economy
May 4, 2026
Bees or Flies?
In 1870, Japan was emerging from a civil war that had pitted samurai against modernizers and left the country in ruins. In that same year, an ambitious young man named Yataro Iwasaki founded what we know today as Mitsubishi with three old steamships. He didn't wait for the country to fix itself: he built while everything was falling apart. It's a story that repeats itself in every nation that eventually prospers. And in Colombia, it repeats itself with a frequency that should fill us with pride — but which we rarely notice.
TL;DR
- Prosperous nations are built by those who create and innovate during times of crisis, not by those who wait for conditions to improve.
- Colombia has a history of founding significant institutions during periods of civil war, violence, and economic hardship.
- Examples include Mitsubishi (Japan), Universidad de Los Andes, Suramericana de Seguros, Bavaria, Avianca, Almacenes Éxito, ICETEX, Ecopetrol, EPM, EAFIT, ICESI, Universidad del Norte, Fedesarrollo, and M-19 (Colombia), as well as Hewlett-Packard, Hyundai, and Adidas (international).
- The article encourages readers to adopt a 'bee' mentality, focusing on finding opportunities and building even in difficult circumstances, rather than a 'fly' mentality that focuses on negative aspects.
- Despite current challenges, the article suggests there are more positive developments ('flowers') than negative ones ('rubble') in Colombia today.