Mountaineer Isamu Tatsuno, the founder of outdoor gear and clothing manufacturer Montbell, generalizes climbers as “wimpy” people who are cautious by nature — not the swashbuckling adventurers people might have in mind.
“You don't agree — most people don't agree,” said the charismatic 77-year-old in a recent interview at his office in the city of Osaka. “But it's really true, climbers are wimpy, always worrying about the future, always worrying about risk — what if the rain starts? What if the snow starts?”
Tatsuno has applied a similar logic to his own business from its early days, planning ahead for survival. It paid off, with the company recently celebrating its 50th anniversary. In fact, it’s almost going too well.
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