WD-40: The Product Named After 40 Tries
WD-40 is named after what it took to invent it: "Water Displacement," 40th formulation. In 1953 a small San Diego outfit called Rocket Chemical set out to stop rust on the skin of the Atlas missile. The team ran formulation after formulation; the first 39 fell short. The 40th worked. The product stayed locked inside aerospace until workers started smuggling cans home, where it loosened bolts, silenced squeaks, and protected tools, and a single-product company built one of the most recognized brands on earth, now sold in over 100 countries.
For founders and operators, this is a case about how to treat the versions that don't work. It sharpens the decision of whether you read iteration as evidence of failure or as the actual mechanism of building something good. What separates disciplined persistence from stubborn thrashing, and how to know which one you're doing on your current version, is the takeaway the case keeps in reserve.
Frequently asked questions
What is the WD-40 case study about?
The WD-40 case is about how to treat versions that do not work. In 1953, a small San Diego company called Rocket Chemical set out to stop rust on the Atlas missile, and the first 39 formulations fell short. The 40th worked, which is where the name "Water Displacement, 40th formulation" comes from.
Why is WD-40 named that, and how many tries did it take?
WD-40 stands for "Water Displacement," 40th formulation, because it took 40 attempts to get right between 1953 and the breakthrough. Rocket Chemical originally made it to protect the Atlas missile from rust. It is now sold in over 100 countries.
How did WD-40 go from an aerospace product to a household brand?
WD-40 reached households after workers began smuggling cans home from the aerospace job, where it loosened bolts, silenced squeaks, and protected tools. That grassroots adoption revealed a consumer market the company had not targeted. A single-product company grew into one of the most recognized brands on earth.
What can founders learn from the WD-40 case?
The lesson is whether you read iteration as evidence of failure or as the actual mechanism of building something good, and how to tell disciplined persistence apart from stubborn thrashing. The 39 misses were the path to the 40th, not a verdict against it. CaseBook turns this into a move you apply to your own company, with an AI coach that reads your answer.