A Piranha Lesson: Focus or Die

As odd as it sounds, it nevertheless is true, --I inherited a piranha named “Prez”.

It was 1996 and I just transferred to a new area where I would be staying for a few months in a small upper room apartment. As I got to the front door of the apartment, there was a solitary note at eye level that simply said, “Don’t kill Prez! Further instructions inside.”

Well you can image my bewilderment and curiosity. Who was this “Prez” and why would I consider homicide let alone harm anyone? The answer came quickly. In the front entrance to the apartment was a fish tank sitting on a small side table with some instructions next to the tank.

“This is Prez, a Black Piranha from the Amazon. He is about 15 years old and has been handed down through the years to all those who have stayed in this apartment. There is a pet shop at the end of the street where you can buy gold fish to feed him. He eats once a week. Do Not Kill Prez.”

“How cool” was all I could think of at the moment as I bent down to peer into the tank. The water was murky and dirty, but there was no mistaking him as he patrolled the length of his tank. He was about 8-9 inches long and about 6 inches tall. Wow, a real piranha!

Within a few days I was standing in front of a now clean tank and holding a bag of eight gold fish with such intrigue and excitement of the prospect of witnessing a piranha eat. I had images of a frenzied killer that would devour everything and anything that came in view, a miniaturized “Jaws” if you will.

Well the moment of truth came as I emptied the gold fish into the tank and then watched with eagerness.

Prez immediately swam towards the small school of fish as they scattered this way and that. The anticipation was killing me as I watch Prez circle and then circle and then circle some more. I kept watching but nothing was happening. I did this for a few minutes more, but then concluded that he must not be hungry. Being let down I had other things to do and had to leave. Before I left, I counted the gold fish once more. I wanted to see how many would be left when I returned.

Well a few days passed and then finally a week and still the count of the gold fish remained the same. What was going on? Why wouldn’t he eat? A few more days passed and I noticed that his color was starting to pale. I couldn’t believe this, I would somehow be responsible for killing Prez after all these years.

So finally with determination I decided I would figure this out once and for all. I took a chair from the kitchen table and sat down in front of the tank. I wasn’t going anywhere until I could find a solution to keep Prez alive.

I watched him pace back and forth and watched the gold fish swim from one side to the other. Then after what seemed like a few hours it happened. Prez made a bee line move towards one of the gold fish. “This is it”, I thought, “He’s going to eat.” I held my breath and then at the last moment possible Prez changed directions and started at another fish. Again, he swam with quickness and energy. And again at the very last moment he would switch targets and pursue another gold fish. This went on for a few more minutes and then he stopped altogether.

The realization of why he was starving to death nearly knocked me out off my chair. Prez couldn’t focus long enough on one target without being distracted by another. Quickly I scooped all the gold fish out of the tank. Then I placed just one inside with Prez.

It was a remarkable scene to witness. Prez cut through the water like an arrow flying unyielding to its target. His jaws opened as the gold fish tried to make a retreat, but Prez closed his jaws down and in a single bite severed the little fish into two pieces. Then with the same determination quickly devoured the other half of the gold fish. I stood wide eyed and amazed at the speed and agility and shear fierceness of his kill. I quickly placed a second gold fish in the tank. Again the same amazing scene took place. So one by one Prez consumed all eight little gold fish.

I’m not sure what happened to Prez after I left, but twenty years later I’ve never forgotten the importance of focus.

I’ve seen all too often throughout my career how businesses and especially startups falter because of a lack of focus and a lack of clearly defined objectives and messaging. No one person or business can be everything to everyone, but they can focus on that ‘one thing’ that can make them truly great in what often feels like a world full of piranhas.