farmdoc's blog post number 73

I have no idea if the aphorism I am about to tell you, is fact or fiction: Many years ago when most computers occupied whole rooms, an IBM mainframe somewhere in Europe malfunctioned. Its owner contacted IBM’s head office in the USA who sent a technician to fix it. Having flown across the Atlantic she, or perhaps he, walked up to it, pressed a button which immediately cured the problem, and left. Later the computer’s owner received a bill from IBM for a lot of money – I can’t remember how much, but maybe US$100,000. When the owner complained that anyone could have pushed that button, IBM explained that it took vast expertise and experience to know which button to push and how hard to push it. Good story, eh. Three weeks ago I did a medical job for which I charged a hefty time-based fee for work which for me was quite simple. But it was only simple because of the unique mix of experience and logic I brought to it. Those who commissioned the job paid my invoice by return mail, so I reckon they weren’t unhappy with my fee’s heft. My message? The true value of something is often out of proportion to its perceived everyday value. In other words, it’s often the little things that have the biggest impact.