Flashes of Insight

by jaimeastorga2000

No Free Lunch (#490)

Author's Note:

The Prompt: Lightning never strikes the same place twice.

"I don't get it, AJ," said Rainbow Dash, her furrowed eyes turning look at her orange companion. She floated atop the Ponyville street they were walking on, her wings beating harder than necessary to keep her aloft. "I mean, just last month, all these ponies were going ga-ga for these things." She thrust out her hoof, exhibiting the tiny plastic models standing upon it. Some bore the likeness of Princess Celestia, some of Princess Luna, some of this or that foreign representative or head of state. "I didn't see the big deal, but lots of ponies were willing to part with good bits for them, so I figured, if I just got my hooves on a few of these, I could resell for for a pretty nice extra cut. So I went out of town to buy some, but by the time I got back, EVERYPONY had them and they had become cheap as dirt, and now I'm stuck with a bunch of lame little dolls I paid top bit for! Come on, AJ, you're the businessmare. Can you tell me what I did wrong?"

Applejack took a few moments to answer, seemingly chewing the words over inside her mouth before she began to speak. "Well, sugarcube, the thing is, all markets are a little bit like living things. And like all living things, they kinda have their own life cycles, ya know what Ah'm sayin'?"

Rainbow Dash stopped, then shook her head. "Can't say I do, AJ. I mean, what do life cycles have to do with making money? Are you saying I should try to give my bits some privacy and see if they reproduce?"

Applejack laughed as she ceased walking, and then continued. "Nah, that ain't what Ah meant at all. See, Dash, business opportunities go through phases, just like apple trees and cattle. At the first stage of their life, nobody knows about them yet and they are as full of opportunity as a brand new day, when the sky is still red and ya don't even know how much you're gonna accomplish by day's end. Not that ya would know much about that, ya lazy oversleeper," she added, grinning at her friend.

"Hey, I just sleep in because it is the best way to recover from all the amazing energy I spend each previous day. I am awesomeness efficient!" Rainbow said, puffing up her chest and smiling with closed eyes. She soon opened them again. "But anyway, what does that have to do with my problem?"

"Hold yer horses, Ah'm gettin' there. So, that's the best time to invest in a venture and reap the rewards, if ya KNOW it's going to be successful. But other ponies, they ain't dumb, see? They are always paying attention, seeing what works and what doesn't, and trying it out for themselves. So the minute somepony starts raking in handfuls of bits, they're on the clock. Now, everypony else is gonna try to get a cut of that, so they are gonna invest in similar ventures. And before ya know it, the invisible hoof of the free market has done its thing, and the business opportunity is dead. Ain't no use trying to revive it; everypony already knows about it, so lighting ain't gonna strike twice the same place twice. Nope, yer best bet is to move on and look for somethin' else, if ya weren't one of the lucky ones who could get in early while the goin' was still good," Applejack finished with a satisfied nod.

"So... does that mean you can't give me some awesome advice for how I can turn my stock into a nice pile of bits? Or at least on how to recover all the money I put in in the first place?" asked Rainbow Dash, a small amount of hope still lingering in her voice.

Applejack snorted, and began walking again. "Sugarcube, if Ah knew a way to rescue every failed venture Ah ever came across, Ah would trade mah cutie mark with Twilight's, 'cause believe me, that right there would be some mighty powerful magic."

Comments

[mylittleeconomy]

This, now this, I like. In the sequel, Rainbow Dash starts a hedge fund....

I mean, what do life cycles have to do with making money?

Quite a bit....