Su Qin said to the King of Qi, "Qi has defeated Chu in the south, subdued Qin in the west, and, with the aid of Han and Wei's forces, captured the armies of Yan and Zhao in the north. Yet Qi's territory has not increased beyond its former bounds, while the state daily weakens—why is this? Qi is not lacking in wealth or strength, yet the state daily declines; it is not that the people do not exert themselves, not that the land is not vast, not that grain is not abundant, not that armor and weapons are not sturdy, not that soldiers and citizens are not brave—yet the state daily weakens. Why is this? It is because war alone is made the sole pursuit, and the people are forgotten. War is a great affair of the state, but Qi alone makes war its sole pursuit, and so the people's strength is exhausted and the treasury is emptied. Now, if Your Majesty wishes to stabilize Qi, it is better first to stabilize the people. The way to stabilize the people lies in frugality in expenditure, cherishing the people, and employing them according to the farming seasons—thus the state will prosper, and the army will grow strong."
💡 商战启示录
Su Qin pointed out that although the State of Qi had won numerous battles, its relentless militarism and neglect of the people's welfare had steadily sapped its national strength. This mirrors modern business: when enterprises relentlessly pursue market share expansion, waging frequent price wars or merger battles while overlooking internal management, employee well-being, and customer experience, they ultimately face resource depletion and brand erosion. For instance, in the fierce bike-sharing wars, multiple companies flooded the streets with bicycles and burned cash on subsidies, yet neglected bike maintenance and user experience—leading to broken capital chains and quiet exits from the market. In contrast, Huawei, while expanding globally, has consistently prioritized R&D investment, employee incentives, and customer needs, achieving sustainable growth. Su Qin's strategy of "pacifying the people" corresponds to the modern corporate principles of "people-oriented" and "customer-centric." Enterprises must balance short-term expansion with long-term health, building moats through cost optimization, efficiency enhancement, and care for both employees and customers—rather than blindly squandering resources. Only with a solid foundation can one stand undefeated in the arena of commerce.