味不過五五味之變不可勝嘗也
Sun Tzu
There are only five basic tastes (sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and umami), but that the combination of these tastes can create an infinite variety of flavors. This means that even though there are only a few basic tastes, the possibilities for flavor are almost limitless when you consider the different ways that these tastes can be combined. Sun Tzu is emphasizing the importance of understanding the fundamental elements in any situation, because even a small number of basic elements can be combined in countless ways to create something complex and varied.
While business may only have a few employees, it can achieve a virtually limitless range of outcomes by leveraging the diverse skills and abilities of its employees in teams.
In a business perspective, the five basic tastes can be seen as the different people within a business, each with their own unique skills and abilities. By combining these different skill sets and working together, the business can achieve a wide range of outcomes and accomplish a variety of tasks. This can be seen as similar to how the basic tastes can be combined to create a virtually limitless number of flavors. Just as different combinations of basic tastes can create unique and appealing flavors, different combinations of people and their skills can lead to new and innovative solutions to problems, and can help the business to be successful. In this way, it is important for businesses to have a diverse team with a range of skills and expertise, in order to be able to achieve a variety of outcomes and adapt to changing business environments.