# The Longzhong plan: meaning and business applications

Plan a sequence that includes prerequisites and cooperation.

https://sakimyto.com/en/classics/zhuge-liang/sequence-and-alliance

## Source and summary

[Records of the Three Kingdoms · Zhuge Liang’s biography · Longzhong plan](https://ctext.org/text.pl?if=gb&node=603498)

> 外結好孫權，內修政理。

The biography records advice to Liu Bei combining an alliance with Sun Quan and internal administration.

## Editorial interpretation

Plan the sequence, preparation and alliances

Include internal preparation, agreements with others and environmental triggers in a plan. This adapts a recorded historical proposal to modern planning.

## Business application

When a new venture plan contains only tasks the team can complete internally.

1. Separate internal work, resources obtained through partnerships and external dependencies.
2. Define prerequisites and start triggers, then write the sequence and alternative routes.

Deliverable: A plan with prerequisites, collaborators and alternative routes.

## Limits

A recorded plan does not guarantee success. Check partners’ intentions and the conditions that would invalidate the plan.

## Validation question

If one prerequisite fails, where is the plan reconsidered and what alternatives remain?

[Zhuge Liang: strategy and fair standards](https://sakimyto.com/en/classics/zhuge-liang)

[This material](https://sakimyto.com/classics-data/entries/zhuge-liang/sequence-and-alliance.en.md)

Updated: 2026-10-13 · v1.0.0