The Thirty-Six Stratagems | Episode 16: Yu Qin Gu Zong - Deliberately Let Go to Capture the Whole

People think that "capturing the opponent in front of them"
is the definition of success.
However, in reality, the things you capture immediately
do not lead to overall success.
Truly great results
are born when you "deliberately let go of a part."

[Meaning of the 16th Stratagem of the Thirty-Six Stratagems]

Yu Qin Gu Zong (To capture, one must let go)
This is a strategy of achieving a greater goal by intentionally leaving a part free.

What is important is not "suppression."
It is "letting go of a part in order to take the whole."

[Modern Translation]

When people are in a hurry for results, they think like this:

・Capture all customers available now
・Secure the projects right in front of you
・Maximize short-term sales

However, if you carry this out thoroughly,
you may end up losing the whole instead.
On the other hand, there is another way.

・Deliberately not pursuing some customers
・Passing on projects that can be taken immediately
・Discarding short-term profits

Then, as a result,

・Larger projects remain
・Long-term contracts are created
・Dominance over the entire market increases

[Historical Example]

During the Warring States period in China,
it is said that in the process of conquering Chu,
Qin deliberately did not immediately conquer some of the castles.

Even though the Chu army had some of its important strongholds taken,
it did not retreat completely and maintained its defense.

Qin stopped its attack here,
and did not completely block the escape route.

As a result, the Chu army judged that they "could still defend," and
dispersed into local battles while preserving their main force.

However, due to this judgment,
the Chu army's strength could not be concentrated in one point,
and as a result, their wide-area defense collapsed.

Qin ultimately
defeated the dispersed forces one by one,
and suppressed the whole.

This is a battle where they did not try to take everything at once, but
by deliberately letting them escape,
they destroyed the overall structure.

[Management Example]

A certain company,
instead of pursuing all prospective customers,
deliberately excluded some small-scale projects from its order targets,
and adopted a strategy of concentrating on large-scale projects.

As a result,
the contract unit price from the limited customers increased,
and the overall sales structure changed significantly.
Why was this company able to maximize results by
"discarding a part"?

This company first implemented the following:

・Intentionally reduced sales labor for small-scale projects
・Tightened the criteria for priority clients
・Strategically passed on short-term contracts

As a result,

・Sales resources were concentrated on high-value projects
・Proposal quality improved
・Negotiation power increased

Furthermore,

・The closing rate for large-scale projects rose
・Contract values increased
・The client base shifted toward higher-tier accounts

Consequently,

・Revenue broke free from dependence on small accounts
・Profit margins improved
・The business structure itself transformed

This company did not "take everything."
"By choosing not to take, they captured the whole."
That is what they did.

[Commentary]

This business executive thought as follows:

1. "Taking everything is not optimal"

・Short-term revenue becomes fragmented
・Resources become diluted
・Essential value decreases

They judged this to be the case.

2. "Focus is born from discarding"

・Reducing options
・Narrowing the target
・Simplifying decisions

They believed that by doing these things, results would sharpen.

3. "Structure over small results"

・Not individual orders
・Prioritized the overall profit structure

4. "Capture the whole by letting some go"

・Create clients you do not pursue
・Create projects you pass on
・Create a state of not being chosen

Paradoxically, this expanded their sphere of dominance.

[Business Application Case Study]

1. Sales Strategy

Discard small accounts and
focus on high-value customers

2. Product Strategy

Instead of providing all features,
focus on core functionality

3. Business Strategy

Cut off non-profitable businesses and
focus on core operations

[Core Message]

If you try to take everything, everything becomes weak.
By daring to let go, the whole becomes stronger.

[Summary]

Yu Qin Gu Zong is not
a technique for capturing.
It is a "strategy of letting go of a part to capture the whole."
It means:

• Do not chase everything
• Dare to let them escape
• Capture the whole

Results are determined not by quantity, but by structure.

Next Episode Preview

The Thirty-Six Stratagems | Episode 17
Pao Zhuan Yin Yu - Offer a Brick to Attract Jade: Give a Little to Gain a Lot

Thirty-Six Stratagems Series Table of Contents | Keiichi Kojima
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