An investment banker visited a coastal Mexican village and saw a local fisherman with a few large yellowfin tuna in his small boat. Impressed with the quality of the fish, the American asked the Mexican how long it took him to catch them.
The Mexican replied, "Only a short while." The American then questioned why the Mexican didn't stay out longer and catch more fish. The Mexican responded that he had caught 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 replied, "I sleep in, fish a little, play with my children, take siestas with my wife Maria, stroll into the village in the evenings, sip wine, and play guitar with my friends. I have a full and contented life."
The American scoffed and said, "I have an MBA from Harvard and can help you. You should spend more time fishing and, with the profits, purchase a larger boat. With the profits from the larger boat, you could buy several more boats, and eventually, you would own a fleet of fishing boats. Instead of selling your catch to a middleman, you would sell directly to the processor and open your cannery. You would manage the product, processing, and distribution, and eventually, you would need to leave this small fishing village and move to Mexico City, then Los Angeles, and ultimately New York City, where you could run your expanding enterprise."
The Mexican fisherman asked, "But how long will this take?"
The American replied, "Fifteen to twenty years."
"But then what?" asked the Mexican.
The American laughed and replied, "That's the best part. When the time is right, you would announce an IPO and sell your company stock to the public. You would become rich, make millions!"
"Millions? Then what?" asked the Mexican.
The American replied, "Then you would retire, move to a small coastal fishing village, sleep in, fish a little, play with your children, take siestas with your wife, stroll into the village in the evenings, sip wine, and play guitar with your friends."