Adolf Dassler dropped out of baking school to open a shoe factory, navigating Adidas through the many ups and downs of the German economy after the war.

Burberry started out making outdoor gear for soldiers and adventurers, and has since grown to become one of the world's largest luxury brands.

Yahoo once dominated the Internet, but sleeping on victory and not having the right strategy forced them to sell themselves.

Nokia once dominated the global phone market in the 1990s, but its slow innovation in the face of rivals cost it.

Trust in the enterprise customer group and slow response to changes in the smartphone market has cost BlackBerry dearly.