Цепочка: нанять лучшего — хоть конкурента

Аргумент рудной эпопеи: как подбор по характеру и доверие — даже к конкуренту — строят предприятие и освобождают основателя.

1. Суть дела — характер людей, не заводы — delegation-and-choosing-men

   it is not merely capital and "plants" and the strictly material things which make up a business, but the character of the men behind these things, their personalities, and their abilities; these are the essentials to be reckoned with
   — Random Reminiscences, ch. IV

2. Идти к тому, кто знает предмет шире всех — delegation-and-choosing-men

   following out our custom, we went to the man who, in our judgment, had the widest knowledge of the subject
   — Random Reminiscences, ch. V

3. Довериться конкуренту, зная его честность — friendship-and-trust-in-business

   we trusted him implicitly although he was a competitor, and we never had occasion to regret it
   — Random Reminiscences, ch. V

4. Управляющего выбрать по характеру, а не по стажу — delegation-and-choosing-men

   he has good sense, he is honest, enterprising, keen, and thrifty
   — Random Reminiscences, ch. V

5. Надёжные представители освобождают основателя — delegation-and-choosing-men

   owing to my good fortune in having active, competent, and thoroughly reliable representatives who assumed so largely the responsibilities of administration
   — Random Reminiscences, ch. V