Accidental Innovation
I recently listened to a podcast about the explosive growth of GLP-1 drugs and how Novo Nordisk, the company behind them, accidentally discovered their weight-loss benefits while developing a diabetes treatment. The pundits on the show argued that true innovation requires intention, not luck—that a company should actively develop and curate breakthroughs rather than stumble upon them.
While that might sound logical, it disregards a fundamental truth: many of history's greatest discoveries and successes—across science, technology, and entertainment—were accidental. More importantly, those accidents weren’t always championed by corporate leadership. In my world, I saw this firsthand.
TV shows I worked on, like Alias, Lost, Heroes, and Hannibal, weren’t carefully planned hits. They survived despite studio and network hesitation, not because of overwhelming support. They were greenlit, but there was no master plan for them to succeed. Instead, they found their audience through creative risks, unexpected audience engagement, and sheer persistence from the writers, directors, and showrunners who saw something in them that the networks didn’t.
That got me thinking about the larger pattern: some of the most groundbreaking innovations in history—both in science and entertainment—came from accidents that someone was smart enough to recognize and act on.
The Role of Accidental Discovery in Innovation
Throughout history, many breakthroughs weren’t the result of careful planning or corporate strategy. Instead, they were born from unexpected results, mistakes, and failures. The key wasn’t just the accident—someone noticed its value and pursued it.
Here are a few examples of how chance discoveries led to world-changing innovations:
Penicillin (1928) – Alexander Fleming wasn’t trying to discover antibiotics. He left a petri dish out and noticed mold-killing bacteria. That mold became the foundation for modern antibiotics, saving millions of lives.
Post-it Notes (1970s) – 3M scientists were trying to create a super-strong adhesive. Instead, they accidentally made a weak, reusable one—perfect for sticky notes.
Viagra (1990s) – Originally developed as a heart medication, Viagra failed its intended purpose but had a much more marketable side effect.
Microwave Oven – Percy Spencer, an engineer at Raytheon, noticed a chocolate bar melting in his pocket while working with radar technology. That led to the invention of the microwave oven.
Gore-Tex – Bob Gore was stretching heated Teflon tape when he accidentally created a porous, waterproof material. It’s used in outdoor gear, medical implants, and even spacesuits.
The lesson? Accidents happen all the time, but only some turn into innovations. The difference is whether someone recognizes the opportunity and runs with it.
Accidental Success in Entertainment
Hollywood, much like the corporate world, is terrible at predicting success. The industry is obsessed with formulas and sequels, but many of the most beloved TV shows and movies succeeded by accident—or against all odds.
A few examples:
Seinfeld – NBC didn’t believe in it. The “show about nothing” was considered too niche and too weird to succeed. It only became a hit after years of audience discovery.
Breaking Bad – AMC almost didn’t make the show. It struggled with early ratings and nearly got canceled.
The Office (US) – Test audiences hated it. NBC only kept it alive because Steve Carell’s The 40-Year-Old Virgin made him a star.
Jaws – The mechanical shark malfunctioned so often that Spielberg had to change the entire approach to filming it. The shark became scarier because you didn’t see it, turning a technical failure into cinematic brilliance.
Lost – ABC didn’t know what they had. They wanted a reality-show-style drama and ended up with one of the most ambitious sci-fi mysteries in TV history.
I’ve seen this play out firsthand. Alias wasn’t supposed to be a hit—it was a weird spy show with an intense mythology. Heroes exploded almost overnight, catching NBC completely off guard. Hannibal was niche, artistic, and deeply unsettling, yet it built a massive cult following that outlasted its network support.
These shows thrived because of the risks taken by creative teams—not because a studio carefully engineered their success.
Accidental Success in Video Games
The video game industry, like Hollywood, is notorious for chasing trends and trying to manufacture success. Yet some of the biggest and most influential games in history weren’t meticulously planned—they were accidents that developers recognized and ran with.
Minecraft (2009) – A Small Experiment That Took Over the World
Markus “Notch” Persson started Minecraft as a side project inspired by a niche game called Infiniminer. His goal wasn’t to build a global phenomenon—just a fun, open-ended sandbox. But when early players got their hands on it, they started using it in ways he never anticipated—creating elaborate structures, crafting survival challenges, and even using it in classrooms. What was meant to be a small experiment became the best-selling game ever.
The Legend of Zelda (1986) – Inspired by Childhood Exploration
Shigeru Miyamoto didn’t set out to create one of gaming’s most legendary franchises—he was just drawing from childhood memories of exploring caves and forests near his home in Japan. That personal nostalgia led to an open-ended, discovery-driven design philosophy, which defied the linear structure of most games at the time. The result? A game that changed the industry forever.
PUBG & The Rise of Battle Royale (2017)
The Battle Royale genre—now a dominant force in gaming—wasn’t born in a boardroom. It evolved from modding communities, where players hacked together survival-based game modes in shooters like Arma 2 and DayZ. Brendan “PlayerUnknown” Greene, a modder experimenting with these mechanics for years, eventually developed PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG)—which exploded in popularity. That success led to Fortnite pivoting into a battle royale mode, and the rest is history.
Grand Theft Auto (1997) – A Bug That Made Criminal Chaos Fun
The original Grand Theft Auto was meant to be a straightforward cops-and-robbers game—until the developers noticed a bug where police AI became overly aggressive. Instead of fixing it, they leaned into the chaos, turning the game into an open-world crime simulator where reckless destruction was the whole point. That decision gave birth to one of the most successful franchises in gaming history.
Diablo (1996) – The Click That Changed ARPGs Forever
The defining mechanic of Diablo—its addictive real-time combat—wasn’t part of the original design. The game was initially conceived as a turn-based RPG until one of the developers accidentally clicked on an enemy and saw how much more fun it was to have instant combat. That moment changed the game’s design philosophy and laid the foundation for the entire Action RPG genre.
The Lesson for Game Developers
The most successful games don’t always have the biggest budgets or the most carefully calculated market strategies. They’re the ones that evolve organically, adapting to unexpected discoveries, player behaviors, or even technical glitches.
Much like film and television, true innovation in gaming often comes from the moments that weren’t planned. The developers who recognize those moments and run with them are the ones who shape the future of the industry.
Why This Happens
So why do so many great things come from accidents? A few reasons:
Corporate Thinking Prioritizes Predictability – Most companies and studios want safe bets—projects with clear financial models and proven success formulas. But real innovation doesn’t work that way.
Creativity Can’t Be Fully Planned – Many of the best ideas happen during the creative process, not in the boardroom. An unexpected moment can be more powerful than a perfectly structured plan.
Failure Creates Opportunity – Many accidents happen because something didn’t work as intended. The difference is whether people pivot and recognize new possibilities.
Recognizing the Unexpected
The real question isn’t whether success is accidental—it often is—but whether people recognize and capitalize on those accidents.
In business, science, and entertainment, some of the biggest successes happened because someone took a risk on something unexpected. It’s not just about being lucky—it’s about being open to possibilities that don’t fit the traditional mold.
So whether you’re a scientist, a writer, or a creative in any field, the lesson is the same: be ready to adapt, be open to surprises, and never dismiss an idea just because it wasn’t part of the plan. The next big breakthrough might already be in front of you—you just have to notice it.
