Serendipity Is No Accident: What the Post-it Teaches Us About “Luck”

By Mike Rainone

A long while back, CBS Sunday Morning aired a great segment on how many of today’s most interesting products came from accidents. 

“Serendipity refers to looking for one thing and stumbling over something else that proves to be of greater value,” said Dr. Morton Meyers, author of Happy Accidents: Serendipity in Modern Medical Breakthroughs. “What serendipity means is misadventure, an inadvertent observation, a happenstance that a sharp, open mind can exploit to find its true benefit.” 

I am not so sure that there is any misadventure about it, frankly. Contrary to popular belief, serendipity does not have to be accidental; it can be planned, prepared for, and thereby enhanced. There is no better proof of this than the invention of the ubiquitous Post-it note.

A Solution Without a Problem

Here at PCDworks, we love Post-it notes. They’re convenient and versatile and excellent for brainstorming. And they almost didn’t exist. In fact, when the Post-it adhesive was first developed, it was the exact opposite of what the inventor wanted.

In 1968, 3M scientist Dr. Spencer Silver had been tasked with developing new adhesives: specifically, in his words, “bigger, stronger, tougher adhesives.” Instead, what he created was a very weak, rather puny adhesive. 

The adhesive had an interesting property, though: it retained its stickiness, which made it reusable. It could be stuck, removed, and re-stuck, all without leaving a residue behind. 

Silver was convinced he’d stumbled upon something great. He spoke of it often to his colleagues. “I came to be known as Mr. Persistent because I wouldn't give up,” he said. 

Despite Silver’s efforts, for many years, the adhesive remained “a solution without a problem.” 

Serendipity Strikes

Flash-forward six years. In 1974, another 3M scientist, Art Fry, had a problem. He was part of his church’s choir, and at practice each week, he used little scraps of paper to mark the hymns they would sing at the upcoming service. When Sunday rolled around, though, he often discovered that his bookmarks had fallen out, leading to confusion and frantic riffling of pages.

Then serendipity struck. Frustrated with his itinerant bookmarks, Fry recalled one of Silver’s seminars and had a eureka moment. Fry had a problem, and Silver had the solution. 

This moment of serendipity was not the result of happenstance, but of two open minds and a whole lot of preparation. 

When Silver first created his “failed” adhesive, he did not dismiss it as a failure. He remained open-minded. While he did not know what problem this adhesive could solve, he believed that such a problem could exist. So he worked to spread knowledge of this new innovation. In this, he planted the seeds for serendipity.

Then Fry came along and harvested those seeds. Fry’s bookmark problem was really no more than a minor frustration, but with a curious, open mind, he wondered, “What if there was a better way?” Because he’d previously attended Silver’s seminar, his mind was prepared to make that critical “aha” connection.

Because of Silver and Fry’s open-mindedness and preparation, the Post-it note went on to become one of the most profitable products ever produced.

Where Preparation Meets Opportunity

The Roman philosopher Seneca said, “Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.”

Much of success in innovation is owed to luck, but that doesn’t mean you leave your success to chance. Unlike Dr. Meyers, I believe most serendipity comes from well-intentioned pursuits, not misadventures. What is required is a sharp, open, prepared mind that recognizes that somewhere in the results of that pursuit, something else and more important lurks. 

Be prepared, so when opportunity knocks, you can create your own serendipity.

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