What Is Success?
The American investment banker was at the pier
of 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, "But what do you do with
the rest of your 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."
The American scoffed, "I am a Harvard MBA and could
help you. You should spend more time fishing 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, how long
will this all take?"
To which the American replied, "15-20 years."
"But what then?"
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 and become
very rich. You would make millions."
"Millions.... 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."
For every difficult question, there is an answer
that is clear and simple and wrong.
George Bernard Shaw