In this Perspective, which describes the achievements recognized by the 2007 ACS Award for Creative Invention, we discuss the discovery of a new synthetic reaction and its translation into a substantially improved method for manufacturing a major pharmaceutical productthe blockbuster anticancer drug, paclitaxel. The role of creativity in the discovery and invention processes is also discussed. As is often the case, chance discovery and serendipitous findings played a role in the evolution of this work. Translation of the basic research into a commercially viable paclitaxel semisynthesis is also described. The final manufacturing process illustrates the enormous impact that the globalization of markets has had on chemical and pharmaceutical manufacturing.