Innovations Need Small Ideas to Succeed

Have you ever been frustrated when your sticky note didn’t stick? When a note loses its adhesiveness too quickly it is often because it is not a genuine 3M Post-it Note. Why can’t competitors match the original after all these years? The answer lies in small ideas.

A while ago I had the opportunity to talk with Art Fry, the 3M scientist who came up with the original Post-it Note, and ask him about the reason behind the staying power of one of his company’s most successful innovations. Dr. Fry...