They're Survivors, Too What's the secret to their success in the dotcom world? People.

Kevin Benz, 44, and Fred Barrett, 41, like to play. Theirsuburban Seattle office is cluttered with Rocky and Bullwinkleparaphernalia, a favorite "novelty" toy (we promised notto mention what it is), Web phones and laptops. Once a month, Benz(below left) and Barrett order pizza and use the projector in theconference room to play movies all afternoon. Some days, they taketheir 15 employees to a rock concert or invite them and theirfamilies water- or snow-skiing. Is that any way to do business withso many dotcom failures littering the landscape?

You bet it is, say Benz and Barrett, self-proclaimed Internetgurus and co-founders of InterKnack.com, a 2-year-old XML Webdesign company in Bellevue, Washington. But these survivors ofcorporate America also know how to work hard. They didn't justweather last year's dotcom bust; they thrived: 2000 sales hit$2.65 million, up from $1 million in 1999. And this year, sales areexpected to reach upward of $3.5 million. The company's clientlist is equally impressive: To date, it includes Cisco, Seafair(Seattle's summer festival) and a project for Vatican-sponsoredWorld Youth Day.