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Crunch. Crunch. That was the sound of Joe Markham’s problem. The three-year-old German Shepherd he’d adopted, Fritz, loved to chew rocks. So much, in fact, that his teeth were one-third their normal size.
In every other way, Fritz was a wonderful and loving companion. But Markham knew the dog’s one bad habit was endangering his health. So Markham, a partner in a motorcycle/auto repair shop, encouraged Fritz to try softer substitutes: radiator hoses and motorcycle tires. But the dog didn’t favor either of these items enough for it to become a rock replacement.
One day, Fritz stretched under a workbench, pulled out a part from a car, trotted over to Markham, and dropped the part on Markham’s foot. With this rubber-knobbed gizmo it was love at first bite. Fritz forgot his beloved rocks. His new obsession had customers asking what kind of toy was making the dog so joyful.
That’s when Markham speculated that if his dog loved this type of rubber so much, other dogs would, too. And so began a long journey of prototypes, rejections, manufacturing woes, ridicule, and late-night commercial slots. But Markham persevered because he knew his real customers – the furry, four-legged ones – would prove him right.
Today Markham’s toy, the KONG, has sold 50+ million worldwide, and according to the company’s Web site, “Millions and millions of dogs have confirmed that KONG is the world’s best dog toy!”
Is that “crunch, crunch” of a problem really the “knock, knock” of opportunity?
Steve
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