At a point in time Billiard Balls routinely exploded! Or “how plastic was invented” Billiard balls were originally made from ivory! An average Elephant tusk would yield four or five 7 oz balls. Incredibly expensive and an ignoble end to a magnificent creature. So a challenge was posted with a handsome reward of $10000 to anyone who could come up with a suitable replacement. After many pivots Hyatt ended up inventing celluloid and Bakelite. The age of plastic was born in 1907. Startups, serendipitous invention, x challenges , pivoting and experimentation are as old as the wheel. It only started getting sexy in the last two decades.