By the mid '90s, it looked like the car industry was a dinosaur awaiting to breathe its last, and then miracles started happening.

NPR: Detroit Automakers Face Extinction

"No matter what shape you're in, if you're good enough to get a quarterback who can help you, then I think miracles can happen, " Brandt said.

WSJ: There Is Hope for the Jets After All

The consensus thinking holds that, if a growth company can't keep producing miracles, then something's wrong with it.

FORBES: The Road Less Traveled