[nickpleis]

I wonder if this takes into account the new micro tech startups? I doubt it.

What this is really indicative of is just how bad the credit situation was in early 2009. I know that restaurants and other capital intensive 'start-ups' really suffered.

[grellas]

I don't think so, as I deal with such startups every day and they are going very strong right now.

Startups can be viewed from what I call an "MBA perspective" or from an "independent founder" perspective, and these views are fundamentally different. The Economist sees the world from the MBA perspective and is not at all focused on what might be called the street level where independent launch and grow their ventures.

This is now actually a very promising time for early-stage ventures that do not have immediate capital-intensive needs.