No. 223 · Strategy · Military and War
Guerrilla Warfare
A small, nimble player can beat a giant by choosing where, when and how to fight.
In the Almanac
“The tunnels of Cu Chi”, 1960s–1975 · “Dollar Shave Club”, 2012–2016
Both stories in full, three ways to use it and where it misleads.
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Questions
What is Guerrilla Warfare?
Guerrilla Warfare shows how smaller forces can beat larger ones by avoiding head-on fights and using speed, local knowledge, and surprise. The Viet Cong did it with tunnels and hit-and-run tactics, and Dollar Shave Club took on Gillette with a $4,500 viral launch video.
How do you use Guerrilla Warfare?
Identify your unique advantages, such as being more nimble, personal, or specialised, and lean on them. Choose battles where you can make the biggest impact with the least resistance. And don't feel bound by how things are usually done; unconventional moves are where small players win.
When does Guerrilla Warfare matter?
Guerrilla Warfare is one of the 56 mental models for strategy, the situations where you ask: How do I win when others want the same thing? Within that, it belongs to “Competing with rivals”, alongside Arms Race, Asymmetric Warfare and Beachhead Strategy.
What is an example of Guerrilla Warfare?
Two stories show it at work: The tunnels of Cu Chi (1960s–1975) and Dollar Shave Club (2012–2016). Both are told in full in The Mental Models Daily Almanac, which has two stories for each of its 365 models.
Which mental models are related to Guerrilla Warfare?
Asymmetric Warfare, War of Attrition and Niches. Guerrilla Warfare itself comes from military and war.