Would we still have Post-Its if that entire chain of random chance events hadn't happened? This random link from a web search says: https://www.invent.org/blog

Would we still have Post-Its if that entire chain of random chance events hadn't happened? This random link from a web search says: https://www.invent.org/blog/trends-stem/who-invented-post-it-notes https://www.invent.org/blog/trends-stem/who-invented-post-it... > tasked with developing new, stronger adhesives. However, the sticky “microspheres” he invented were neither very strong nor permanent [6 years later] > a new product development researcher at 3M, was singing one night at church and wondered if he could make a bookmark that would stick to his hymnal but not damage the page after removing it Yes, in theory, these two events could have been replaced, or even both independently occurred to the same person instead of two — but how much longer might it have taken for that to occur, and why didn't anyone think of it sooner? Blu Tack was invented in 1968, and that weak adhesive above was invented in 1969, so Blu Tack had their 'weak adhesive' product on the market a decade before 3M had theirs. So, why aren't they called Tack-It Notes? Technically we could have had Post-Its any time from 1968 onward, but it took until 1974 for wish for a sticky bookmark and to know that a weak adhesive existed. That's the irreplaceable person in this story, and without them, it could have easily been years or decades before someone else considered this.