Read About The Mexican Fisherman and The Harvard MBA
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."
"And after that?" asked the Mexican. "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 middleman, you can then
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 new enterprise."
"How long would that take?" asked the Mexican.
"Twenty, perhaps twenty-five years,"
replied the American. "And after that?" "Afterwards? Well my
friend, that's when it gets
really interesting," answered the American, laughing. "When your
business gets really
big, you can start buying and selling stocks and make millions!"
"Millions? Really?
And after that?" asked the Mexican. "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
with your wife and spend your evenings drinking and enjoying your friends."