I used to think about the day (ever so closer) when I release a product, amass more money than I could deal with, and start hiring my first employee.

However, my thoughts over the past year have leaned towards building a virtual company, built on outsourcing and personal offshoring, as I have written in the past. This I think is the model for future business in general… It also offers great opportunities for the individual, would-be entrepreneur, not just for “greedy” megacorporations, salivating at the prospects for more layoffs.

Wired now talks about crowdsourcing as an emerging new approach to business.

Technological advances in everything from product design software to digital video cameras are breaking down the cost barriers that once separated amateurs from professionals. Hobbyists, part-timers, and dabblers suddenly have a market for their efforts, as smart companies in industries as disparate as pharmaceuticals and television discover ways to tap the latent talent of the crowd. The labor isn’t always free, but it costs a lot less than paying traditional employees. It’s not outsourcing; it’s crowdsourcing.