Ever since launching my flashcard series HOW TO SAY IT®, I’ve learned more than I ever thought possible about packaging: boxes, bags, bubble wrap, shrink wrap, and the list goes on!

Today’s story is inspired by that. Enjoy!

PS: If you’re looking for a useful, unique gift to give this graduation season, scroll down (special new grad discount included).

TODAY’S TAKEAWAY

Become the person who helps others find “product-market fit”

Because fresh perspectives often reveal opportunities and solutions that insiders overlook.

THE STORY

It failed twice before finding the right market

Did you know that Bubble Wrap—the bubbled plastic we see in packages—wasn’t invented to protect items at all?

It was 1957. Business partners Alfred Fielding and Marc Chavannes decided to invent a textured plastic wallpaper by sealing two layers of plastic together, trapping in pockets of air. They called their product “Bubble Wrap” and named their company Sealed Air.

But no one wanted squishy, bubbled plastic on their walls.

So, the inventors marketed Bubble Wrap as greenhouse insulation—but nobody wanted it, either.

Then, IBM announced the IBM 1401, which was “considered the Model-T of the computer industry.” There was just one problem: it was fragile, so it was a pain to ship without it breaking in transit, especially given the industry standard of using “balled up newsprint” for protection.

3 key things happened next:

1. A marketer at Sealed Air, Frederick W. Bowers, realized that Bubble Wrap could be used for packaging

2. IBM became one of the first major customers of Bubble Wrap and used it to ship its 1401 computer

3. IBM’s adoption of this new packaging material validated Bubble Wrap’s use case as a protective material to the broader market

The result?

Over the next 10 years, Bubble Wrap became the default solution for protecting fragile items in transit. Fast forward more than 50 years, and today Sealed Air offers specialized packaging and protection for everything from food to medical supplies.

THE UNSPOKEN RULE

Help others find “product-market fit”

I took away a number of lessons from this story:

1. “Product-market fit” is what happens when a solution meets a problem perfectly.

2. Just because something isn’t selling doesn’t mean it’s doomed. It could simply be that it’s not being “positioned” as the right solution to the right problem.

3. A surefire way to make an impact is by helping an idea find “product-market fit.”

4. Anyone can do this!

Here’s how I think about product-market fit:

Product market fit = (A) knowing what to sell, (B) to whom, and (C) how.

At work, we’re surrounded by “A” all the time. But few ideas catch on because they're not being sold to the right person (“B”) or in the right way (“C”).

See a coworker struggle to communicate an otherwise good idea or a company struggle to sell a product or service… and know what they’re missing?

Share your idea as Bubble Wrap’s marketer did!

Not everyone will listen, but one will—and it might just transform a stranger into an ally or a company into an employer.

See you next Tuesday for our next story and unspoken rule!

—Gorick

WHAT I’M READING

Here are 3 articles that I found interesting recently (no paywalls, although it may depend on your cookies):

1. The psychology behind why you dread small talk

2. The top 10 large U.S. cities for recent college graduates in 2026, according to new report—3 are in Texas

3. AI in the Workplace: What Separates Adopters and Holdouts

MORE OF MY WORK

Every newsletter is free and a fraction of my work. Here are 4 of my paid offerings that may interest you:

1. Keynote speaking​​: If your organization is looking for speakers for your internship program, new hire orientation, new student orientation, manager training, all-hands meetings, recruiting season, year-end performance evaluation season, or something else, let's chat!

2. How to Say It: Flashcards that teach you to know what to say in every high-stakes professional setting via hundreds of fill-in-the-blank scripts (just like the examples above). Free shipping on all orders over $40.

3. The Unspoken Rules​: My Wall Street Journal Bestseller that Arianna Huffington calls “a blueprint for anyone starting their career, entering a new role, or wanting to get unstuck.” Used by top companies and MBA programs.

4. Soft skills crash course: Hard skills get you hired, but a lack of soft skills gets you fired. Equip your interns and early career talent with the essential behaviors of high performers in just 3.5 hours.

Gorick Ng
[email protected]​
Harvard career advisor | WSJ bestselling author | Fortune 500 keynote speaker | First-gen

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STORY SOURCES

1. wasn’t invented to protect items at all?

2. Alfred Fielding and Marc Chavannes

3. greenhouse insulation

4. IBM announces the IBM 1401

5. “considered the Model-T of the computer industry.”

6. “balled up newsprint”

7. realized that Bubble Wrap could be used for packaging

8. IBM becomes one of the first major customers

9. Sealed Air

10. Cover image

11. Alfred Fielding and Marc Chavannes