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Apr 2025
40m 59s

🔫Super Soaker: Invented by a Rocket Sci...

Wondery
About this episode

Lonnie Johnson was already a brilliant Air Force engineer working on cutting edge, planet-saving inventions…when a surprise bathroom discovery (we’ve all been there) sparked an idea that changed water fights forever. This nuclear scientist's side hustle—a game-changing water gun prototype—would go on to reshape backyard battles and launch a billion-dollar toy sensation. But just like Lonnie when beat the odds as a Black student in Alabama’s segregated school system, his entrepreneurial era put him to the test. Hear how Lonnie had to navigate flaky investors—and go head-to-head with a corporate giant—on his way to splashy success. Along the way, we’ll get the secret sauce for turning side hustles into realities, learn a valuable business lesson from hockey legend Wayne Gretzky... and find out why the Super Soaker is the best idea yet.

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