The Robertson Screwdriver - A Cautionary Tale
Charles Plant
Co-CEO @ ExactBlue, the world's fastest and most sensitive tests for microbial contamination in water
Back in the early 1900s, flathead screws were the standard, but they came with one big flaw: screwdrivers often slipped out of the slot. This wasn’t just annoying; it was dangerous, especially in industrial settings. Meanwhile, in 1906, Peter Robertson was demonstrating a spring-loaded screwdriver when it malfunctioned, and cut his hand. Robertson saw this as an opportunity, imagining a new kind of screw head that would solve the slipping problem once and for all.
By 1908, Robertson had perfected his idea: a square-socket screw paired with a matching square-tipped screwdriver. The design was a revelation:
Industries quickly saw the potential of Robertson’s invention. It was especially popular in manufacturing, where efficiency was everything. The snug fit between the screwdriver and the screw head meant fewer mistakes, faster assembly, and lower labor costs. Even Ford Motor Company got on board, using Robertson screws for some of its cars.
So, if the Robertson screwdriver was so great, why didn’t it take over the world? The answer lies in Peter Robertson’s stubbornness. He refused to license the design internationally, wanting to keep full control of production.
This didn’t sit well with potential partners like Henry Ford, who eventually switched to the Phillips screw, which had fewer licensing restrictions. As a result, the Robertson screwdriver became a Canadian hero but didn’t achieve global dominance.
Executive Director and EiR at Innovation Island
1 周?? to Robertson screws! My Father shared this story with me as a boy and my shop is stocked with nothing less! Unfortunately, the "Cautionary Tale" is all too common with many Canadian innovations. Canada punches above our weight with core innovation, R&D and entrepreneurial efforts but we often fail to capture the value, secure the IP properly, or make required adjustments to scale commercialization. In many cases, these are business issues and decisions, not IP, per se. IP, without the proper business model, and frank assessment of the "opportunity" can indeed fall short due to aspects of stubbornness, na?veté (or bad advice). That said, let's not get screwed again ;-)
Fractional VP People | Organizational & Leadership Coach for startups | Top 25 Human Resource Award ?? | Certified Independent Board Member | Connected to ???? ???? ???? ???????? | Community Builder
2 周This message couldn’t be more important now. Go global & go early.
Co-Founder, goConfirm
2 周This also talks to the reality around the idea of 'freedom-to-operate'. In the vast majority of cases, if someone develops a better mouse trap, if they don't license it on commercially reasonable terms, the market will find an alternative that avoids that specific IP that is either free or nominally priced.
CEO, COO, VP Sales & Board Member in finance, quantum/AI and climate change. I help early stage companies raise capital, create 'go-to-market'/scale up strategies, plans and help with execution.
2 周Dosd not know this story so thanks Chaerles. Talk abou a myopic control freak - what a shame. I love Robertson screws and screwdrivers. I avoid all others kinds whenever possible.
President, Aurum Holdings Inc.
2 周As a proud Canadian, I own all of the Robertson screwdrivers, from the teeny-tiny orange through yellow, green, red, and black all the way to the giant brown. Sadly, my bucket of screws holds far too many miscellaneous Phillips and slot head screws, with a few Torx just for added frustration. Getting back to the point. Optimizing the entire sales and marketing process is fiendishly difficult, and distribution/licensing are just part of the puzzle. It's a tough job being an entrepreneur. You need to be open-minded and focussed at the same time. If it was easy, everybody would be doing it!