I did it the first time back in 2009 when I was laid-off from HP. I was in close contact with external teams in India doing programming work for the projects I

I did it the first time back in 2009 when I was laid-off from HP. I was in close contact with external teams in India doing programming work for the projects I was in. So when bad news came, I asked the engagement managers from those companies if I could partner with them in case I decided to run my own business selling outsourced dev work in India. One of the answers was: "Not really. We are too expensive for you... but, I can put you in contact with my cousin who runs a much smaller company with prices you can afford". So I went ahead that way and ran my business in partnership with this Indian company for 4 years. It was a remarkable experience for a first time entrepreneur.