An American investment banker is on vacation in a small Mexican fishing village. He meets a fisherman in a small boat with several large, fresh fish and asks how long it took to catch them. The Mexican replied, “Only a little while.” The banker then asked why he didn’t stay out longer and catch more fish?
The Mexican fisherman replied he had enough to support his family. The American asked, “But what do you do the rest of your time?” The Mexican fisherman replied, “I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, take siesta with my wife, stroll into the village each evening where I sip wine and play guitar with my amigos. I have a full and busy life, señor.”
The investment banker scoffed, “I am an Ivy League MBA and could help you. You could spend more time fishing. With the proceeds you could buy a bigger boat. With the proceeds from the bigger boat, you would have a whole fishing fleet. Instead of selling catch to the middleman you could sell directly to the processor, eventually opening your own cannery.” He added, “Of course you would need to leave this small coastal fishing village and move to Mexico City where you would run your growing enterprise.” The Mexican fisherman asked, “But señor, how long will this all take?” To which the American replied, “15-20 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, sell your company and become very rich. You could make millions.” “Millions, señor? Then what?” To which the investment banker replied, “Then you would retire. You could 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.”