system based on trust. No doubt many people took advantage of it, but since most people are honest, the creators of popular programs and games did prosper.

Now, many software developers are leaving their cubicles and once again starting their own companies. But they're not seeking money from vent

Smart software developers are not worried about their jobs being outsourced to India or about being laid off when they're 30 years old.

Because they're the boss.

They're using their programming skills to solve problems, selling their software solutions online.

They're starting their own software companies, now called micro-ISVs.

Many high tech workers have shown a proclivity toward self-employment and entrepreneurialism -- dating back to the earliest days of Silicon Valley. And although the dot com craze of the late 1990s had Wall Street going ape over Internet companies that didn't make any profits . . . it was inspiring that a new generation of techies were looking to start their own companies rather than "just code" for someone else.

In the 1980s and 1990s, single programmers made some extra money (a lot of extra money in a few cases) by creating shareware programs. They uploaded their games, utilities and business applications to computer bulletin boards and, later, online services such as CompuServe.

Anyone could download the program and try it out. If you liked it, you were supposed to send some money to the developer. It was essentially a try before you buy system based on trust. No doubt many people took advantage of it, but since most people are honest, the creators of popular programs and games did prosper.

Now, many software developers are leaving their cubicles and once again starting their own companies. But they're not seeking money from ventu

n software companies, now called micro-ISVs.

Many high tech workers have shown a proclivity toward self-employment and entrepreneurialism -- dating back to the earliest days of Silicon Valley. And although the dot com craze of the late 1990s had Wall Street going ape over Internet companies that didn't make any profits . . . it was inspiring that a new generation of techies were looking to start their own companies rather than "just code" for someone else.

In the 1980s and 1990s, single programmers made some extra money (a lot of extra money in a few cases) by creating shareware programs. They uploaded their games, utilities and business applications to computer bulletin boards and, later, online services such as CompuServe.

Anyone could download the program and try it out. If you liked it, you were supposed to send some money to the developer. It was essentially a try before you buy system based on trust. No doubt many people took advantage of it, but since most people are honest, the creators of popular programs and games did prosper.

Now, many software developers are leaving their cubicles and once again starting their own companies. But they're not seeking money from vent

dn't make any profits . . . it was inspiring that a new generation of techies were looking to start their own companies rather than "just code" for someone else.

In the 1980s and 1990s, single programmers made some extra money (a lot of extra money in a few cases) by creating shareware programs. They uploaded their games, utilities and business applications to computer bulletin boards and, later, online services such as CompuServe.

Anyone could download the program and try it out. If you liked it, you were supposed to send some money to the developer. It was essentially a try before you buy system based on trust. No doubt many people took advantage of it, but since most people are honest, the creators of popular programs and games did prosper.

Now, many software developers are leaving their cubicles and once again starting their own companies. But they're not seeking money from vent

hey uploaded their games, utilities and business applications to computer bulletin boards and, later, online services such as CompuServe.

Anyone could download the program and try it out. If you liked it, you were supposed to send some money to the developer. It was essentially a try before you buy system based on trust. No doubt many people took advantage of it, but since most people are honest, the creators of popular programs and games did prosper.

Now, many software developers are leaving their cubicles and once again starting their own companies. But they're not seeking money from vent

system based on trust. No doubt many people took advantage of it, but since most people are honest, the creators of popular programs and games did prosper.

Now, many software developers are leaving their cubicles and once again starting their own companies. But they're not seeking money from venture capitalists or expecting to launch a Wall Street IPO (Initial Public Offering) a la Netscape 1995.

No, that business model failed.

Rather, they're going back to basic bootstrapping. Finding a need and then selling their software online -- with the advent of online payment processors, they now want your money before you can download the program.

Big Attic House Software, AutomatedQA, YesSoftware, DiFolders Software, Six Apart, Oryx Digital, Antair, Virtuoza, Fog Creek Software, Safari Software, Wildroot Software, Sunbelt Software, SourceGear and many more are all examples of this trend.

ISV is Microsoft-speak for Independent Sofware Vendor. "Micro" means it's one or two programmers in their underwear in their basement.

Promiment spokespeople include Jack Spolsky, Eric Sink and Bob Walsh.

Some of these new work-at-home CEOs prefer to be called simply start-up software companies.

No matter -- they're techie capitalists, and I applaud them.

If you'd like to join them, I must warn you that your success will depend on learning some very nontechie-like ways of thinking. Such as:

1. Pre-product Marketing.

Some micro-ISV writers urge you to find