Source: Sagiv Ofek
Published: August 2022

The Parable of the Businesswoman and the Fisherman

An American businesswoman is in a small, coastal fishing village in Mexico. She sees a fisherman inside a small boat with large yellowfin tuna and asks how long it took to catch these beautiful fish. The fisherman replies that it took only a little while.

The American asks 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 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 siestas with my wife, and play guitar with my amigos.”

The American scoffed, “I have a business management degree 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. With enough scale, you could even open your own cannery and brand! You could 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 New York City, where you will run your enterprise.”

The Mexican fisherman asked, “But, how long will this take?”

To which the American replied, “15 – 20 years.” 

“But what then?” Asked the fisherman.

The American laughed and said, “When the time is right, you would announce an IPO, sell your company stock to the public, and become very rich. You would make millions!”

“Millions – then what?” Replied the fisherman.

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 siestas with your wife, and play your guitar with your amigos.”

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