What can Delphi teach us about running a good business? A lot!
Picture a beautiful blue eyed virgin sitting in front of a cave high up near the mountain peak. She is the oracle... no worldly experience... sweet and innocent. The fixers have to change girls regularly... because the girls get bored... and run off with the good looking customers. The 'fixers' behind the scenes invite leaders to visit from all the city states. These politicians all want to know how glorious will be their legacy. By appointment only, the politician is seated before the oracle... "How glorious will be my memory?"... no difficulty in anticipating the question. Now the poor young virgin has been drugged. She can no longer speak coherently. But the client is told that is because she is in another world conversing with the great god Apollo. A priest is needed to interpret the words of the oracle. (The priest is one of the fixers.) He has a string of words well chosen for vagueness and ambiguity." Your face will launch one thousand ships! "... that sort of thing. Always some words were included to ensure a proper payment was made."If you donate one year's worth of your earnings, your face will launch one thousand ships."
I like the tale of Alexander the Great. He visited Delphi (during the time Macedonia ruled the region). He sat before the oracle and asked, "Will I ever be defeated? " The fixers must have thought they were on a big earner with this client. They tried to milk the visit by creating some psychology pressure. The oracle mumbled some psychedelic mumbo jumbo... that was interpreted by the priest as, "The answer to your question will be revealed tomorrow". Apparently, young Alex wasn't satisfied with the answer. He grabbed the oracle by the hair and dragged her towards the edge of the cave. The oracle... not used to such pain yelled out, "Stop... stop... OK... you'll never be defeated!" "Thank you ", says young Alex," That was the answer I wanted".
Just one simple confidence trick lead to 1000 years of undreamed wealth pouring into Delphi. Quickly, they built a temple for the oracle to work her magic. This was replaced by a bigger temple and yet again, by a bigger one still. Each city state had their own 'treasury' building on site, jam packed with the world's best art. Earthquakes would damage the site and the fixers would spread the word that Apollo expressed his displeasure at the measly offerings from the city states... they were told to lift their game.
It would seem that the business model still works today. All the other historical sites we have visited have been as empty as the catholic churches in Athens. But Delphi... today we had to queue to look at the fallen down stones and jerry built replicas.
If you are seeking a more prosperous business model, change to being in the 'oracle' business. Some of you are well ahead of the game... and already charge exorbitant fees for foretelling the future. Just ask Doug and Barry how their businesses are going.
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