Isn't plan B start another company? Are you sure you want to be an entrepreneur in the first place or just getting caught up in startups school hype. Ask yourself if this is what you want to do for the rest of your life and don't dabble in it if your heart says otherwise..
I prefer the lawfirm model of business: steady growth, repeat business over the years. Of course, no one becomes a billionaire this way but one can do pretty well. Would this qualify as a startup, as defined by startup school?
Doubtful, this is your traditional consulting model. I've been in consulting now for 10+ years. It's a good business and definitely beats the pants out of a corporate job, but it's no software startup. Consulting is essentially a relationship business, not a technology business.
I'm cool with consulting. As you point out, it's relationship-based, which means that it probably doesn't obsolete as quickly as a business based solely on technology.
In your business, have you been able to take the IP you developed and create your own product?
I learned a couple things from a few similar projects, and realized there was a gap in the market for a particular product. The firm I was with (and some others who approach it in a similar fashion) all did custom development for this particular business problem.
Nothing in the world wrong with consulting, that's for sure. It's just not scalable. I'm still completely amazed at how big the Big 4, Sapient, and a few others have gotten.
