clipped from www.entrepreneur.com Lessons From The Fall Of Giants 4 lessons to be learned from the crash and burn of industry leaders. By Luke McKinney | July 29, 2009 Avoid Complacency The Lesson: No matter how long you've operated or how much money you've made, the market is always changing; ignoring the problem doesn't help. Know Your Market The Lesson: By success, responsibility or simple experience you will become a different person from your market. Make sure to remember what you customers want, and act accordingly. Move With The Times The Lesson: Adapt with the times or face extinction. It's not enough to know that your product/service works--you have to stay aware of what other people are offering. Accept Responsibility If you can't think of anything that's your fault, you're paranoid. --unknown The Lesson: If you find yourself blaming someone else for your troubles, ask yourself, "What are they doing that I'm not?" The most important thing is learning from mistakes, and nobody says they have to be yours.