Discussion on:

Prepare for the reality of business downturns

Your article is poignant, considering the economic turmoil that the country is currently experiencing. As a pragmatist (leaning towards optimist!), I have to look at the situation unemotionally, and determine: a) what can I learn from this, and b)what can I do about it?

This attitude allows me to relegate uncertainty to the level of an experiment, an "IT Test Tube", so to speak.

I work for a very large mortgage company, and we're enjoying record growth. But rather than be complacent, I ask myself "why aren't we having to cut back like other companies"? The bulk of the answer is the Prime Rate; the Fed keeps lowering it, making refinanced homes attractive.

Does that mean that the converse is true: an upturn in the economywill lower our business volume? Possibly. Which is why I'm working harder than ever to capture market share right now.

The Chinese have a saying "The more you sweat in peace, the less you bleed in war." Right now, it's peacetime for my company, but wartime for others.

My philosophy, derived from years of painfully-gained experience as a Software Development Manager, is to: a) evaluate everything, especially new technologies, b) constantly try new things, knowing that many will fail, and c) implement only the best.

Thanks again for a very relevant article.
John Baerg

We removed extra fat by relocating office premises and diversified from Javabased solutions for the financial sector into Microsoft and Oracle technologies in verticles ranging from Transport to Telecommunication. It's basically allowed us to sustain the same labor force!