Today started with a long bus ride out to the Cu Chi tunnels, with a stop along the way at a handicraft factory that employs handicapped workers. They use crushed eggshells layered into lacquer to form these intricate pictures, and I got to sit down and try crushing shells alongside one of the workers. Beyond the art itself, I found the work environment refreshing; workers can create something beautiful despite their conditions.

When we arrived at the Cu Chi Tunnels, I didn’t expect how massive they were. They were more like functioning underground towns: kitchens, sleeping quarters, hospitals, command rooms. They had air circulation via small mounds above ground that funneled airflow down into the tunnels.They are also rather inconspicuous, resembling a termite mound. The soldiers also figured out a system to cook food underground by releasing smoke in tiny, controlled spurts through a long overflow channel in the early morning so it would blend in with the natural fog. They would also use abandoned American ammo boxes as toilets. Stainless steel wouldn’t leak smell into the humid air. Another man’s trash is another’s treasure, I suppose.

 

My biggest takeaway is how resilient the Guerilla soldiers were. Soldiers who weren’t really even soldiers, but your average worker and/or farmer who wanted to protect their home. I believe that the Vietnamese didn’t win by matching America’s resources or outgunning them. They won by making resourcefulness itself the weapon. What I want to remember is that when trying to overcome a challenge and a competitor, having more strength and power isn’t always nearly enough to win, but ultimately utilizing creativity to create unorthodox solutions to problems that may otherwise seem impossible. I believe this same thinking can be applied to the business world as well.