Cook's strategy for survival is simple: "We take things that are mission critical and complex and we make them simple. We do that, people see it as a revolution. If you do it right, you develop a really good business."

Intuit's latest revolutionary thought: taxation without frustration. Cook says you can now "do your taxes without doing any work. The numbers get filled in for you." Say hello to TurboTax's Automated Tax Return, ideal for working stiffs but less so for those of us who itemize. "If your taxes are like mine, then you'll still have some extra to do by hand," says Cook.

Ultimately, however, the real money lies in servicing small businesses. That's why Intuit is offering new tools to help little guys automate critical systems like payroll, buying, selling, and managing information and customers on the Web. Witness QuickBooks 2001's new electronic invoicing. "When the invoice arrives by e-mail, you can pay it instantly 'through PayPal'," Cook says. "Coming soon, you'll be able to pay it from your bank account."

And maybe some of that money will find its way to Intuit.