Late in 2008, when it was becoming apparent that the economic downturn was not a simple blip but a serious recession, Warren Buffet confidently predicted that the American economy would bounce back and be as strong as ever. However, he observed, "the economy that emerges will not be the same economy that entered the downturn." Since then, one could hardly pick up a newspaper or a magazine without seeing another article in which economic gurus describe with great confidence what this "New Economy" will look like. In this article, the author presents three defining characteristics, pillars, of the new economy: (1) small is beautiful; (2) the workforce--not your father's Oldsmobile; and (3) the value-conscious consumer.