Every now and then life throws you a curve ball — or in my cricketing days, a ball that pitched on a rough patch and turned at right angles! Sometimes you miss it completely, sometimes it bowls you, and sometimes you edge it for four runs. What seemed like misfortune suddenly turns into a bit of luck.
That, in essence, is serendipity.
The word itself has a curious history. It was coined in the 18th century by Horace Walpole, who drew on a Persian fairy tale called The Three Princes of Serendip. In the story, the princes were always making unexpected discoveries through accidents and sharp observations. “Serendip” was the old name for Sri Lanka, and so “serendipity” came to mean a happy accident — finding something valuable you weren’t really looking for.
Famous Serendipities
History is full of such moments:
-
Penicillin: Alexander Fleming left his petri dishes untidied, and mould crept in. Instead of discarding the “ruined” cultures, he noticed the mould killed bacteria — a discovery that gave the world antibiotics.
-
Post-it Notes: In 1968, Dr Spencer Silver at 3M tried to invent a super-strong adhesive. He failed. What he created instead was a weak glue that could stick lightly and peel away — perfect for sticky notes.
-
The Telephone: When Alexander Graham Bell was experimenting with sound transmission, an accidental spill of acid prompted a hurried call to his assistant — “Come here, Mr Watson!” — which became the first intelligible words sent by telephone.
Serendipity often rewards the prepared mind. Fleming, Silver, and Bell weren’t random passers-by; they were trained, curious, and alert. When accidents happened, they noticed opportunities.
My Sporting Serendipity
I recall one cricket match where a last-minute change of batting order was forced on us. A lad who usually came in at number 8 was pushed up to number 4 because two teammates were late arriving. He wasn’t known for big scores, but that day he settled in, nudged the ball around, and steadied the innings. By the time the others arrived, we’d already put together a partnership that laid the foundation for an unlikely win.
A happy accident, a stroke of serendipity — and proof that fortune often favours the flexible.
Serendipity in Online Marketing
So, what does this mean for affiliate marketing? It’s tempting to see success as pure luck, but that’s not quite right. Just like in science or sport, serendipity rewards those who are prepared and persistent.
-
Write blog posts consistently, and one day a phrase will resonate and go viral.
-
Test different headlines, and the “throwaway” one might outperform the one you laboured over.
-
Network within a community, and an unexpected partnership might open up new audiences.
The trick is to keep yourself in the game long enough for serendipity to strike.
Why Serendipity Still Needs Structure
While serendipity is delightful, relying solely on luck is a shaky strategy. You wouldn’t walk out to bat hoping the bowler bowls only full tosses; you’d train, practise, and prepare. In online marketing, the same applies. Serendipity rewards a system.
That’s why I often encourage readers to stick with proven frameworks like Master Affiliate Profits or Serious About Six Figures. These systems give you the structure and momentum — the “innings” — in which those lucky breaks can flourish. Without the system, happy accidents simply pass by unnoticed.
Final Thoughts
The next time something goes wrong — a blog draft that feels clunky, an email campaign that falls flat, or an ad that doesn’t convert — remember that it could still be the spark of something better. Keep your eyes open. You may have just stumbled across your own Post-it Note moment.
Serendipity won’t do the work for you, but it often rewards the curious, the flexible, and the determined.
