Why are there so many business centered novels with bad business practices?!

Discussion in 'Novel General' started by trying_out, Aug 17, 2022.

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  1. trying_out

    trying_out Well-Known Member

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    Is it just me always having to give up a novel, because the so-called "business genius" does something so obviously stupid, without any explanation.

    In this book I'm reading right now, a transmigration into the past farmer-turned-businessman type book, the MC is approached by the rich family in the area making an offer for his recipe. He refuses, since that would cut off his source of income, and offers instead to teach the making method to their chef and they can keep purchasing the ingredients from him. Nice way to keep getting money, but in this case the special ingredient was a fruit, which these ancients didn't use to eat, ofc, *throws hands up in disgust*. Isn't it obvious - that they can track the materials he's purchasing? Or still use force or tricks to get the thing? Or make a high enough offer to take him to the next level?!? And they don't explain his choice, as if it was a sensible one.

    Anyway, that's the end of my rant. Imma go find a gentle, warm book to get over this disappointment.
     
  2. DontLookDown

    DontLookDown One with the bed

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    I don't think most people who decide to write novels have a whole lot of experience with business...that being said, though, I've read a lot of good stories where business plays a relatively large part. Thing is, those are on larger scales (company managers/CEOs) and isn't something you can immediately point out as flawed writing without a good deal of business experience yourself.
     
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  3. ShadowAscetic

    ShadowAscetic Well-Known Member

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    well, they're ordinary people in real world, it's impossible to become a genius in another world without studying specific knowledge. I've read a novel about transmigrator who was sentenced to death after he improved salt and sold them cheaply, which is kinda funny. It's obvious that salt market was controlled by royal family, idk why some transmigrator dare to touch salt. Even books was controlled by nobles because they didn't want to improve people's literacy during that time. How could a civilian transmigrator, who is not a member of noble clan or royal family, dare to join in paper-making business just to earn money?? they're obviously courting death.
     
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  4. Neiri

    Neiri Well-Known Member

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    If writers are good at business then they would not write except later in life detailing on how they are good at business.
     
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  5. Erysion

    Erysion Well-Known Member

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    Plot twist: the writers are actually good at business but wanted other to fail so they write those stuffs.
     
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  6. sjmcc13

    sjmcc13 Well-Known Member

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    Do you have any idea how many real life business geniuses are really just lucky SoB's? So much is really just being in the right place at the right time, or already having the resources/backing/connections that you can push through a failure.

    Though ya, in your example once a peasant is noticed by the nobility, it is kind of over. Unless you can swing a noble patronage deal, which might be doable, since there was a lot of historical nobles who gave patronage to artists/etc for bragging rights. That is how we got most Renaissance art, the artists were sponsored by nobles, doing so to show off their wealth.
     
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  7. trying_out

    trying_out Well-Known Member

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    Oh, I have read a couple good business ones, or romance that doesn't focus on business can be sh** without bothering me.
    Anyways, y'all are right. Can't write good business without background research and maybe even experience.

    Right?! He'd have to get some protection, but nooo he was gonna outsmart them by selling the ingredients and only teaching the nobles the preparation method. Mind you, the special ingredient was a fruit. Which he was planning to go to his wife's village to collect. Which was so dumb - anyway, that goes in my list of "Only continue if you're desperate".

    Oh and yeah, the real world is definitely more illogical than fiction at times. :bloborz::bloborz:
    Anyway, thanks to you all for replying to my rant.
    :justabotheart::justabotheart::justabotheart::justabotheart::justabotheart::justabotheart:
     
  8. sakyuya

    sakyuya 【Villain】【Very tired and wants to retire】

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    Business?
    No worries, Boss Pei with his Ridiculous Business Idea always earned him money no matter how hard he tried to lose money with that idea.
     
  9. asriu

    asriu fu~ fu~ fu~

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    cuz it type of story that not really serious? how to word it~ to make MC shine make other idiot~
    mostly that~
     
  10. LeniSnow

    LeniSnow New Pretty Member

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    Yes it could be luck but not everything, it's more like hard work, initiative, and knowledge
    Hard work because they did it and continue with their vision, knowledge because they knew how to stand out better than their competitors, the importance of marketing. There are so many people who could think of a particular business but the people who succeeded are the ones who had initiative and put it into action. People makes it look easy when you watch interviews but there are so many things going behind the scene.

    That is why some business novels are wack because they don't even have the basic knowledge of marketing. They would just create whatever illogical reason to make the business standout because of luck specially on the ancient farming once. Everything they put out would sold out like every family in their village have the money to do so and it's such a easy to copy contraption that they can make by seeing it ones. When introducing a new spice/dish that their culture most likely would have rejected being too foreign to their taste buds but noooo suddenly every single one is dying to eat it. Ingredients that only royal family can afford suddenly is ever serve to commoners, what that is possible?!? There should be a reason why only royals can afford that for sure but no let us disregard that. No marketing needed that it makes it too boring. Employees they find that are so loyal. Even geniuses have questions they can't answer but these guys just have the world revolve around them and it's uninteresting in the long run.
     
    Last edited: Aug 24, 2022
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  11. whitespade

    whitespade Well-Known Member

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    I just power through them, most novels have bad business practice. Especially in escapist romance novels with super rich CEO and such. They spend so much time wooing MC when do they work?
     
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  12. amilhs

    amilhs Moon Walker

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    They'll only like make the business in the surface good and it's really not the main plot of it. So why make effort..xD
    :notlikeblob::notlikeblob::notlikeblob::notlikeblob::notlikeblob: