Two Farmers Speculating on Opportunity
January 28, 2009 – 5:08 pm | by Matt AckersonIt is unfortunate that my experiences as an entrepreneur thus far have served to make me more cynical. The upside is that my vision has become clearer and more “realistic.” Many of the most successful business individuals I know are characterized as realists rather than idealists. However idealism has some value as a positive, motivating force. There is an metaphor that accurately explains this dichotomy:
Two farmers meet in a field right as the planting season is upon them. One of them is an Idealist, the other a Realist. The Idealist remarks to the Realist, “This field is ripe. We can grow our crops in this field. We can sell them at the marketplace. We can use the money to hire farmhands and buy more land. Soon we will be like managers. Soon after that we will be the managers of managers and eventually our farm will be so large and well managed that we can retire and the business can run itself.”
The Realist is thinks for a moment and looks around at the barren brown soil. He turns to the Idealist and responds, “Yes, there is opportunity here. But in order to get to the point you describe we must first acquire the seeds and plant the crops with our own hands. We must nourish the crops as the grow and keep the insects away until they are ripe. When the time is ripe we must develop a method of transportation to get the crops to the marketplace so that we may sell them. We will have no reputation to begin with so we will have to learn ropes, we will have to find the buyers. When the season is over we must figure out our expenses to last through the Winter when inventory may be low or non-existent. In a few years perhaps we can hire some fieldhands, but they must be trained. We will have to train them. In a few more years perhaps we can earn enough to buy a new plot of land, but that may prove more difficult than expected. Yes, the opportunity that you speak of is quite out of reach from where we stand today. However, if we commit ourselves to the chores and the mundane work required of us and if we are willing learn, we can get to that place that you speak of. It may take a decade or two, but it may be possible.”
Tags: entrepreneurship, idealism, realism
