Some unemployed dotcommers have picked themselves up, dusted themselves off, and are learning what real businesses are about.

Where once a sales call meant driving to a mirrored glass building in Silicon Valley to pitch clients on $250,000 software packages, Mr. Ehrmann’s pitches now involve handing out little plastic cups of soup to people on the street.

“People love soup,” Mr. Ehrmann said. “I say I’m building a soup company and people say, `Soup ? that’s cool.’ It’s satisfying. You’re giving people something that affects them right away.”