"If you build a better mousetrap, the world will beat a path to your door," so they say. These are tales about ingenuity, one-upmanship, and just plain business savvy.
 = true
 = false
 = multiple truth values
 = undetermined
 = unclassifiable veracity
definition of our rating system. |
|
Competitor one-ups a firm proud of its new thin wire by drilling a hole through it.
Famous fix-it man charges $1 for marking an 'X' and $4,999 for knowing where to make it.
Henry Ford used to take apart junked cars in search of parts that had held up too well.
NASA spent millions of dollars developing an astronaut pen which would work in outer space, while the Soviets solved the same problem by simply using pencils.
Japan renamed a town 'Usa' so that it could legitimately identify its exports as being "Made in USA."
The setback of a workman's illiteracy frees him to become a success in another field.
Crafty workman ensures he will be paid for his chimney work by boobytrapping the job.
Alka-Seltzer dramatically increased their sales by instructing consumers to use two tablets instead of one.
Job applicant who salts his food before tasting it is rejected by business tycoon.
Fired oil rig worker gains revenge on former bosses by dropping a piece of equipment in the well.
Wife of deceased contractor brings him to work then asserts company must pay for his time.
Low-level employee suggests simple yet brilliant innovation that increases the profits of a successful company many times over.
Coca-Cola came to be bottled when a stranger sold a two-word remarkable idea to the company:
Instant cake mixes sold poorly until one food company decided to require the addition of a fresh egg to their product.
|
Urban Legends Reference Pages © 1995-2009 by Barbara and David P. Mikkelson.
This material may not be reproduced without permission.
snopes and the snopes.com logo are registered service marks of snopes.com.