The primary basis for startup ideas is personal experience, either at work or at home. Knowledge gleaned from a present or recent job often allows a person to see possibilities for modifying an existing product, improving a service, or duplicating a business concept in a different location. Republican Maradik and Jay Graves developed a sophisticated database for the Republican Party in Tennessee to use in its direct-mail fundraising. We went 10 demographic categories deep into each person, recalls Maradik. We knew their household income, what kind of car they drove, and what magazines they read. With the blessing of their former employer, Maradik and Graves quit their jobs, deposited $15 in a checking account, and negotiated for some free office space where they put a card table and two chairs. The new business they started was DataMark, a direct-mail database Marketing company. The firm eventually grew to 26 employees, with 200 customers and annual sales of $4 million.