I’ve always loved this anecdote from the book The Art of Possibility (OK, it does have kind of a creepy colonialist vibe to it, but other than that it’s great):

The Art of Possibility by Rosamund Zander and Benjamin ZanderA shoe factory sends two marketing scouts to a region of Africa to study the prospects for expanding business.

One sends back a telegram saying, “SITUATION HOPELESS STOP NO ONE WEARS SHOES.”

The other writes back triumphantly, “GLORIOUS BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY STOP THEY HAVE NO SHOES.”
 
 
 

 

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