Keep Trying

Norm did.

Norm was a self-taught chemist with a high school degree who loved trying to come up with new things that made life easier.

Working in the aerospace industry, Norm and a few friends had started a fledging company to help develop rust prevention materials for big rockets. The key was water displacement and Norm tried formulation after formulation. Finally on the 40th try, it worked.

Norm’s rocket building clients loved it. In fact, so did their employees. When no one was looking they would regularly sneak cans of it home. Norm thought maybe they should sell it to everyday people. And that’s what they did. Norm hired salespeople who ended up selling cases of it to hardware and sporting goods stores. Right out of the backs of their cars.

Today, Norm’s formulation is essentially unchanged and very popular for all things around the house. And it is still named after the what it does and how it was developed … “Water Displacement perfected on the 40th try” …. WD40.

WD40 is a Great Idea because sometimes you have to just keep trying over and over until you get it right.