1. Life of Pi - 5 things it can teach us about Business
After a cargo ship carrying passengers sinks in a violent storm, a solitary lifeboat remains bobbing on
the Pacific. Inside is a resourceful Indian boy named Pi, a handful of zoo animals, and a fierce tiger
called Richard Parker, the only survivors of the wreck. Life of Pi is a tale of faith, hope, and the fight
to survive. The story of how Pi survives, and eventually gets saved can teach us valuable lessons
about both life and Business.
1. ‘With one word, my name went from an elegant French swimming pool to a stinking Indian
latrine - I was pissing everywhere.’
What’s in a name?
At the start of the film Pi is stuck with the unfortunate name of ‘Piscine’ and the incessant
teasing that goes with it. He decides to rename himself ‘Pi’ and sets about convincing his school
friends about the ‘rebrand’. With each lesson that passes Pi announces his new name to the
class, but they just won’t accept it. Its only when he writes out from memory the first 1000 digits
of Pi (the mathematical symbol) that his peers finally accept him as credible.
Whether you are a new brand, established brand or even rebranding, repetition of your brand
name is only half of the answer when it comes to marketing. Sure brand recognition is important
but demonstrating who you are, and what you actually deliver has much more impact when it
comes to potential customers /clients. In all forms of marketing from Social media to your
website examples which ‘show’ not just ‘tell’ what you are capable of are vital in building
credibility with your audience.
2. 2. ‘I can eat the biscuits, but God made tigers carnivorous, so I must learn to catch fish. If I
don't, I'm afraid his last meal would be a skinny vegetarian boy.’
Long term v Short term is important to consider
The most obvious answer isn’t always the right one. Every Business decision we make has
consequences down the line. It’s really important when making business decisions to think
about both the short and long term ramifications of any action you take. When your business
takes a hit, whether that be losing a customer, or being on the wrong end of a bad debt, survival
instinct kicks in and its easy make rash or poor choices. Give yourself space and time to think,
take a second opinion, and weigh up all the options.
If Pi had just decided to eat the biscuits and not think through the long term consequences he
would surely not have survived.
3. ''I had to tame him,'' (Pi) realizes. ''It was not a question of him or me, but of him and me.
We were, literally and figuratively, in the same boat."
You will always have competition
Pi has no way of getting rid of the tiger, he cannot go anywhere, and he cannot beat the tiger
head to head he is too strong. They are stuck in a small space together and they have to find a
way to co-exist. Pi observes the Tiger and finds his weakness (sea sickness), he tracks his
behaviour, and works out where he can work alongside him, where he should attack, and where
he should retreat. He adapts his own behaviours and patterns to play off his strengths against
those of the tiger.
In business we all have competitors, and always will have. The key is to be aware of your
competitors, be ready to adapt and to find ways to co-exist whilst still making a profit. There will
be times where taking a competitor on head on is actually the right thing to do. But sometimes
this isn’t the nest option. Where are their ‘weak points’? Where can you differentiate?
3. 4. “Life on a lifeboat isn’t much of a life. It is like an end game in chess, a game with few pieces. The
elements couldn’t be more simple, nor the stakes higher.”
Survival and Limited Resources
Surviving for long periods of time at sea is extremely difficult, even without an adult tiger in the mix.
Many experts consider survival at sea to be the most difficult survival situation. The three essentials
of survival are protection from the elements, food, and water. Pi makes it clear that lack of abundant
fresh water was his greatest stress at all times, and this is realistic: Pi was in a fairly hospitable
climate and so faced little danger of freezing to death, and humans will die of dehydration long
before they die from starvation.
Surviving in business at times is equally difficult, you need to understand clearly the component
elements of your business, and what the priorities are at all times. With limited resources available
using what you have in the most efficient way possible can be the difference between a business
surviving or disappearing altogether. This is particularly true of startup businesses and those facing
difficult trading conditions. Take stock of what you have, what is essential for survival, and what is
superfluous to requirements. It is surprising how many business owners do not track ROI on their
spending, and something as simple as this can make redistributing your resources much simpler.
5. “The lower you are, the higher your mind will want to soar”.
After a fall aim high
Pi works really hard to build a system where he has his food rations laid out and inventoried,
knowing exactly how much he has to last. He has everything planned and organised, then a whale
comes along and causes a wave so high it washes away almost all of his supplies. It is when Pi is at
his most desperate he becomes most resourceful, doing what he must to survive.
Every business hits a setback at some time or another. The key is to learn from your mistakes, take
stock of what you have got, adapt and move forwards. Keep your end goal always in mind and you
will find new ways to achieve it. When times are tough, that is when we need to be most resourceful
in business and dig deep.
