Some great business ideas seem so simple we wonder why no one ever thought of them before.

The backstory behind a bunch of household names, and tips to open your mind to inspiration.

At the heart of any successful business is a great idea. Some seem so simple we wonder why nobody thought of them before. Others are so revolutionary we wonder how anybody could’ve thought of them at all.

But those great ideas don’t come on command. And that leaves lots of would-be entrepreneurs asking the same question: How did everybody else get inspiration to strike—and how can we work the same magic?

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