[scarecrowbob]

I don't work at quite the same level--I'm quite dirts (as they say here), but I have done a bit of consulting even though, I'm swinging back through freelancing and considering going back to being an employee.

What I found most useful was the picture of a person working for an existing business who has knowledge of the entire pipeline from the sales process through development:

"Armed with the knowledge of the entire software pipeline-from sales, to development, to maintenance-I hit the ground running the very next day in search of my first contract."

I think that is a key among most of the really good consultants that I have met.