The post it principle - inventions rarely come from a plan to invent but from accidents or aberration that solve a problem and later become a billion $ industry

Every generation needs a revolution - an entrepreneurial revolution

Post it which sells in over 100 countries did not come out as a planned innovation. It came out of aberration.    Failure is just a byway for another innovation

Post it was failed formulation for a glue.  It stuck but not hard enough causing temporary removable sticking.  and became useful for posting of notes and music notes in a musical instrument

Sometimes great invention come from a solution to a problem:   "What pisses you off?"

=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=

The “Post-It Principle”: How a Failed Glue Accidentally Stuck a Company Together

In 1968, a chemist at 3M named Spencer Silver was trying to invent a super-strong adhesive.

Instead, he made the opposite… a weak, pressure-sensitive glue that barely stuck to anything.

It was useless.

Or so everyone thought.

For years, he tried convincing other departments to use it. Nobody cared.

“Who wants a glue that doesn’t stick?” they laughed.

Then one day, another 3M employee named Art Fry faced a totally different problem.

He sang in his church choir and kept losing his bookmarks in the hymnal… they kept slipping out.

He remembered Spencer’s “failed glue” and had an idea:

What if he used it to create reusable sticky notes that could stay in place without tearing the paper?

The first prototypes were small yellow squares… simple, cheap, and oddly satisfying to peel and place.

3M called them Post-it Notes.

They became one of the most successful office products in history… used in more than 100 countries, generating billions in sales.

The Marketing Lesson:

That’s why:The biggest breakthroughs rarely come from invention.

They come from reinterpretation.

Spencer didn’t create something new… he saw something wrong in a new way.

That’s the power of repurposing mistakes.

• Netflix didn’t invent movies… they reimagined distribution.

• Uber didn’t invent taxis… they reimagined access.

• Airbnb didn’t invent travel …they reimagined trust.

Innovation isn’t about starting over.

It’s about seeing overlooked value in what already exists.

The Nerdy Takeaway:

Failure isn’t the end of the story…it’s the raw material for your next breakthrough.

The “Post-It Principle” proves that sometimes your worst idea just needs the right problem to make it brilliant.

So the next time something doesn’t work…

Don’t throw it away.

People buy when they see something better in themselves - not the product alone

Every generation needs a revolution - an entrepreneurial revolution

If your product or your sales talk make people see a better version of themselves, they will buy your product.    Its about being you.  Its inherent in every person to see a better version of themselves, and take pride.   Your sales talk, your product must work that way.   Not benefits, price or promo alone

Will this post make you feel like you are a better entrepreneur/businessman?   Lamang ka sa iba?

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

The Mirror Room Effect: Why We Buy What Reflects Us

In the 1950s, a department store in Chicago ran an accidental experiment.

They installed a new set of fitting rooms…but one of them had a huge problem.

The mirror was slightly warped.

It wasn’t a funhouse mirror…it didn’t distort you into a cartoon.

It was just barely tilted enough to make shoppers look a little taller, a little slimmer, and a little more confident.

The results?

Sales in that section went up 18%.

Same clothes. Same prices.

Just… a different reflection.

The Hidden Psychology:

Humans don’t buy products.

We buy versions of ourselves.

That tiny mirror shift created what psychologists call the Reflected Self Effect …when people see a more idealized version of who they could be, they behave in ways that match it.

That’s why gym mirrors have perfect lighting.

Why luxury stores smell like success.

And why social media filters sell billions in beauty products.

It’s not vanity.

It’s vision.

Here’s the marketing lesson:

If your brand helps people see themselves as better, they’ll buy their way into that vision.

Fitness brands sell confidence, not muscle.

Business coaches sell freedom, not funnels.

Speakers sell identity, not information.

The mirror is metaphorical …your ads, stories, and design all reflect your audience back to themselves.

Show them who they could be… and they’ll move toward it.

The Nerdy Truth:

Marketing isn’t manipulation …it’s amplification.

You’re not creating desire.

You’re revealing it.

The store didn’t trick anyone.

It just helped people see themselves winning.

So next time you craft a post, funnel, or offer …don’t ask,

“How can I sell this?”

Ask,

“What version of them am I reflecting?”

Because in the end…

People don’t buy products.

They buy permission to believe in a better reflection.

Nerdy Takeaway:

When you change the mirror, you change the market.

The empty stage (vs having mystery) post by Paul Getter

Every generation needs a revolution - an entrepreneurial revolution

You can have more sales by doing any of the following:   plant visits, behind the scenes shot, explaining process of making your product.    Being mysterious is not necessarily better.  Being visible is the reverse of being mysterious.     

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

The “Empty Stage Principle”: How One Forgotten Rehearsal Changed the Way Broadway Sells Out

In the 1950s, a young theater producer named Hal Prince was struggling to fill seats.

He had everything:

A beautiful stage.

A talented cast.

A show with rave reviews.

But night after night, the theater was half-empty.

One afternoon, before rehearsal, Hal walked in early.

The stage was dark.

The seats were empty.

And in the silence, he noticed something strange …it felt dead.

Even he didn’t want to be there.

So instead of waiting for the audience to come, he started rehearsing with the doors open.

He invited the janitors. The ticket clerks. People walking by on the street.

Soon, the faint sound of music drifted into the neighborhood.

Curious pedestrians stopped to watch.

Then came the local reporters.

Then crowds.

By opening the doors… literally… the theater became alive again.

Within weeks, tickets sold out.

That’s how Hal Prince went from an unknown producer… to one of Broadway’s most legendary names.

The Marketing Lesson:

People don’t buy into what’s hidden.

They buy into what’s happening.

Hal didn’t change the show.

He changed the energy around it.

That’s why:

• Apple reveals products before they launch.

• Influencers show “behind the curtain” moments.

• Great brands don’t just announce…they invite participation.

When people can see momentum, they want to join it.

The Nerdy Takeaway:

The spotlight doesn’t create attention …activity does.

If your business, event, or content feels quiet, ask yourself:

“Am I waiting for the audience… or showing them the show?”

The “Empty Stage Principle” reminds us:

Visibility isn’t vanity …it’s vitality.

Because a quiet stage never sells out.