Andrew Gideon wrote:

For what it's worth, I read an interesting editorial recently. It
pointed out that business climates like this cause established companies
to pull back...which leaves opportunities for "risk takers". It further
explained that both Oracle and Microsoft had formed during similar times.

Not to mention that outsourcing opportunities often increase when larger
businesses pull back.

Everything I manage in the course of my job at a biggie is actually
completed hands-on by contractors. I used to worry about outsourcing.
Now, I realize that I've developed a whole new salable skill set of
managing outsourced work.