🔫Super Soaker: Invented by a Rocket Scientist (Literally) | 27

Summary

Episode Summary: 🔫Super Soaker: Invented by a Rocket Scientist (Literally) | Episode 27

Introduction to Side Hustles and Hosts' Journey

In this episode of The Best Idea Yet, hosts Nick Martell and Jack Crivici-Kramer delve into the fascinating origin story of one of the most iconic toys of all time—the Super Soaker. They begin by sharing their own experiences with side hustles, emphasizing the dedication and risk involved in pursuing passions outside their primary careers. This personal context sets the stage for exploring Lonnie Johnson’s inventive journey.

Lonnie Johnson: From Engineer to Inventor

The narrative shifts to Lonnie Johnson, a brilliant nuclear engineer with an impressive resume, including launching NASA space probes and contributing to military safety protocols. Despite his success, Johnson sought to create something more playful and impactful—a toy that could bring joy to children everywhere.

“The Super Soaker was invented by a genius level nuclear engineer who launched NASA space probes.” (03:04)

The Birth of a Phenomenon: Super Soaker

Johnson’s journey began in the late 1980s when he was working on a revolutionary refrigeration system aimed at reducing environmental impact by using water instead of harmful CFCs. During his experiments, a mishap in his bathroom led to a eureka moment: the creation of a high-pressure water gun.

“That was awesome. Lonnie whispers as water drips from his lab coat.” (13:04)

Determined to harness this accidental invention, Johnson designed the Power Drencher, a prototype water gun capable of shooting water nearly 40 feet. Testing it with his daughter, he saw immediate potential as it became the highlight of neighborhood water fights.

“The Power Drencher shoots water nearly 40ft. And he calls this new creation the Power Drencher.” (14:32)

Transition to Entrepreneurship

Recognizing the commercial potential, Johnson decided to focus solely on the Power Drencher, setting aside his other side projects. However, funding posed a significant challenge. After pitching to investors and enduring setbacks, Johnson took a bold step by resigning from his high-stakes role in the Air Force to pursue his invention full-time.

“Lonnie starts pitching to investors. And when one investment firm shows some interest, Lonnie decides, hey, it's time to bet on himself.” (18:10)

Setbacks and Resilience

As Johnson navigated the entrepreneurial landscape, he encountered deceitful investors who threatened his financial stability. Facing the loss of his job and home, he clung to his belief in the Power Drencher. Despite early sales being lackluster due to insufficient marketing, persistence paid off when a pivotal TV commercial rebranded the Power Drencher as the Super Soaker.

“The problem here, it isn't that kids don't like it. The problem actually is the kids just don't know it exists.” (25:01)

Breakthrough and Market Dominance

The strategic rebranding and effective advertising catapulted the Super Soaker into a cultural phenomenon, dramatically increasing sales and revolutionizing the toy water gun market. By 1991, the Super Soaker had become synonymous with summer fun, leading to its acquisition by Hasbro for $100 million in 1995.

“Sales take off, and unlike the Jam and jet, they stay up. In fact, Super Soaker sells 2 million guns in that first year.” (27:37)

Legal Battles and Empowerment

Despite the commercial success, Johnson faced significant challenges with Hasbro, who underpaid him for his inventions. Persisting in his fight for rightful compensation, Johnson successfully sued Hasbro in 2013, securing a $72.9 million settlement. This victory not only affirmed his ingenuity but also empowered him to pursue his true passion projects focused on clean energy and advanced battery technology.

“Lonnie constructs a legal case, just like one of his inventions, piece by piece by piece.” (34:36)

Legacy and Continued Innovation

Today, Lonnie Johnson leads Johnson Research and Development in Atlanta, where his team works on groundbreaking projects such as high-range batteries for electric vehicles and systems to extract fresh drinking water from atmospheric humidity. Additionally, he established the Johnson STEM Activity Center to mentor and inspire the next generation of innovators.

“Instead of designing the next generation Super Soaker, Lonnie Johnson is working on inventions that could power the future.” (35:24)

Takeaways and Reflections

The episode concludes with reflections on the importance of unstructured time for creativity and innovation, drawing parallels between Lonnie Johnson and hockey legend Wayne Gretzky. Both individuals exemplify how freedom to explore and experiment can lead to extraordinary achievements.

“Unstructured time. Having that space to create, to tinker, to test. Yeah, it can take longer, even years to achieve your goal.” (37:08)

Notable Quotes

• “The Super Soaker was invented by a genius level nuclear engineer who launched NASA space probes.” — Nick Martell (03:04)
• “That was awesome. Lonnie whispers as water drips from his lab coat.” — Jack Crivici Kramer (13:04)
• “Lonnie starts pitching to investors. And when one investment firm shows some interest, Lonnie decides, hey, it's time to bet on himself.” — Nick Martell (18:10)
• “Sales take off, and unlike the Jam and jet, they stay up. In fact, Super Soaker sells 2 million guns in that first year.” — Jack Crivici Kramer (27:37)
• “Lonnie constructs a legal case, just like one of his inventions, piece by piece by piece.” — Jack Crivici Kramer (34:36)
• “Unstructured time. Having that space to create, to tinker, to test. Yeah, it can take longer, even years to achieve your goal.” — Nick Martell (37:08)

Conclusion

This episode of The Best Idea Yet masterfully chronicles Lonnie Johnson's journey from a rocket scientist to the inventor of the Super Soaker, highlighting the perseverance, innovation, and resilience required to turn a side hustle into a global phenomenon. Johnson's story serves as an inspiring testament to the power of creativity and the importance of pursuing one's passions despite formidable obstacles.

Transcript

[Nick Martell]

Wondery subscribers can listen to the best idea yet early and ad free right now.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

Join Wondery in the Wondery app or on Apple Podcasts.

[Nick Martell]

Wondery. I mean there is nothing like taking the makeup off your face with a makeup remover, getting on the subway and then showing up to your real job.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

I think you're talking about lower Manhattan.

[Nick Martell]

Yes.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

2015 classic. When Nick and I were invited for our first TV interview appearance for our side Hustle at the New York Stock Exchange.

[Nick Martell]

And we're not talking about wearing makeup because we were like dancing in the middle of the night at some bar club situation.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

No, we had to put on makeup because we were going to talk about stocks before the stock market opened and then scamper across lower Manhattan to our day jobs as bankers because we had.

[Nick Martell]

A side hustle outside of our day jobs at banks. Honestly. Hugely risky move.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

It was a hugely risky move. We did it anonymously because we thought we might get in trouble with our day jobs. We didn't tell anyone, but eventually we told our boss. They approved it and eventually that side hustle. After six years of side hustling became our full hustle.

[Nick Martell]

And then a few years after that it became this podcast.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

If you have a side hustle, chances are your full hustle is not your dream job.

[Nick Martell]

No, we didn't love our day job working in finance.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

No we didn't. We were both looking for something a little different.

[Nick Martell]

We way preferred waking up at 6am, putting on some makeup, appearing on TV and talking about stocks.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

And that's the thing about a side hustle. It is a hustle. It's a lot of work. Cuz you're probably working a 40 hour week job and then you're finding the energy and the motivation to do something either before or after that job. In the early mornings or the evenings.

[Nick Martell]

We'Ve seen every range of side hustles. But there is one side hustle that stands out among all the others.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

This is the story of how a side hustle turned into a hit toy phenomenon that revolutionized backyard water fights worldwide.

[Nick Martell]

A classic for ambushing your little sister on those long hot mid August summer days. Bonus if you hit the sunburn.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

More refreshing than a dip in the pool, but way more powerful than your garden hose. This is the Super Soaker.

[Nick Martell]

Just pump up our powerful air pressure system and you can soak someone up to 50ft away. There is no better wrist workout than loading up a Super Soaker over there.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

Since its flash down in 1990, the Super Soaker has pumped up its sales to over $1 billion.

[Nick Martell]

We're talking the first water gun unicorn.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

In the early 1990s, kids made do with feeble squirt guns, water balloons, and spitballs. But the Super Soaker was a total game changer. And each new addition upped the stakes with with more firepower. Sorry, water power.

[Nick Martell]

But the Super Soaker took way more engineering than your average toy. In fact, the Super Soaker was invented by a genius level nuclear engineer who launched NASA space probes. Oh, and he also helped the military keep their nukes from accidentally going boom.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

His name is Lonnie Johnson, and although his day job was working with rockets, inventing the Super Soaker was his biggest challenge. He, he had to overcome a stream of business obstacles, including botched product launches, flaky investors, and a lawsuit that nearly cost him his home.

[Nick Martell]

He also had to beat the odds as a black student in Alabama's segregated school system in the 1960s.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

And while he hit the target to create one of the most iconic toys ever, it was all with the aim of funding his more impactful inventions to help save the planet.

[Nick Martell]

To discover the true untold story of one of the best selling toys of all time, we'll encounter a homemade robot and share the secret sauce for turning side hustle dreams into actual realities.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

And we'll learn how unstructured time isn't a waste, but part of a formula for greatness. Just like Wayne Gretzky taught us, take no prisoners.

[Nick Martell]

Jack.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

Here is why this Super Soaker is the best idea yet.

[Nick Martell]

From Wondery and T Boy. I'm Nick Martell.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

And I'm Jack Crevici Kramer.

[Nick Martell]

And this is the best idea yet. The untold origin stories of the products.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

You'Re obsessed with and the bold risk takers who made them go viral. I got that feeling again Something familiar, but new. We got it coming to you. I got that feeling again they changed the game in one move. Here's how they broke all the room. We'd like to thank our presenting sponsor, Amazon.

[Nick Martell]

Yetis. Have you come up with your own best idea yet? Well, you're gonna need a notebook to write it down, and you can get that on Amazon.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

Does your idea involve pajamas, energy drinks, toilet paper?

[Nick Martell]

Jack, somehow I've used all those things in one single day.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

Save the everyday with deals from Amazon.

[Nick Martell]

The stage is set for a major competition at the hallowed home of the univers University of Alabama, Crimson Tide. But the squeaking of sneakers on the court and the crunch of bones on the gridiron have been replaced by beeps and Clicks, whirs and bubbling sounds. The jocks are out and the nerds are in. This is the 1968 Southeastern Junior Engineering Science Fair.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

First prize is up for grabs, but there's one entry that's an early favorite among the model rockets and electric motors. This project is in a universe of its own.

[Nick Martell]

Meet Linux. A 3 and a half foot tall robot that looks like a, I'm going to say, startled trash can. All right, thanks to its round eyes and boxy body, it's a little freaky. This thing could be straight out of the low budget sci fi movie Jack to me, kind of looks like R2D2 stunt dub.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

But Linux is not a simple prop. This robot has a pair of spindly arms that can swivel at the shoulder, elbow and wrist. And it can turn and move around on a set of wheels, all powered by compressed air and controlled with a wireless remote.

[Nick Martell]

Its creator is 18 year old Lonnie Johnson and he's standing proudly next to Linux. He built this robot single handedly over the course of a year. The robot can store, it can recall, it can repeat entire sequences of movements. And it's all thanks to a memory system that Lonnie built using his sister's tape recorder. And he controls it with his brother's walkie talkie. Forget science fair. Line X should be hidden away in some top secret government research lab over at Area 51.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

What Lonnie's created is impressive, especially considering this is the 1960s. There's no Boston Robotics, no ChatGPT, and no Roomba to clean up your spilled Cheerios. This is incredible. But there's one other thing that stands out about Lonnie. He's the only black student at this entire science fair right now.

[Nick Martell]

1968. School segregation is only just coming to an end in this deep southern state. In fact, the former governor of Alabama, George Wallace, is running for president and he built a reputation as the most pro segregation politician in the country. He actually even tried to stop black students enrolling at the same university that is hosting this exact science fair.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

Lonnie has fought hard not to let the pervasive racism hold him back, but it's been tough. One teacher at his all black high school even told him his dreams of becoming an inventor weren't realistic because of his skin color. They suggested he figure out a more standard occupation and ditch the science dream.

[Nick Martell]

As for the staff at the University of Alabama, they aren't going out of their way to make Lonnie feel welcome either. So no one is holding the Door open for Lonnie as he wheels in his hobbit sized homemade robot.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

But luckily for Lonnie, the judging panel is not made up of university faculty. Instead, it's business leaders. These judges recognize genius when they see it and they award Lonnie first prize.

[Nick Martell]

He wins the entire thing. For Lonnie, this is not just a technical achievement. This is a moral victory because Lonnie knows he's the only black kid in this room and he knows that he's showing black kids have just as much right and talent to be there.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

That homemade robot wasn't some one off stroke of genius. Lonnie has been building, experimenting and inventing his whole life. His childhood friends actually gave him the nickname Professor. He's the original data from the Goonies and his parents are very encouraging of this, which is saying a lot, because having a teenage, experiment loving professor under your roof, that can be a challenge and a risk to the house.

[Nick Martell]

Yeah, Jack, did you see that? Lonnie nearly set his parents kitchen on fire because he was, you know, mixing rocket fuel on the stove top. But rather than taking away screen time, Lonnie's dad set up an outdoor stove so Lonnie could carry on making explosives outside the confines of the house with the flammable curtains and the shag carpet.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

So Lonnie's folks get credit for an assist here.

[Nick Martell]

They totally deserve it, man.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

They nurtured his instinct for innovation, even if it almost cost them their kitchen.

[Nick Martell]

Well, soon after that science fair victory, Lonnie earns a combined math and Air Force scholarship to Tuskegee University, the prestigious historically black university in Alabama. He earns a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering and then a master's degree in nuclear engineering.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

And after graduating in 1975, Lonnie's childhood rocket experiments give way to something way bigger. He goes from tinkering in his backyard to launching real life space missions. But this is just the beginning.

[Nick Martell]

6, 5, 4, 3. At NASA's Kennedy Space center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, the countdown clock reaches zero and a towering rocket bursts to life. It's August 1977, and the Voyager space probe is about to start its mission to chart the outer solar system and beyond. But back down on Earth, Lonnie Johnson is one of the thousands of people watching the launch. However, he's not just a spectator. As part of his job with the Air Force, Lonnie's been helping NASA perform risk analysis for the launch because the Voyager probe is powered by plutonium. Now, just in case you don't have your periodic table of elements handy, Jack. That's pretty serious stuff, isn't it?

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

I'm pretty sure. You can't just go buy some plutonium.

[Nick Martell]

You don't want to drop it, let's put it that way. And if something goes wrong with that rocket, it could mean a deadly radioactive firework display for the world to see.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

This is a high stakes, stress inducing job, but it's exactly the type of challenge that Lonnie thrives on. And he wants more of that kind of challenge.

[Nick Martell]

So as Lonnie watches the rocket clear the launch tower and speed off into the cosmos, Lonnie makes a decision. It's time to apply for a role at NASA. And in 1979, he's appointed to the space agency's Jet Propulsion Lab in Pasadena, California, where he works on the Galileo and Cassini probes that give humankind a close up look at Jupiter and Saturn.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

The Lonnie is fully focused on launching giant metal tubes up into the heavens. But he's also finding the time to continue tinkering with his own inventions at home late into the night, just like he did in high school with Linux. And this is key. It's a trait that will change Lonnie's entire life, even though he doesn't know it yet. One of his projects is a new refrigeration system with a huge environmental benefit. Uses water instead of CFCs. These are the chemicals that punched a hole in the ozone layer. But this is the early 80s, before most people have even heard of the ozone layer, let alone the fact that it's getting torn apart by the chemicals in their appliances.

[Nick Martell]

So what we're saying here is that Lonnie is way ahead of the curve with his side hustle invention.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

But this futuristic fridge isn't just some sidekick. It's about to give Lonnie the idea for one of the most popular kids toys of all time.

[Nick Martell]

Foreign's at home working on this invention. He's not in his workshop, he's not in his backyard. He's actually in his bathroom. You see Lonnie's prototype refrigeration system. It needs a constant supply of water. So Lonnie's got hoses attached to the faucets, snaking around the floor and piping water into his invention. He's checking the pressure levels, fiddling with valves, when suddenly a jet of high pressure water explodes across the room and soaks Lonnie head to toe.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

Would it be premature to call that a super soaking?

[Nick Martell]

I see what you did there, Jack. I like it. But hold on a sec.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

Okay, standing by.

[Nick Martell]

The floor is drenched. The toilet paper, it's soggy beyond saving. We're gonna need a new roll. And he's gonna also need like 14 rolls of downy just to clean up this whole wet mess.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

This is when most people let out a sigh or a huge swear or go and grab a mop, but not Lonnie, because this is his eureka moment.

[Nick Martell]

That was awesome. Lonnie whispers as water drips from his lab coat. His mind drifts back to his childhood. To epic neighborhood water fights. Coming home with a soggy, drenched shirt in the hot Alabama sun. And that's when the question hits him. What if I can harness this epic drenching moment in a toy?

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

Here's a NASA engineer working on a hugely complex and important invention. A new type of fridge that could help save the planet. But this thought stops him in his tracks. Kids love water guns.

[Nick Martell]

This is the kind of playful mindset that has always made Lonnie Johnson stand out. Lonnie is solving big world changing problems, yet he's still willing to chase other ideas that pop into his head just for the fun of it.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

That balance between scientific innovation and childlike creativity. It's the source breakthroughs.

[Nick Martell]

So Lonnie closes his eyes and pictures himself as a 10 year old. And he asks, what would be my fantasy water weapon? Because although water guns exist, honestly, they're mostly cheap plastic squirt pistols. They barely hold enough for a spritz, they're always leaking, and they pretty much have zero range.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

Inspired, Lonnie trudges out of the soaked bathroom and gets to work immediately on this next generation water gun. That pressure system he was experimenting with for the fridge. Just a few tweaks and it can become the ultimate water gun.

[Nick Martell]

All right, so, Jack, here's what Lonnie does next. He writes down some principles and standards for this new toy. First, it's gotta be able to hold a large amount of water. Second, robust enough to handle the high pressure. And finally, this needs to be something the kid can easily hold.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

So he devises a simple but clever mechanism to make this transformation complete. A long plastic cylinder holds the wa water, while a sliding handle lets you pump air into a second chamber. Pulling the trigger opens a seal, and the pressurized air forces the water out. The result, Jack, A powerful stream that would impress a firefighter.

[Nick Martell]

Lonnie builds a few prototypes out of PVC pipe, scotch tape, and an empty two liter soda bottle. He's going full MacGyver on this thing. And pretty soon, he's using it to shoot water nearly 40ft. And he calls this new creation the Power Drencher. Pretty soon, Lonnie decides it is time for a field test. So he gives this prototype to his seven year old daughter to try out. She fills it up with a hose, pumps the handle three times, and then lets it rest. She actually brings it out to a neighborhood water fight and basically sends all the eight year olds home crying.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

Soon after that, all her friends are clamoring for one of these freaky new Power drenchers of their own. And looking at his daughter's drenched T shirt and huge smiling face, Lonnie knows he's on to something. At this point, Lonnie's industrial strength water cannon isn't the only idea he has in the hopper. True to his nature, Lonnie's got at least five side projects going at once. This guy's got more side hustles than Dolly Parton.

[Nick Martell]

Now, some of these have the potential to change the world. Like that chemical waste free fridge we mentioned. Others, not so much. Jack, did you see that Lonnie also invented an electronic diaper sensor that tells you when it's time to change your baby's diapers?

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

Yeah, nature already gave us one of those.

[Nick Martell]

It's called the Nose Lottie. He knows his time is limited. His job at NASA, it's only getting more demanding. And his family, they're growing too. He can't do it all. So he looks in the mirror and makes the difficult decision to put all of his side projects on the shelf and just focus on the Power Drencher.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

Toys are relatively simple. They can go from concept to market much faster than something like a revolutionary new refrigeration system.

[Nick Martell]

Exactly. And Lonnie's thinking, hey, the Power Drencher, it's got the best shot at rapid development and rapid return on investment. This moonshot works out, he can use the cash to fund his more complex projects. Honestly, he's thinking like an entrepreneur and a venture capitalist at the same time. Because when you're juggling multiple ideas, prioritizing the ones with fast development, that makes so much sense. So Balani is doing these expected return calculations in his head, and he figures, you know what? If I really want to change the world through my inventions, then this Power Drencher is the best place to start. And the time is now. And at this point, he's back at the Air Force. His job is about as high stakes as it gets because he is a key player in keeping America's Nuclear deterrent.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

Working, he's helping keep the nukes from inadvertently blowing up in the skies, the silos and the subs. All this protecting the world from nuclear annihilation doesn't leave him much time for his side projects.

[Nick Martell]

But Lonnie snatch his few spare moments to keep working on the power drencher. Now, he'd initially hoped to make it himself, but then he realized the cost was way more than he bargained for. Get this, Jack. $200,000 to make the first batch of a thousand power drenchers.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

He doesn't have that kind of money.

[Nick Martell]

So Lonnie starts pitching to investors. And when one investment firm shows some interest, Lonnie decides, hey, it's time to bet on himself and make the jump to become a full time entrepreneur. Lonnie puts in his six month notice at the Air Force and he's off.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

Six months notice?

[Nick Martell]

Yeah, six months.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

I guess there's a lot of handoff involved in nuclear weapons.

[Nick Martell]

Yeah. The passwords are on the post it note on the wall. Keep the keys on you at all times. And oh yeah, whatever you do, do not, do not press the big red button. As Lonnie's last day on the job approaches in 1987, those investors he was talking with go dark. Lonnie gets anxious. Picture this. He's about to be out of work, out of paychecks, and he's counting on those investors to get this cash infusion. He's also got a mortgage to pay. He's got a family to feed. And these investors have ghosted him for weeks. But then. Then he finally gets the call. It's one of the investors. They're still in. And Lonnie breathes a huge sigh of relief. But what the investor says next puts a knot in Lonnie's tummy. They're still in, but they just need Lonnie to wire them $8,000 as a fee so they can release the funds.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

Lonnie's not buying this story.

[Nick Martell]

This feels like a red flag, Jack.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

It sounds like a scam. So he tells the investor where to go and then slams the phone down.

[Nick Martell]

Yeah.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

But a second later, reality hits hard. Lonnie has no job. He's already in the process of selling his home in la. And when he tries to back out of that sale, the buyer sues. Lonnie has an amazing idea for a product, but doesn't have the money needed to launch it or to protect his family.

[Nick Martell]

He's out of work, soon to be out of a home. And the power drencher the idea that he thinks is his best hope for wealth and success. It's still just a homemade prototype toy his daughter plays with on weekends. Yetis this episode is brought to you by our presenting sponsor, Amazon.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

On this show we glorify risk takers who had an idea and pursued it relentlessly.

[Nick Martell]

They brought their best idea yet into reality and it wasn't easy to do that.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

To simplify our lives and let us focus on what really matters, we use Amazon. It saves us time and saves brain space too.

[Nick Martell]

The bane of every high producer's existence is a to do list. Well, one way to eliminate a to do list, you have an Amazon app on your phone.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

When you realize you need something, don't add it to your list, just add it to your cart. Boom.

[Nick Martell]

You just cleared mental mind space because that thing you need is already in the cart.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

Out of detergent, add it to the cart. Son's grown out of his shoes. Add a pair of sides 10s to the car.

[Nick Martell]

This is growing fast, man.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

Short on TP. Add a 24 pack to the cart before it's too late.

[Nick Martell]

At the end of the week, we push order and it's consolidated into one single delivery.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

Our mental mind space is scarce. Put your mind at ease by letting Amazon handle your shopping.

[Nick Martell]

Don't add it to your list, add it to your cart. That way you can come up with your own best idea yet.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

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[Nick Martell]

In a sun dappled meadow on a clear summer's day, a young boy runs through the short grass, a broad grin across his face. Above his head, he holds a toy glider, its five foot wingspan casting a shadow across his path. From out its tail, a light mist of water sprays into the air. In a moment, that water will be propelling this glider off into the distance.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

This is the Jammin jets glider. And that water streaming out of the back of it should be a giveaway. Lonnie Johnson designed it. Those jammin jets are using the same principle as the power drencher. But instead of soaking, they're flying.

[Nick Martell]

It's 1988, just a year after Lonnie was facing financial ruin, after some sketchy investors ghosted him. But he's bounced back. He's actually managed to land a position back at NASA working on more cool space missions, sending hunks of metal up into the galaxy. And then he came up with the concept called the Jam and Jet and he sold that to a toy company called Entertech. Lonnie just side hustled a different toy, nailed an exit and still kept his full time job at NASA. And he did all of that in one year.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

Get this man another science award.

[Nick Martell]

Totally.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

Sure, it's not the power gentry, but the jammin jets uses the same power principle he pioneered for the high pressure water gun. And if it sells well, then Lonnie can start focusing on his other passion projects.

[Nick Martell]

Before you celebrate quite yet, our little scene in that meadow, it isn't quite over. The boy lets go of that glider and skids to a stop. He looks up, wide eyed and hopeful. He's expecting to see his new toy soar majestically through the air, driven by its water powered engine. But after a few moments, the glider starts to wobble. And then suddenly, it flips into a nose dive and drives itself into the side of a hill, splintering into pieces. The boy's grin falls away, as shattered as his broken toy.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

Thousands of other kids have a similar experience with the jam and jet, but it's not Lonnie's fault. In fact, his original designs were literally too good. The glider stayed in the air so long that enter tech was worried that kids would lose them in like the neighbor's backyard and complain.

[Nick Martell]

Mom, my jamming jet just crossed Lake Michigan.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

A jet that soars is great if you got a wide open field.

[Nick Martell]

Totally.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

But this company wants any kid with the backyard to be able to play with it and not worry about losing it. So the company insists on modifying Lonnie's design. They tilt the tail to an angle so the plane goes around in circles instead of just soaring the straight line.

[Nick Martell]

Lonnie, he does not like this tweak one bit. But Enertech, they own jammin jets now, and they're basically saying, hey, this ain't rocket science to an actual rocket scientist. So they make 60,000 of these modified jammin jets. And Jack, do you want to share how that turned out?

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

Not good. Not good at all. That change they made to the tail means the gliders love to flip right over and tailspin into the ground. And because they have a jet stream of water blasting out the back, they crash hard. Most of the 60,000 jammin jets end up as one flight wonders.

[Nick Martell]

Maybe Enertech should have just listened to Lonnie.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

But this is what happens when you sell a company you no longer have set. It's the classic inventor's dilemma. Once you hand over control, you're stuck watching as others make decisions about your baby. Sometimes good, sometimes disastrous.

[Nick Martell]

So after the jam and jet's failure, Lonnie turns his attention back to The Power Drencher. He still thinks it's got the biggest potential for a nice payday so he can finally invest in the other dozen ideas that have been flying around his head. And in 1989, Lonnie lands a pitch with a toy company called Laramie. They're known for zucking versions of popular products by Hasbro and Mattel. Basically, copycats.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

Target sells Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Laramie's got pubescent miscreant Jiu Jitsu tortoises.

[Nick Martell]

They're basically dropping dupes like temu.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

But Lonnie doesn't care. He wants this deal.

[Nick Martell]

He wants it badly. So Lonnie is standing at the front of the room explaining what this new contraption that he's invented from scratch actually does. So one of the Laramie execs cuts to the chase and asks the most important question.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

Does it work?

[Nick Martell]

Lonnie? He smiles. Then he picks up the Power Drencher, pumps up the pressure, and shoots the Execs coffee cup clean off the conference table. What a legend.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

Legend.

[Nick Martell]

Legend.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

They make Lonnie an offer on the spot. $30,000 cash, plus a cut of every Power Drencher sale. Get this guy in Shark tank. So finally, after seven years of development, hell, the Power Drencher has a manufacturer, a distributor, and a marketer. It's locked, loaded, and ready to hit the shelves. In 1990, Laramie releases the Power Drencher.

[Nick Martell]

And how does it do, Jack?

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

Just okay.

[Nick Martell]

Yeah. The problem here, it isn't that kids don't like it. The problem actually is the kids just don't know it exists. There's no TV campaign. There's no radio ads. There's no splashy signs in toy stores with a price tag of 10 bucks.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

Or about 25 bucks.

[Nick Martell]

Today, retailers think it's just too expensive, and they don't even bother stocking it.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

No shelf space means no chance for kids to spot a Drencher on display. And then no chance for them to pester their parents to buy them one. For Lonnie, it's starting to look like the Jam and Jets fiasco all over again. He's made another killer toy, only for it to take a nosedive through no fault of his own.

[Nick Martell]

But while the Jammin jets maker bailed at the first sign of a problem, Laramie sticks with Lonnie and sticks with his invention. They come up with a new name, and a year after the brand makeover, they put out a TV commercial that could change Lonnie's life. They're gonna take one more Shot. Crouching behind a garden hedge, five kids hold their breaths. They've got dirt smeared on their faces and branches sticking out of their waistbands. It's suburban camo. Each of them is clutching a brand new neon colored, fully loaded Super Soaker. One of them signals to the others to be quiet. Their targets are in sight. Three unsuspecting friends come cruising around the corner on their BMX bikes. Suddenly, the little Rambos leap out of their hiding spot and let loose with pikers don't know what's hit them. But as they make a hasty retreat, they do know that one thing is certain. They need to get their hands on guns like these. Because it's summer, 1991, the season of the Super Soaker has arrived.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

Thanks to the ads in the new name.

[Nick Martell]

Let's be honest, Super Soaker way better than power Drencher.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

Sales take off, and unlike the Jam and jet, they stay up. In fact, Super Soaker sells 2 million guns that first year.

[Nick Martell]

In 1990, sales of toy guns, including water guns, totaled $89 million.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

But a year later, the entire toy gun market size tripled to $232 million. All driven by the new Super Soaker.

[Nick Martell]

By year two, it's hockey stick growth. Super Soaker is going Gretzky on. His persistence finally pays off. By sticking to his guns, the Super.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

Soaker becomes the profit puppy he always dreamed of. Each Super Soaker sold is another royalty check that's coming his way. So is it time for him to finally take his cash and retire? Enjoy all the free time in the world to tinker on his other projects? Nick?

[Nick Martell]

Not quite. Jack Lonnie actually can't stop thinking about this hit toy water gun. He can't resist working on some new improved Super Soaker designs. And he actually sketches out a model with a water tank that you can wear like a backpack. Great for ammo, terrible for mobility. But who needs logic when you're the first kid to get their hands on the newest Super Soake Soaker. By 1995, Super Soakers are still an unstoppable force financially and culturally, turning ordinary afternoons into epic water wars. And amid all that aquatic entertainment, toy giant Hasbro sees an opportunity. Hasbro is a four billion dollar company at the time, and they own some of the top IP and toys from GI Joe to the Transformers to My Little Pony. But their portfolio, it's pretty limited to inside toys. The kind of toys your parents make you leave inside the house. So to take on Mattel, Hasbro wants to make a play for your Backyard. And they decide to make the biggest toy deal of the mid-90s and acquire Laramie for a hundred million dollars.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

In a single purchase, hasbro gets a 90% share of the water gun market.

[Nick Martell]

Wow.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

Even better, they get to keep Lonnie on board to continue innovating. They probably give him a title like EVP of Super Soaking. Call the sec. Hasbro's got a water gun monopoly. And they've got the God of water war. Yeah.

[Nick Martell]

Now most founders, they be kicking it in Cabo by now. Down in daiquiris with their big water gun exit checks. Boloni, he proves that there is still plenty more water left in his tank. He keeps on creating Lonnie's next innovation. It's the CPS Super Soaker. Cps, by the way, stands for constant pressure system.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

That means you don't have to pump. It's like a machine gun of water guns.

[Nick Martell]

It's a total automatic situation, Jack. But this acquisition also fits with the new strategy Hasbro is also rolling out at the time, Evergreen Toys. Games that aren't one off, but games that they can iterate on with updates and new versions year after year after year. A couple years earlier, Hasbro actually bought Monopoly, the board game for the same reason. Listen, they're launching new versions every year, just like a car company does.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

And Lonnie is Super Soaker's one man R and D team, launching new versions for each summer season. And those annual updates give a reason to own not just a water gun, but a water gun collection. He's turned buyers into collectors in business.

[Nick Martell]

Jack and I like to call these repeat rabbits. People who keep coming back and back and back. In fact, the first CPS Super Soaker, the CPS 2000 Mark 1. It is so powerful, it comes with a warning to avoid aiming at people's faces. Rumors fly around schoolyards that some kid lost an eye to one of these things.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

Our incredible team of fact checkers couldn't confirm that incident. Next true. And the jury's also still out if mixing pop rocks and soda will make your stomach explode or swinging over the top bar of the swing set turns your skin inside out.

[Nick Martell]

Also unconfirmed.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

But either way, the rumors are helping drive Super Soaker sales even further. As the number one brand in the market.

[Nick Martell]

Out of all the businesses we've ever covered, this is one of the best cases we've seen of an acquisition working out really well. And a company that acquired it really developing the ip. Because Hasbro also owns another iconic line of toy guns, Nerf and soon, Lonnie works out how to adapt the Super Soakers pressure system to shoot Nerf darts. He even gets his own line of Nerf guns named N Strike. And together with the Super Soaker, Lonnie's inventions account for 80% of the entire toy gun market. 4 out of 5 toy guns sold was created by Lonnie.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

Lonnie's dedication to building bigger and better Super Soakers is great news for kids. It's also why nowadays grown up millennials scour ebay looking to buy a splash of nostalgia and snap up their favorite Super Soaker models from their childhood.

[Nick Martell]

Okay, Jack, I didn't tell you this yet, but I'm on ebay right now. I'm looking at a Super Soaker 50 by LAR.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

This vintage Laramie. That's pre Hasbro acquisition, 1990.

[Nick Martell]

You want to know the price of this thing? 250 bucks.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

Wow.

[Nick Martell]

If you bought one and kept it in the box, honestly, it's your best investment. It's outperforming the S&P 500.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

Lonnie has turned his childhood fascination with invention into one of the most iconic toys of all time.

[Nick Martell]

And with the royalties from the Super Soaker and its spin offs, Lonnie's finally ready to fund his real passion project projects.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

But when Lonnie compares his bank balance to the Super Soaker sales figures, something doesn't add up.

[Nick Martell]

Yeah, because the sales are really strong. The toys are just flying off the shelves and kids are drenching each other every summer. But the royalties filtering through to Lonnie are short. Like over $70 million short.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

Lonnie is a math whiz. But just in case you miss something, he double checks and then checks again. He concludes there is only one possibility. Hasbro has been shortchanging him for years.

[Nick Martell]

Yeah, Jack, this is more than a rounding error. It's a multi million dollar mistake.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

Or worse.

[Nick Martell]

It's deliberate. Hasbro is withholding Lonnie's well earned compensation for the invention he spent the last couple decades perfecting. Ryan Reynolds here from Mint Mobile. I don't know if you knew this, but anyone can get the same Premium Wireless for $15 a month plan that I've been enjoying. It's not just for celebrities. So do like I did and have one of your assistant's assistants switch you to Mint Mobile today. I'm told it's super easy to [e-mail].

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

Switch upfront payment of $45 for three month plan equivalent to $15 per month required intro rate first three months only. Then full price plan options available, taxes and fees extra. See full [e-mail].

[Nick Martell]

So, Jack, what does an engineer do when he realizes a billion dollar company has been underpaying him for years? He constructs a legal case, just like one of his inventions, piece by piece by piece.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

In 2013, Lonnie Johnson sues Hasbro. He's got proof they've been skirting their agreement. And not just that. Hasbro has also been underpaying him on his other big toy invention, Nerfs and strike lines.

[Nick Martell]

And you know what? Lonnie fights. And Lonnie actually wins. A 72.9 million dollar settlement. Not too shabby.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

Hasbro has to keep paying Lonnie royalties. But the thought of continuing to work for Hasbro after they kind of screwed him, it makes Lonnie wins.

[Nick Martell]

Yeah.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

He realizes now is finally the right time to ditch Super Soaking and dedicate himself to his other projects, the ones that matter to him most. Clean energy and advanced battery technology. Innovations that could actually change the world, not just change playtime.

[Nick Martell]

And that is why today, instead of designing the next generation Super Soaker Collab with Capri Sun, Lonnie Johnson is working on inventions that could power the future. He establishes Johnson Research and Development, a company in Atlanta with around 30 staff working on big moonshot projects.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

The company is still working on a number of Lonnie's ideas today, including a high range battery for electric vehicles.

[Nick Martell]

Okay, I'd be interested in that.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

And a way to extract fresh drinking water from the atmosphere by condensing humidity. But that's not all, because Lonnie wants to pay his good fortune forward to future engineers and future scientists.

[Nick Martell]

So Lonnie establishes the Johnson STEM Activity center to offer mentorship and inspiration to the next generation of innovators. Because Lonnie knows, thinking back to that very first science fair, the value of encouraging kids to be curious, even if they blow up a few kitchens along the way.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

Or as Lonnie himself put it, the.

[Nick Martell]

Desire for success becomes a habit.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

And that's kind of the habit you want. Instilling kids the desire get them to experience success to the point where they.

[Nick Martell]

Enjoy the success and they want to have more. As for the Super Soaker, Hasbro merged them into the Nerf product line, although the name still lives on as a sub brand. There are also Super Soakers that depart totally from Lonnie's original design. They now have slingshots, rocket launcher sprinklers, and even dog toys.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

If getting shot with a Squirt gun is annoying. Getting blasted by a Super Soaker will make you laugh and wish that you had one. Just like that day in the bathroom when Lonnie first got super soaked. So Nick, now that you've toweled yourself off, changed into something dry, and reloaded your weapon with the garden hose again, what's your takeaway on the Super Soaker?

[Nick Martell]

Poker. The Wayne Gretzky Play Principle. Unstructured time can lead to structured greatness. Wayne Gretzky, greatest hockey player of all time. I know. Sidney Crosby. Sorry, It's Gretzky. Wayne credits his skills to the unstructured time he was afforded as a kid when he would just skate around on his own after school in the backyard.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

Ice skating rink that his parents built for him. Yeah, exactly.

[Nick Martell]

Now today kids schedules are packed. You go from soccer record a baseball to theater camp. But Wayne had the opposite. It was unstructured time. He could explore the ice on his own, fool around with the puck, and that's why he became so great.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

We saw the same thing with Lonnie. As fathers and former side hustlers, we can relate to his 5am and 6pm Tinkering time because it allowed himself to explore new ideas without any schedule in his own house, in the basement, and in the bathroom.

[Nick Martell]

Unstructured time. Having that space to create, to tinker, to test. Yeah, it can take longer, even years to achieve your goal. But Wayne Gretzky and Lonnie Johnson and their parents knew the value of not scheduling and structuring everything. Creation is art, and art requires space.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

MVP Takeaway Inspired by MVP Hockey Club.

[Nick Martell]

Now, Jack, what about you? You've toweled off as well. What's your takeaway?

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

If you're side hustling, money shouldn't be the only goal.

[Nick Martell]

Oh, totally. I know what you're getting at here.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

The reality is that most side hustles and most startups fail with the money you invested not generating a positive return. It's just the numbers for our side hustle. The money didn't really come until six years in. That's why it was key for us that we found other forms of value from our side hustle besides making money.

[Nick Martell]

Right. Like our side hustle actually made us better at our day jobs. And it made us feel proud of what we were creating between our friends and then other people hearing about it. And it kept growing and growing and growing.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

And this part is key. If our project failed and we had to shut it down, it would have been a great story we could have told in a job interview. Someday.

[Nick Martell]

Totally.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

So Lonnie's side hustle business was a huge financial win. He sold his Super Soaker idea and got a revenue share deal that funded his other projects. But even he didn't do it just to make money. He did it to have fun and to try to change the world.

[Nick Martell]

So, besties, to hedge your side hustle bet you should also have other goals beyond making a bunch of money. That way, if you do have to shut it down, change it, pivot the business someday, you still have your own narrative of success.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

All right, Nicholas, before we go, it's time for my absolute favorite part of the show, the best facts yet. These are the hero stats, the facts and the surprises we discovered in our research and couldn't fit into the story. So we're giving them to you now.

[Nick Martell]

First, the world's largest super soaker it is 7ft long, 4ft high, and fires water at, get this, 272 miles per hour.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

Not a kid's play toy.

[Nick Martell]

No. Eight times the pressure of a fire truck hose.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

It was built by a YouTube star and former NASA engineer Mark Rober. And like Lonnie, Mark uses his love of engineering to inspire kids to get excited about science and invention.

[Nick Martell]

Now, just Jack, we should probably mention our supporting actor in this story, Nerf. The Nerf brand first hit the market back in 1969 as an indoor sports ball and was sold by a games company called Parker Brothers, who you might remember from our Monopoly episode. Well, Parker Brothers took the name Nerf from the foam padded roll bars that you find on Jeeps, which were nicknamed. Ready for this, Jack? Nerf. Nerf bars.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

Here's another one. In 2015, the Super Soaker was inducted into the National Toy hall of Fame.

[Nick Martell]

It's about time.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

The first sentence didn't mention Laramie or Hasbro. It did mention, And I quote, Dr. Lonnie Johnson, a Tuskegee Institute trained mechanical and nuclear engineer was working on NASA's Galileo mission to Jupiter when he invented the Super Soaker.

[Nick Martell]

Speaking of which, Gem, I just got an update from ebay and looks like there's a 1990 vintage model that's going for $10,000.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

Seriously?

[Nick Martell]

No joke.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

And that, my friends, is why the Super Soaker is the best idea yet. Coming up on the next episode of the Best Idea Yet. Leonardo, Raphael, Michelangelo and Donatello, we'll be.

[Nick Martell]

Hanging out in the sewers, eating some slices and taking life lessons from a.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

Rat with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

[Nick Martell]

Cowabunga.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

If you've got a product you're obsessed.

[Nick Martell]

With, but wish you knew its backstory. Drop us a comment right here and we'll look into it for you.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

Oh, and don't forget to rate and review the podcast. That's how we grow the show. Follow the Best Idea yet on the Wondery App, Amazon Music, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen to every episode of the Best Idea yet early and ad free right now by joining Wonder plus in the Wondery app or on Apple Podcasts.

[Nick Martell]

Before you go, tell us about yourself by filling out a short [e-mail] survey the best idea yet is a production of Wondery hosted by me, Nick Martel.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

And me Jack Crevici Kramer. Our senior producers are Matt Beagle and Chris Gautier.

[Nick Martell]

Peter Arcuni is our additional Senior producer.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

Our senior Managing Producer is Nick Ryan and Taylor Sniffin is our Managing Producer.

[Nick Martell]

Our Associate producer and researcher is H. Conley.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

This episode was written and produced by Adam Skuse.

[Nick Martell]

We use many sources in our research, including Lonnie Johnson, father of the Super Soaker by William Kramer of the BBC and an interview with Lonnie Johnson by Brandy Harvey of the Vault Empowers Podcast.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

Sound design and mixing by Kelly Krameric.

[Nick Martell]

Fact checking by Erica Janik, music supervision.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

By Scott Velazquez and Jolina Garcia for Frisson Sync.

[Nick Martell]

Our theme song is God that Feeling Again by Blackalac. Executive producers for Nick and Jack Studios are me, Nick Martel and me, Jack Revici Kramer. Executive producers for Wondery are Dave Easton, Jenny lauer, Beckman, Aaron O'Flaherty and Marshall Louie.

[C]

Okay, let's be real. Have you ever had a moment where you just said screw it or someone and did something totally wild? Now imagine you just got a life changing diagnosis and instead of playing it safe, you throw caution to the wind and dive headfirst into a world of one night stands, forbidden affairs and wild adventures. Well, that's exactly what Molly and I did in Dying for Sex, Wondery's award winning podcast that's now streaming on a TV near you starring Michelle Williams and Jenny Slate. And to top it off, we are dropping Brand New Episodes. Episodes where I, Nikki Boyer, co host of the series, sit down with the cast to spill all the juicy secrets. We're talking steamy stories, deep friendships and the kind of bold choices that make life worth living. Listen to the original Dying for Sex and Brand new Episodes on the Wondery app or wherever you get your podcasts. You can binge the original series before anyone else and completely ad free on Wondri.