Ejabat was probably the perfect CEO for Ascend when its customers were primarily engineering managers at Internet companies.

FORBES: A billion-dollar startup

The autonomous car idea got a boost in 2010 when Google Inc. disclosed its effort to perfect the technology.

WSJ: But Can It Find the Perfect Parking Spot, Too?

Jesalva said he was in the group that spent the night on the picturesque mountain, known for its almost-perfect cone, when the volcano rumbled back to life early in the morning and rocks "as big as a living room" came raining down on them.

NPR: Philippine Volcano Spews Rocks, Killing 5 Climbers

We should remember, the Titanic was groundbreaking for its time, but a perfect example of when innovation was put ahead of security.

FORBES: A Call To Arms For Enterprise Mobile Security

That makes Crook County (pop. 13, 500) the nation's last bellwether county. (Bellwether, literally, means the lead sheep in a flock.) The nation lost its other remaining perfect prognosticator in 1984, when Walter Mondale edged Reagan by 303 votes in Iowa's Palo Alto County.

CNN: The Place That Picks Winners

"If you had a crystal ball and could know when the market is at its low, that would be the perfect time to buy and get the profits, " Ball said.

CNN: For some skillful and plucky investors, it's a buyer's market

When we reached Pisa and its charmingly goofy tower, each of us took turns standing at the perfect spot, grimacing, arms outstretched, for the photo of ourselves holding up the tower.

NEWYORKER: The Grand Tour

The Vienna Philharmonic gave its first note-perfect performance under Mr Kaplan's baton and he experienced his deepest satisfaction when the horn section, struggling in a recording session to accommodate the changes, played one passage 11 times in their earnestness to get it right.

ECONOMIST: Gilbert Kaplan

When much of the market is priced for perfection, its time to take a look at the less-than-perfect specimens.

FORBES: Time to buy some also-rans