Why was the initial adhesive developed by Spencer Silver considered a failure by 3M management for several years?
Answer
It was perceived as too weak to be commercially useful
For years, the adhesive was viewed as a solution without a problem because it did not meet the company's established standards for high-performance materials. In an environment focused on durability and strength, a glue that did not stick well was considered essentially useless. The internal consensus was that there was no market value for an adhesive that failed to provide a permanent, tenacious bond, leading the material to remain unused in the laboratory for a significant period.
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