We look at ourselves: How to make it big: Engineers as entrepreneurs: Abandoning a secure job and regular paycheck may seem like jumping from a plane without a parachute. What makes engineers leap?

You are a successful engineer who works for a company. Have you ever left a meeting with your manager, feeling frustrated with corporate bureaucracy and dreaming of starting your own company so you could manage it in a way that made sense? Have you ever perceived a surefire marketing opportunity — a niche so obvious that it seemed amazing no one had jumped in to exploit it? Did you ever fail to convince management to develop a unique system you were certain was a winner, tempting you to quit and make the product yourself?