{"id":194,"date":"2026-04-20T13:54:52","date_gmt":"2026-04-20T13:54:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tha.de\/honors\/2026\/?p=194"},"modified":"2026-06-23T16:01:34","modified_gmt":"2026-06-23T16:01:34","slug":"from-failure-to-everyday-essential-why-wrong-ideas-sometimes-win","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tha.de\/honors\/2026\/2026\/04\/20\/from-failure-to-everyday-essential-why-wrong-ideas-sometimes-win\/","title":{"rendered":"From Failure to Everyday Essential: Why \u201cWrong\u201d Ideas Sometimes Win"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><em>Blog: April 14th 2026<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"400\" height=\"180\" src=\"https:\/\/tha.de\/honors\/2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Bild1.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-195\" srcset=\"https:\/\/tha.de\/honors\/2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Bild1.png 400w, https:\/\/tha.de\/honors\/2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Bild1-300x135.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>What do Post-it Notes, Viagra, Bubble Wrap, Listerine, and Play-Doh have in common? At first glance, absolutely nothing, except that everyone knows them. But their real connection is far more surprising: They all failed before they succeeded. Or at least, they failed at what they were originally meant to be.<br>This raises an intriguing question: How can products once considered useless, end up becoming part of our everyday lives?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>When Failure Becomes the Starting Point<\/strong><br>Instead of beginning with success stories, this week\u2019s seminar on \u201c<em>The Business Case of Failure<\/em>\u201d held by Prof. Dr. Michael Feucht of the School of Business deliberately flipped the perspective. It started exactly where most people hesitate to look: Failure. But not as a dead end. It was rather a starting point for innovation, reflection, and sometimes even unexpected breakthroughs.<br>One of the key takeaways was that failure can be an opportunity. In many cases, what seems like a failed idea can lead to something entirely new. This phenomenon is often described as side-effect success, when unintended outcomes open doors to innovation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><br>Another important distinction discussed was between technical failure and market failure. A product can function perfectly and still fail commercially, or it can struggle technically but inspire a completely different, successful application. The crucial lesson: it\u2019s not just about whether something works, but whether it fits the right context. This ties closely to the concept of \u201cfailing forward\u201d. Learning from mistakes, adapting ideas, and continuously improving instead of giving up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-video\"><video height=\"576\" style=\"aspect-ratio: 1024 \/ 576;\" width=\"1024\" controls src=\"https:\/\/tha.de\/honors\/2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/8179ae52-84d2-465c-b539-cda4561cfa70-1.mp4\"><\/video><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Famous Failures That Changed Everything<\/strong><br>Looking at real-world examples makes this idea even clearer. Post-it Notes, for instance, were born from a \u201cfailed\u201d attempt to create a super-strong adhesive. What emerged instead was a weak glue, that was seemingly useless at first. Only later did someone recognize its true value: a light, reusable adhesive that wouldn\u2019t damage paper. Even then, success didn\u2019t come immediately. It took free samples and user experience to reveal its full potential.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><br>Viagra followed a completely different path. Initially developed as a heart medication, it failed in its intended use. However, during testing, researchers noticed an unexpected side effect that ultimately transformed it into one of the most well-known pharmaceutical products in the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><br>Bubble Wrap tells yet another story of redirection. Originally designed as wallpaper, it failed almost instantly. It didn\u2019t succeed as insulation either. Only later was its true purpose discovered: Protecting fragile items during shipping.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Listerine adds an interesting cultural twist. During the Prohibition era in the United States, when alcohol was banned, people began using it in unconventional ways because of its alcohol content. A hygiene product suddenly gained entirely new uses through user reinterpretation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><br>And then there\u2019s Play-Doh. It started as a cleaning product for wallpaper but only found real success when it was reimagined as a children\u2019s toy. A perfect example of how a product doesn\u2019t necessarily fail, but its original purpose might.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1191\" height=\"511\" data-id=\"198\" src=\"https:\/\/tha.de\/honors\/2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Screenshot-2026-04-17-144543.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-198\" srcset=\"https:\/\/tha.de\/honors\/2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Screenshot-2026-04-17-144543.png 1191w, https:\/\/tha.de\/honors\/2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Screenshot-2026-04-17-144543-300x129.png 300w, https:\/\/tha.de\/honors\/2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Screenshot-2026-04-17-144543-1024x439.png 1024w, https:\/\/tha.de\/honors\/2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Screenshot-2026-04-17-144543-768x330.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1191px) 100vw, 1191px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Our Own Experience: Creativity Through \u201cFailure\u201d<\/strong><br>The most exciting part of the seminar came in the second half, during a group exercise. Our task was to work with AI, like ChatGPT to develop creative solutions to a problem of our own choosing ideas that went beyond the obvious and didn\u2019t even have to be realistic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><br>What we experienced was exactly what the seminar had been teaching: Starting from ideas that initially seemed unrealistic or even absurd, new possibilities began to emerge. One concept led to another, and suddenly we found ourselves exploring applications we hadn\u2019t considered before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><br>It became clear that creativity often grows out of imperfection. What first appears impractical can evolve into something meaningful when viewed from a different angle. Here are the group\u2019s best ideas, we simply couldn\u2019t keep them from you:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-28f84493 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"229\" height=\"231\" src=\"https:\/\/tha.de\/honors\/2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Bild4-1.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-203\" style=\"aspect-ratio:0.9913540219237301;width:177px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/tha.de\/honors\/2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Bild4-1.png 229w, https:\/\/tha.de\/honors\/2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Bild4-1-150x150.png 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 229px) 100vw, 229px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Digital food production in apps to solve world hunger<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"228\" height=\"254\" src=\"https:\/\/tha.de\/honors\/2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Bild5-2.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-207\" style=\"aspect-ratio:0.8976653152523417;width:162px;height:auto\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Global air conditioning system to solve global warming<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"229\" height=\"209\" src=\"https:\/\/tha.de\/honors\/2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Bild6.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-205\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Device (ball) that sprays water to interrupt procrastination<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-28f84493 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"184\" height=\"184\" src=\"https:\/\/tha.de\/honors\/2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Bild7.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-208\" srcset=\"https:\/\/tha.de\/honors\/2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Bild7.png 184w, https:\/\/tha.de\/honors\/2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Bild7-150x150.png 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 184px) 100vw, 184px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>\u201cInfinity clock\u201d enabling presence <\/em><br><em>in two places simultaneously<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"417\" height=\"465\" src=\"https:\/\/tha.de\/honors\/2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Bild8.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-209\" style=\"aspect-ratio:0.8968079867484443;width:166px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/tha.de\/honors\/2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Bild8.png 417w, https:\/\/tha.de\/honors\/2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Bild8-269x300.png 269w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 417px) 100vw, 417px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Fingerprint-secured parcel system<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>All in all, the seminar has shown us that just because you think you\u2019ve failed or that an idea is doomed to fail, that doesn\u2019t necessarily mean it\u2019s true. This is a particularly important takeaway for our future academic careers and working lives. We\u2019ll fail and make mistakes time and time again, both at university and in life. The important thing is that we don\u2019t give up or bury our heads in the sand because of it. Perhaps there is still a whole new perspective that can turn our failure into a whole new opportunity. In any case, we personally went home feeling very positive after the seminar!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-left\"><strong>So, What Can We Learn?<\/strong><br>Across all these stories, a clear pattern emerges: failure is rarely the end. Sometimes it\u2019s just a misdirection. Sometimes it\u2019s about timing. And sometimes, it\u2019s simply a lack of imagination about what something could become.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-left\"><br>Maybe that\u2019s the real takeaway:<br>If failure so often turns into success, how many \u201cbad ideas\u201d are actually just good ideas in the wrong context? What about you? Have you ever experienced a \u201cfailed idea\u201d that turned out useful?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Authors: Juan Diego Hartmann Gonz\u00e1lez, Merle Frey, Lilli Sandmeir, Lea Sandmeir<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-28f84493 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/tha.de\/honors\/2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/167fadd8-ab6f-4a33-93b8-5d53b73909be-768x1024.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-214\" srcset=\"https:\/\/tha.de\/honors\/2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/167fadd8-ab6f-4a33-93b8-5d53b73909be-768x1024.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/tha.de\/honors\/2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/167fadd8-ab6f-4a33-93b8-5d53b73909be-225x300.jpeg 225w, https:\/\/tha.de\/honors\/2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/167fadd8-ab6f-4a33-93b8-5d53b73909be-1152x1536.jpeg 1152w, https:\/\/tha.de\/honors\/2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/167fadd8-ab6f-4a33-93b8-5d53b73909be.jpeg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/tha.de\/honors\/2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_8271-768x1024.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-215\" srcset=\"https:\/\/tha.de\/honors\/2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_8271-768x1024.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/tha.de\/honors\/2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_8271-225x300.jpeg 225w, https:\/\/tha.de\/honors\/2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_8271-1152x1536.jpeg 1152w, https:\/\/tha.de\/honors\/2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_8271-1536x2048.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/tha.de\/honors\/2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_8271-scaled.jpeg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Special Guests&#8230; \ud83d\ude42<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Blog: April 14th 2026 What do Post-it Notes, Viagra, Bubble Wrap, Listerine, and Play-Doh have in common? At first glance, absolutely nothing, except that everyone knows them. But their real connection is far more surprising: They all failed before they succeeded. Or at least, they failed at what they were originally meant to be.This raises [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":195,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-194","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tha.de\/honors\/2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/194","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tha.de\/honors\/2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tha.de\/honors\/2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tha.de\/honors\/2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tha.de\/honors\/2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=194"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/tha.de\/honors\/2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/194\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":219,"href":"https:\/\/tha.de\/honors\/2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/194\/revisions\/219"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tha.de\/honors\/2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/195"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tha.de\/honors\/2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=194"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tha.de\/honors\/2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=194"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tha.de\/honors\/2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=194"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}