"We were looking to get into a second-tier market, " he says now.

CNN: Business Investing

While that continues, low-cost PC cameras will become increasingly attractive to consumers, spurring growth of second- and third-tier vendors which are expected to challenge market leaders Logitech and Intel, IDC is forecasting.

CNN: Digital, PC cameras march to convergence

Surely McKinsey, BCG, Bain or BoozAllen must be viewed differently by the market than some second-tier cheap-suit shop?

FORBES: Does the stock market appreciate management consultants?

The difference is that there was no formal VC class back then: merely investment-minded second-tier deal-makers who did their wheeling and dealing in the interstices of the stock market, Robber Baron and small-entrepreneur worlds.

FORBES: Entrepreneurs are the New Labor: Part II

Operators are worried about having ordered too aggressively in May and June, the low-end market has suddenly softened, steep price cuts of many spring models are necessary to move some second-tier merchandise.

FORBES: Has A Serious Mobile Phone Slump Started In Europe?

Chile shows that it is possible to defeat the Latin American curse by adopting an open market and political reform accompanied by the political courage to implement second-tier reforms in pensions, education and health.

ECONOMIST: Teachers v vouchers

The second tier of Peugeot, Fiat, Hyundai, Honda and Mitsubishi all have 3-5% market shares, and all but the Japanese duo depend on their home region.

ECONOMIST: Car mergers