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Priceless Conversations

From my recent trip to China.

I'm not making this stuff up.

THE CHARACTERS

CONSULTANT: works out of Beijing office of top-tier consulting firm, now in a post-MBA position, on track to make partner in several years, holds bachelor's and master's from an elite university

OTHER GUY: former venture capitalist, holds bachelor's and MBA from elite universities, recently moved to Shanghai

Let the conversations begin.

1.
OTHER GUY: "I really want to get into consulting."

CONSULTANT: "How old are you?"

OG: "Thirty-three."

C: "Ah, you've waited too long."

Pause.

C: "Consulting -- it’s just training. Yeah, you've probably waited too long. You should go do something real now."

Turns out "Other Guy" has been waiting too long.

2.
CONSULTANT: Have you started doing interviews?

OTHER GUY: Oh, I have an interview set up -- with your firm, actually.

Other Guy thinks he has impressed Consultant.

C: Congrats. When are you interviewing?

OG: Oh, well I had an interview set up. Back in March. I postponed it.

C looks at his watch, confirms that it's June.

Reminds me of an exchange from Good Will Hunting

SEAN: Yeah? You got a lady now?

WILL: Yeah, I went on a date last week.

SEAN: How'd it go?

WILL: Fine.

SEAN: Well, are you going out again?

WILL: I don't know.

SEAN: Why not?

WILL: Haven't called her.

SEAN: Jesus Christ, you are an amateur.

Now, back to Consultant, who in addition to kicking butt at his job, is also a social connector, extraordinaire. Loves entertaining, big groups, fine dining, late nights, heavy drinking. Below, our conversation the next evening.

3.
Me: So when will you get into the restaurant/bar/club business? I know you've thought about it.

C: Yeah, I’ve talked about it with my friends.

Pause.

C: It just takes a lot of time, and it's a tough business. You’ve got to manage it really well.

ME: Isn’t that the point? The fun of it? You're a management consultant. Thought you'd want to manage a business really well.

C: Not at all. I just tell other people how to do it. I don't have to do the management. They have to do it. I just write and talk, that’s all.

Posted by Ian Ybarra on 2 July 2005

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