Your generalized assumptions about business do not reflect ant reality known to me, Bill.First: This world operates under natural "meritocracy", contrived emotive slur that it is. In this world "merit" denotes admirable virtue but poor quality does not. In this world pride in doing good work is motivating but paying someone equally for shoddy work saps both pride and motivation. In this world productivity is honored and sucking off the system is not. You didn't advocate anything in lieu of "meritocracy" but I can guess that according to you wage inequities or more basically, wages, shouldn't exist. At least that is what is implied by many in this crowd.
Second: The health of any business is determined by its efficiency. Why is anyone entitled to eat if the efficiency of the enterprise that feeds them isn't one of their primal concerns? I personally resent anyone who works for me that can't see past their paycheck. Underlying this attitude is a mentality that suggests that a job in an entitlement owed to them. Perhaps this is the main difference between an entrepreneur and an ordinary laborer. I always knew that if I contributed to the success of a business, I'd benefit with my boss and I almost always did. Sure, I had a selfish boss or two but always had an option of whether I wished to offer my services to them.
Third: My competition is producing propellers at less cost. They are also poorer quality propellers. When I said "industry standards" I meant composite technology in general. I pay in excess of what the local boat and aerospace fabricators pay fiberglass workers or assemblers, of which there are a number in this general area. I pay well in excess of my specific competitors. I know this because I used to manage one of the two other U.S. manufactures who make composite propellers for this segment of the aviation industry. Producing better propellers at a higher cost has made my business flourish. Fit that into your paradigm, Bill. I've been steadily improving the quality and raising the prices for years and I keep getting more and more business. Why do you suppose that is? Are we only looking at another one of Stu's misguided anecdotes or are there far more market forces at work here than just price.
I suggest that if there are far more forces than just price which determine the future of any business then you have underestimated the complexity of people and shouldn't be offering pat theoretical explanations of how the world works.
I also suggest you probably shouldn't ride in any airplanes built by the collective.
Stuart Gort
