Happy Accidents #002 - Potato Chips

Welcome to the HAPPY ACCIDENTS newsletter!

You'd be surprised what can happen when you channel your frustration into something good! This week we're looking at the comical invention of one of the most beloved snacks word wide.

You guessed it. Potato chips!

So how did one of the most popular snacks come to be? For that, we need to look at this accidental tale of frustration turned delightful fluke.

As the legend goes, it all started way back 1853, when George Crum, the chef at Moon's Lake restaurant in Saratoga Springs, New York became irritated with a customer who kept refusing to eat the fried potatoes he was being served.

The customer was shipping and railroad tycoon, Cornelius Vanderbilt. 

Crum would prepare the potatoes, and Vanderbilt kept sending them back.

His complaint?

The potatoes were apparently too thick and soggy.

Thorough frustrated, and out of spite, Crum decided to slice the potatoes as thinly as possible and fry them until they were extremely crispy.

Turns out, Vanderbilt loved them!

The new snack soon caught on and became known as "Saratoga chips".

And the rest, as they say, is history.

All due to this ‘Happy Accident’!!!

Some fun facts:

• A single serving of regular potato chips provides 160 calories, 10 grams of fat, 15 grams of carbohydrate, and 2 grams of protein

• Why are chips so addictive? Studies show that eating salty chips triggers the release of dopamine, a chemical messenger that controls your brain’s pleasure center. Once your brain gets that first reward hit, it starts craving more.

• The global potato chips market size reached a value of USD 30.7 billion in 2022

• The market is expected to reach USD 39 billion by 2027

The lessons here:

• Being a little salty is a good thing sometimes

• Don't get mad, get even (it might result in a more creative solution 😀)

• Be open to new ideas. Even an irritating customer could lead you to a happy accident

Author of the best selling book, The Accidental Solopreneur