1. Apple
Apple’s story is well-known to most of you, but it’s worth repeating for its sheer scale. After an early momentum and the creation of truly unique, game-changing products, Apple experienced a fall; over the course of 12 years, its innovation and popularity plummeted, following the 1985 departure of its most inventive mind, Steve Jobs. By the time Jobs was rehired, in 1997, the company was operating at a loss and creeping closer and closer to bankruptcy every year. But after its successful rebranding campaign, a new iMac and the steady restructuring of consumer expectations, Apple turned itself around to become one of the biggest, most successful companies in the world.
This happened, however, only after a 12-year downward spiral.
2. FedEx
Most of us don’t remember FedEx suddenly emerging as a major logistics competitor -- in fact, it’s been around since 1971. We don't dwell either on the survival tale of the $30 billion corporate giant we know today. Yet, after a few years of steady operations, rising gas prices and logistics nightmares, the company was hemorrhaging money, losing a million dollars a month.
At one point, company funds got as low as $5,000; thanks to some skillful positioning (and a little Blackjack), the company managed to skirt this colossal dry spell and became the self-sustaining, profitable behemoth we recognize today.
3. Airbnb
Airbnb is another multi-billion dollar company recognized as a shooting star in the world of startups -- a player that seemed to emerge overnight and grow into something monumental. However, this wasn’t exactly the case. When Airbnb started back in 2008, it struggled to find any footing; prominent investors all over Silicon Valley passed on the idea, and the team had to resort to some patchwork financial fixes -- such as creating custom cereal boxes—to make ends meet. After unrelenting persistence, Airbnb's team employees eventually found the investments they needed, and built the empire you know.
