Another invention that changed the world
Momofuku Ando has died. In case you don’t know, he invented instant ramen noodles. It’s amazing how little things can change the world.
As recounted in his 2002 autobiography, “How I Invented Magic Noodles,” Ando’s eureka moment occurred in 1957, when he noticed a long line of customers waiting for service outside a noodle shop. He asked himself if there was not a faster way to serve all those busy-but-famished construction workers and salarymen
This is a story in the same class as the invention of the tortilla chip. It’s a small thing, but one that touches many people’s lives.
And I always thought it was sad that the inventor of the tortilla chip did not become fabulously wealthy. It only seems right that someone who changes the world should be rewarded. And in this case, it’s a happy ending:
The focus on convenience, taste and price turned Nissin Foods Co., his small Osaka company, into a $3-billion multinational corporation with 29 subsidiaries in 11 countries.
The full story is here:
January 9th, 2007 at 5:45 pm
well I’d read (and posted) about this and I’d love to read this article – but I hate the additional registration! But We enjoy lots of Ramen noodles around this house!
January 12th, 2007 at 7:32 pm
That man helped put me through college. Also, Sky’s very first entreprenural adventure was to buy Ramen noodles and resell them at school for fifty cents. His avatar is a package of them. As far as we are concerned, that man was a major contributer to society.