American businessman was at a pier in a
small coastal
Mexican village when a small boat with just one
fisherman
docked. Inside the small boat were several large
yellow-fin
tuna. The American complimented the Mexican on the quality of
his
fish and asked how long it took to catch them.
The Mexican replied
only a little while.
The American then asked why didn’t he
stay out longer and
catch more fish?
The Mexican said he had
enough to support his family’s
immediate needs.
The American
then asked the Mexican how he spent the rest of
his time.
The Mexican fisherman said, „I sleep late, fish a little,
play with my
children, take siesta with my wife, Maria,
stroll into the village
each evening where I sip wine and
play guitar with my amigos. I have
a full and busy life,
senor.“
The American scoffed, „I am a
Harvard MBA and could help
you. You should spend more time fis
hing and, with the
proceeds, buy a bigger boat. With the proceeds
from the
bigger boat, you could buy several boats, eventually you
would have a fleet of fishing boats. Instead of selling your
catch
to a middleman you would sell directly to the
processor, eventually
opening your own cannery. You would
control the product, processing
and distribution.
„You would need to leave this small coastal
fishing village
and move to Mexico City, then LA and eventually NYC
where you
will run your expanding enterprise.“
The Mexican
fisherman asked, „But senor, how long will this
all take?“
To
which the American replied, „15-20 years.“
„But what then,
senor?“ asked the Mexican.
The American laughed, and said, „That’s
the best part! When
the time is right, you would announce an IPO and
sell your
company stock to the public. You’ll become very rich,
you
would make millions!“
„Millions, senor?“ replied t
he Mexican. „Then what?“
The American said, „Then you would
retire. Move to a small
coastal fishing village where you would sleep
late, fish a
little, play with your kids, take siesta with your
wife,
stroll to the village in the evenings where you could sip
wine
and play your guitar with your amigos.“
