aviation and (any day now) commercial spaceflight. Yet when people argue against innovation the one objection you’ll always here is some variation on: ‘It’s just not what we do.’
It’s an argument that wouldn’t last a second with the people at Playtex, makers of intimate apparel for ladies since 1932. Wanting a piece of the US Space Program, in 1965 they took upon themselves to design the Apollo moonsuit and they’ve been making spacesuits ever since.
So next time you hear ‘It’s just not what we do’ feel free to finish the sentence with the magic word that opens up the possibilities:
Yet.
Dave Isles
inspiring stories Jason. for 3m it looks like making something clever from an existing situation.
for virgin, the existing thing was maybe Richard Branson’s personal charisma and drive. Did the American express and Nokia successes grow from existing ‘assets’ or was it ‘this aint working, lets try something else’ ? cheers, Dave
Jason
I suspect the American Express story was of evolution: couriers who start off moving goods from A to B end up transferring money instead. The Nokia saga seems more like a leveraging of skills: what they learned in forestry they adapted to rubber goods and ultimately, telecommunications. But I think you’re right in suggesting there was probably an element of ‘this ain’t working’ (Crumpler, now an international fashion label started out as couriers who made their own bags only because they couldn’t find any they liked. When the courier business dried up they started selling their bags) but if businesses jump early (before the old opportunity disappears altogether) then it doesn’t look like a jump at all.