An
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
you stay out longer and catch more fish?"
The Mexican said, "With
this I have more than enough to support my family's 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 Los Angeles and eventually
New York where you will run your ever-expanding enterprise."
The Mexican
fisherman asked, "But, how long will this all take?"
To which the
American replied, "15 to 20 years."
"But what then?" 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 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."