Accidental Innovation

Innovation is usually thought of as the perfect research that resulted in a life-changing discovery. But, in reality, innovation can be the result of an accident or an unexpected event. This discussion will focus on innovations that were triggered unexpectedly or by accident. It will cover two game-changing ideas that came from an error or accident. The discovery of the drug Viagra as well as the discovery of Play-Doh falls into that category.

 

Bessant (2018) explained in the book that accidents can trigger innovation, creating new avenues to explore. There are many examples of accidental change. The first innovation that we will cover is the discovery of Viagra. In the late 1980s, Pfizer, one of the world’s premier pharmaceutical companies, was researching and testing compound UK-92,480 or Sildenafil that was expected to treat angina (Bessant 2018). Osterloh (2015), in the article How I discovered Viagra explained that after creating UK-92,480 tests shows promising outcomes, so Pfizer’s group of researchers were optimistic. That is until further proof proved that on some volunteers, the inhibitor had a short time effect and side-effects that were undesirable. The researchers also discovered that UK-92,480 could increase nitrate’s impact, which could result in low blood pressure. The following result reduced the likelihood of UK-92,480 becoming an angina treatment.

 

On the other hand, increased erection was being reported by many participants, so the team decided to focus their research on erection dysfunction. Around the same time, studies conducted by other researchers had information about the biological pathway involved in the erection process that turned out to be helpful to the Pfizer’s team. After learning from other researchers, the group decided to run pilot studies with patients with erectile dysfunctions. About twelve years after the project started, the team was confident that they had enough information to confidently discuss the best dose and the drug’s safety and effectiveness. That is how Viagra was created (Osterloh, 2015).

 

The second innovation that we will discuss is Play-Doh. Kutol Products was a company facing difficulties trying to sell a paste invented in the 1930s that will clean dirty wallpaper discolored by soot and coal fire residues. In the 1950s, there was a change in home heating techniques that started the end of coal-fire for heating and subsequently meant the end of the kutol’s business. The organization was facing bankruptcy until children discovered the potential of using the paste as a molding clay toy. Nowadays, we can find Play-Doh in every household.

 

One of the forces that drove both of those innovations is the situational force. In the Viagra case, as Pfizer realized that UK-92,480 wasn’t going to be the treatment for angina, other researchers studied the erection process. At the same time, many participants were reporting back Pfizer about their rectal anomaly. This situation allowed Pfizer to seize the opportunity and switched their focus to finding a cure for erectile dysfunction.

 

The other force involved in those innovations is the social force. Kutol Products was having problems selling their products because of new discovery that put the coal-fire for house heating out of business, and during that same period, children realized how fun it was to play with Play-Doh. Society was a factor in this innovation. If children did not like playing with Play-Doh and realize how fun it was, Kutol would have been bankrupted (Bessant 2018).

 

Innovation can be unexpected or come from a well-designed process. This discussion covered accidental innovation. The text gave two examples of innovations that were unexpected. Innovation that started from failure to accomplish the initial goal.

 

  

References

 

 

Bessant, J.T. J. (2018). Managing Innovation: Integrating Technological, Market and Organizational Change, Enhanced eText. [Colorado Technical University (CTU)]. Retrieved from https://coloradotech.vitalsource.com/#/books/9781119379416/

 

Osterloh, I. (2015). How I discovered Viagra. Retrieved from https://cosmosmagazine.com/biology/how-i-discovered-viagra/