The author of this little mexican story is unfortunately unknown.

An American investor is walking along the water in a little Mexican coastal village. A boat comes in the harbor, with a few tuna fish on the deck. The American compliments the fisherman on the quality of his fish and asks him how long it took him to catch them.

– "Not too long", answers the fisherman.

– "But then, why didn’t you stay at sea longer to catch some more?", asks the banker.

The Mexican answers that those few fish will be enough to feed his family.

The American then asks: "But what do you do the rest of the time?"

– "I sleep late, I fish a little, I play with my kids, I take naps with my wife. In the evening, I go see my friends in the village. We drink wine and play the guitar. I’m busy all right."

The American interrupts him: "I have an MBA from Harvard University and I can help you. You should start by fishing for longer periods of time. With the benefits you’ll get from selling the fish, you could buy a bigger boat. With the money you’d get thanks to this boat, you could buy a second boat and so on until you have a whole fleet. Instead of selling your fish to intermediaries, you could negotiate directly with a cannery, or open your own cannery. You could then leave your little village for Mexico City, L.A. and then maybe New York, where you’d direct the operations."

The Mexican then asks: "How long would that take?"

– 15 to 20 years, answers the banker.

– And then?

– Then it gets very interesting, answers the American, smiling. When the moment comes, you can put your society on the stock market and earn millions.

– Millions? But then what?

– Then you can retire, live in a small coastal village, sleep late, play with your kids, fish a little, take naps with your wife, and spend your evenings drinking and playing the guitar with your friends.