Important lessons can be drawn from a year that dashed expectations for solidifying tech unicorns and, instead, yielded mixed results with more downsides than highlights. It remains to be seen whether investors are shifting their focus from growth to profit, or investment outcomes indicate a clear divergence between public and private market investors. Negative interest rates and incentives by which countries can get paid to borrow have turned common wisdom upside-down. While some experts describe a scenario for a return to pre-2008 markets, others assert that the status quo will prevail. As the longest economic expansion on record continues, it may be time for a reality check to identify the sectors of the markets that have seen the most change, as well as likely pockets of risk or opportunity.