[Leica] Re: Erwins last comments on the marketing experts

[Jim Brick <jim@brick.org>]

Norm,

Really really great post. 

Jim 


At 09:25 PM 10/10/99 -0700, Aubin wrote:
>Hi Erwin,
>
>lovely posting.  I have to laugh, there are a whole lot of experts out there
>when it comes to telling other people how to run their own multi-million
>dollar international business.  As a Boeing employee I hear it all the time 
>from people who just know they're a lot better at designing and marketing
>airplanes.
>
>Its okay, they do care.  They wouldn't make so much noise and get so 
>involved if they didn't, and you have to respect that fervor.  I used to
think 
>that I knew it all too, then as I got more involved in managing things, I 
>found out that there were ten things going on for everything I knew about.
>
>Every one of those things involved more resources, affected more parts of
the 
>company, and had more impact then the stuff I knew about.  I discovered that
>a lot of those folks got there by knowing more than me about those things, 
>and that I could learn a lot by listening and watching, for the long haul
and 
>not just for a few months.  So I learned patience: nothing worthwhile happens
>in a day or a year.  I can wait. Leica has been around for decades, they
have 
>a few clues about the market they are in, they know their customer base
>far better than it knows itself, and I expect them to do the best they can.
>
>Besides, they could go away right now, and I'd still have the best glass and 
>cameras in the world.  If someone then surpassed them, I'd switch.  Its just 
>a tool, not a relationship.  I think getting emotionally involved with my
tools is
>something I will manage to do without.
>
>Erwin, once more let me thank you for your contributions.  You continue to
shine
>an amazingly clear and bright light into this place, and its you and the
rest of the 
>photographers here who make this a good place to be.
>
>The noise doesn't bother me, I'm originally from New York, have learned to 
>sleep on the subways when I had to, learned to sleep with gunfire around me,
>and I have a very good delete key.  Let 'em squawk: me I don't pay them no
never
>mind . .whoever they are. 
>
>later -
>
>Norm
>
>p.s. - the rest of you out there . . .get off your lazy butts and get a
copy of Ted's 
>book, you ain't never seen the likes!  My wife took it to the OR on Friday
and 
>the surgeons and the nurses were all over it like white on rice.  They
were seeing
>themselves, seeing people they know, or just exhilarating in the fact that 
>no one has ever caught them and what they do so well.  Not even the same
>hospital but still the pictures captured the essence so well; they
immediately 
>identified with every shot.  Every shot.  Do yourself the favor of seeing
what 
>Leica is about.  Do yourself the favor of seeing why you need to listen to
this 
>man when he speaks.
>
>N
>