20 August 2022

Eels and salmon symbolise enterpreneurs and corporate employees who move between the two realms

CorporateNature No 153

By George ELIOT

If RIVERS are a metaphor for the startup world (fresh, fast flowing and ever changing), the OCEAN is analogous to the corporate world (stagnant, vast but occasionally tempestuous).

Most fish species live in either rivers or  the ocean. However, there are two interesting fish families that move between the two: eels and salmon.

A) EELS

Eels are born in the ocean but spend their adult life in rivers. They are a metaphor for a corporate employee who at some point becomes an entrepreneur. 

B) SALMON

Salmon are born in rivers but spend their life in the ocean. They are a metaphor for an entrepreneur who moves into the corporate world. 

Just as both fish species are highly valued and important for the ecosystem, both types of professionals create value for the economy and society. Which of the two is more interesting remains up to you.

Eel (Source: Wikipedia)