The smart American with the MBA

A boat docked in a small Fijian village. An American tourist complimented the Fijian fisherman on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took him to catch them.

"Not very long," answered the Fijian. "But then, why didn't you stay out longer and catch more?" asked the American. The Fijian 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, have an afternoon rest under a coconut tree. In the evenings, I go into the community hall to see
my friends, have a few bowls, 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. 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 middle man, you can negotiate directly with the processing plants and maybe even open your own plant. You can then leave this little village and move to Suva, Australia, New Zealand, Los Angeles, or even New York City! From there you can direct your huge enterprise."

"How long would that take?" asked the Fijian. "Twenty, perhaps twenty-five years," replied the American. "And after that?" "Afterwards? That's when it gets really interesting," answered the American, laughing. "When your business gets really big, you can start selling stocks and make millions!"

"Millions? Really? And after that?" "After that you'll be able to retire, live in a small village near the sea, sleep late, play with your children, catch a few fish, take a nap under a coconut tree, and spend your evenings enjoying your friends"