Date: Fri, 6 Oct 2000 09:26:55 -0400 (EDT) From: Beautiful Grade Subject: BLAGUES-L: The fisherman and the businessman Date: Fri, 22 Sep 2000 12:12:29 -0400 From: Jacques Bernier From: Chantal Ouimet Extrait du feuillet hebdomadaire des nouvelles du departement de biologie de l'Universite de l'Alberta A businessman was at a pier of a small coastal village when a small boat with a local fisherman docked. Inside the small boat were several large yellowfin tuna. The visitor complimented the fisherman on the quality of his fish, and asked how long it took to catch them. The man replied only a little while. The visitor then asked why didn't he stay out longer and catch more fish? The fisherman said, "I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, spend some time with my wife, stroll into the village each evening where I sip wine and play guitar with my friends. I have a full and busy life." The businessman 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 income from the bigger boat you could buy several boats, and 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 the city and eventually to a place like New York City, where you would run your expanding enterprise." The fisherman asked, "But how long with this all take?" To which the businessman replied, "perhaps 10-15 years." "But what then?" The businessman laughed and said, "That's the best part. When the time is right you would announce an IPO and sell your company's stock to the public and become very rich. You would make millions." "Millions!? Then what?" The businessman said, "Then you could retire. Move to a small coastal fishing village where you would sleep late, fish a little, play with your kids, spend some time with your wife, stroll to the village in the evenings where you could sip wine and play your guitar with your friends."