Economic historians have several tools to analyze economic successes. Most often, they may seem logical and self-evident, yet by working on past events our reasoning cannot be contradicted because the outcome is known. However, the greatest successes – Swiss and Scandinavian – challenge the most commonly accepted models that explain economic success: such as the exploitation of abundant natural resources, an English-style industrial revolution, or the triumph of large factories. In fact, Swiss, Swedish, and Norwegian examples offer rich subjects for reflection, since their success was based more on small to mid-size companies, government intervention, and a longstanding mastery of statistics.