GREAT 81 IDEA: Create a Fad
Even when they weren't hungry, friends stood in front of Dave Kappel's refrigerator, mesmerized by his poetry created by a collection of words stuck on magnets. That simple, great idea spawned a wildly popular product that is still around.
Kappel's original Magnetic Poetry kit is the perfect example of how a brainstorm leads to a moneymaking venture. In the late 1990s, Kapell was a songwriter and cab driver. He told me he made the first poetry kit to combat a bad case of writer's block. Then, he started making kits for his friends.
“Instead of bringing wine to a party, I'd bring a magnetic poetry kit,” said Kapell. Next, he started selling poetry kits at craft fairs, and then to local retailers.
Sales took off. Soon, ...
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