The Thirty-Six Stratagems | Episode 14: Borrowing a Corpse to Resurrect the Soul - Regenerating by Using Something Else

People try to solve problems by
recreating things from scratch.

However, in reality,
the newly created things are often the weakest,
and they take time.

Truly powerful regeneration
occurs when you use
already existing 'dead assets'.

[Meaning of the 14th Stratagem of the Thirty-Six Stratagems]

Borrowing a Corpse to Resurrect the Soul (Jie Shi Huan Hun): Borrowing a corpse to return the soul.
A strategy of utilizing something that is no longer functioning,

or the assets of others,
to regenerate them for your own purposes.
What is important is not new creation.

It is 'giving a different purpose to something that has stopped and making it move again'.

[Modern Translation]

When companies face problems,
they tend to try to build from zero.

・Launching new businesses
・Creating new brands
・Building new systems

However, this takes a lot of time and cost,
and the probability of failure is high.
On the other hand, there is another way.

・Reuse of businesses that were withdrawn in the past
・Utilization of unused customer bases
・Redefinition of existing assets

Even with the same resources,
you can monetize them again
by 'just changing how you use them'.

[Historical Example]

In late Eastern Han China (late 2nd century),
after the Yellow Turban Rebellion (184 AD),
the Han Dynasty lost its governing power, and warlords emerged in various regions.

In 189, Dong Zhuo seized the capital, Luoyang,
and the central government effectively collapsed.

It was Cao Cao who acted
against this 'already non-functioning dynasty'.

Cao Cao protected Emperor Xian
and moved the capital to Xu (196 AD).

Ordinarily,
the significance of protecting the emperor had already faded.
However, Cao Cao dared to maintain that 'form'.

The reason was clear:
even if the Han Dynasty itself was not functioning,
the name of 'Emperor'
still held authority.

Cao Cao used that 'dead authority'
to give legitimacy to his own military actions.

As a result, Cao Cao,
while being a warlord in reality,
gained the position of 'official executor of the Han Dynasty',
and obtained the foundation to integrate other forces.

This is an example of establishing a new ruling structure
by borrowing only the 'name' of an entity that had lost its function.

[Business Example]
A company reused a business it had previously withdrawn from
and built a new revenue model.
As a result, the assets that had stopped began generating revenue again,

and a new pillar was born alongside existing businesses.
Why was this company able to

make a 'failed business' move again?

This company first did the following:

・Took inventory of the assets of the withdrawn business
・Re-analyzed unused customer data
・Verified the potential for reusing stopped systems

Then,

・It was found that some existing customers could be contacted
・It was discovered that past technology could be diverted to current businesses
・A structure was seen where commercialization could be done at a lower cost than new development

Furthermore,

・Some old customers migrated to the new service
・Monetization was established in a short period
・Cash flow improved faster than with new businesses

As a result,

・The business that failed in the past was converted into a revenue source
・The business portfolio was expanded
・Investment efficiency was significantly improved

This company did not 'create a new business'.
It 'gave meaning to a dead business again'.

[Explanation]

This business executive thought as follows:

① 'There is no need to create from zero'

・New businesses take time
・Success probability is low
・Investment burden is large

Therefore, they prioritized the reuse of existing assets.

② 'Value remains even in dead things'

・Customer data
・Technical assets
・Operational operations

They judged that these did not disappear even if they withdrew.

③ 'If you redefine it, it becomes an asset'

・Not that it cannot be used
・Just that the way of using it has not changed

They re-perceived it as such.

④ 'Make the business viable through reuse'

・Repurposing instead of new development
・Redesigning instead of additional investment
・Regeneration instead of creation

to rebuild the profit structure.

[Business Application Examples]

1. Business Turnaround

Reuse customers and assets from withdrawn businesses and convert them into new services.

2. Product Development

Reconfigure existing functions and redefine them as a new product.

3. M&A Strategy

Monetize the idle assets of acquired companies and repurpose them for new businesses.

[Core Message]

There is no need to create something new.

You just need to give meaning once again
to things that have stopped.

[Summary]

Borrowing a corpse to resurrect the soul is not creation from zero.
It is a "strategy to set dead assets in motion again."

・Do not create
・Do not discard
・Redefine

Assets that have died once can sometimes become stronger than living assets.

Next Episode Preview

The Thirty-Six Stratagems | Episode 15
Luring the Tiger off the Mountain - Moving the opponent to strip away their defenses

Thirty-Six Stratagems Series Table of Contents
Post Index - You can search for articles of interest here
Sun Tzu's Art of War Series Table of Contents - You can view all 42 episodes