I mean, you jest, but look at how the tech press covered Apple for years, especially after Jobs' death: "Tim Cook should be fired, he hasn't brought out anything as world-changing as the iPhone in the two/five/eight years he's been CEO!" Not to mention "The iPad doesn't do these five incredibly specific things that Android tablets do, and one Android tablet maker says they'll be making one next year that's faster than the current model iPad!"

So many people, even those who should absolutely know better, seemed to get caught in the trap of believing that a company—any company—can only be "viable" if it can constantly outdo itself and all its competitors.