Definition: When you design a “foolproof” strategy that spectacularly backfires because you arrogantly ignored a glaring vulnerability. Named after Napoleon’s navy, which chained ships near shoals assuming the British couldn’t sail into shallow coastal waters—only for Nelson to exploit that exact gap and obliterate them from both sides.
Now describes any plan that collapses under its own hubris. Example: “Mark shallow-gambited by pitching his startup to investors using dial-up internet ‘for retro charm,’ then wondered why they all walked out during the buffering.”
Example:
The mayor shallow-gambited by removing all traffic lights to improve flow, ignoring pedestrian crossings, causing immediate gridlock and accidents citywide.
She shallow-gambited by storing the only backup password on her unlocked phone, assuming no one would look, then wept as hackers wiped her accounts.