In the early 1940s, naval engineer Richard James was working on a design to stabilize sensitive instruments during naval battles. He believed that springs could efficiently absorb shock.

One day, while working with tension springs, Richard accidentally knocked one off a shelf. Instead of crashing to the ground as expected, the spring gracefully "walked" down a stack of books and stairs.

Intrigued by this seemingly mundane event, he saw potential beyond naval instruments. His wife, Betty, shared his excitement, and together they decided to pivot from their initial idea and decided to manufacture Slinky as a toy.

Despite initial scepticism, the Slinky soon captured the hearts and minds of children and adults alike.

Its unique ability to "walk" down stairs and perform tricks made it an instant sensation.

With just $500 in hand, In 1945, the husband-wife duo, set out to make a business that sold more than 100 Million Slinkys, in the first year.

The secret sauce? identifying their unique selling point and an ideal customer profile, once they set that, finding a pivot and executing was not as difficult.