Hemingway’s ‘The Old Man and the Sea’: a fundamental guide to business

Ernest Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea is a timeless, Pulitzer Prize winning novel, both rich in symbolism and conspicuously relevant in its contemporary application. As a parable for entrepreneurs, it is practically without parallel. A simple tale that sees a man set out to achieve a goal, and tackle the challenges that befall him and his determination to realise his ambition.

The Old Man and the Sea‘s succinct, powerful grit registers as a fundamental guide to business. It’s a book I have read many times, and with each new reading I feel a stronger kinship with the book’s protagonist, Santiago. Here are the parallels I’ve drawn between his resolve and my experience as it relates to business and entrepreneurship: