We all think that what we are doing is brand new. We have a way of doing business that no one has ever thought of or tried before. Our business is so unique and has so little in common with other businesses.

But that’s not true. Everything we have today is built upon what was built yesterday. Everything we have has a predecessor that faced similar challenges. The predecessors that you know about most likely survived and built a system to ensure that survival.

What can you learn from an industry that’s kind of like yours and kind of not?