How easy is it to explore the adequacy or inadequacy of an existing product?

Born in 1954, Nick Brown was a keen hiker who walked regularly in the Peak District and Scotland. But he was unhappy with the waterproofi ng products available in shops because they just did not keep his boots dry. He was also a bit of a scientist, having done A-level Chemistry at school. Consequently, as a teenager he used to mix together various ingredients from his shed and the local hardware store in a saucepan to form a boot wax. He would then use it to coat them with before going hiking. And it worked. He had dry feet and the boots did not soften up or lose their essential supportive feature.