How the MBA-Wall Street types think>
THE FISHERMAN
A boat docked in a tiny Mexican village. An American tourist
complimented the Mexican fisherman on the quality of his fish
and asked how long it took him to catch them.
"Not very long," answered the Mexican.
"But then, why didn't you stay out longer and catch more?"
asked the American.
The Mexican explained that his small catch was sufficient to
meet his needs and those of his family.
The American asked, "But what do you do with the rest of your
time?"
"I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, and take a
siesta with my wife. In the evenings, I go into the village to
see my friends, have a few drinks, play the guitar, and sing a
few songs... I have a full life."
The American interrupted, "I have an MBA from Harvard and I can
help you! You should start by fishing longer every day. You can
then sell the extra fish you catch. With the extra revenue, you
can buy a bigger boat. With the extra money the larger boat
will bring, you can buy a second one and a third one and so on
until you have an entire fleet of trawlers. Instead of selling
your fish to a middle man, you can negotiate directly with the
processing plants and maybe even open your own plant. You can
then leave this little village and move to Mexico City, Los
Angeles, or even New York City! From there you can direct your
huge enterprise."
"How long would that take?" asked the Mexican.
"Twenty, perhaps twenty-five years," replied the American.
"And after that?"
"Afterwards? That's when it gets really interesting," answered
the American, laughing. "When your business gets really big,
you can start selling stocks and make millions!"
"Millions? Really? And after that?"
"After that you'll be able to retire, live in a tiny village
near the coast, sleep late, play with your children, catch a
few fish, take a siesta, and spend your evenings drinking and
enjoying your friends!" |
