This is the first recession where the Internet is the primary driving force for almost every business, big and small as well as millions of free agent individuals. In the last recession, many traditional businesses breathed a sigh of relief that all the craziness was past. You would have to have your head buried very deep in the sand to take that view now. Online is the only way forward. This makes the stakes very high for everybody, not just a few people in tech/media.

Globalization is kicking into a higher gear during this recession. America is at the epicenter this time and Asia is the best hope for a growth engine. In the last recession, globalization meant large companies cutting costs by outsourcing. In this recession, globalization means revenue opportunity and it means cost cutting by individuals and small businesses through “personal outsourcing“.