顺手牵羊
Stratagems of Defending · 敌战计Exploit small opportunities as they arise. Never pass up a minor gain even while pursuing a major objective.
During military campaigns, successful generals would seize unexpected opportunities — capturing supply trains, recruiting defectors, or taking undefended positions — while pursuing their main objective. These small gains accumulated into decisive advantages.
While building Street View cars to photograph roads, Google simultaneously collected Wi-Fi network data — a "sheep" grabbed while passing. This incidental data collection proved valuable for location services, though it later raised privacy concerns.
Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway routinely acquires small companies while pursuing larger deals. These "sheep grabbed in passing" often turn out to be remarkably profitable, accumulating into significant portfolio value over decades.