A skirmisher is a type of soldier who specializes in light and sporadic combat. This often means prioritizing agility, speed, and creative use of battle circumstances over doctrine, discipline, and power. Skirmishers excel in asymmetric warfare, where there is an imbalance in the strength of the opposing sides. Such strategies can enable a small force to take on a much larger and better-equipped force.
This is similar to a startup, which has limited resources but can operate unconventionally and pivot quickly.
Skirmishers’ open formations and smaller numbers can give them superior mobility over the regular forces, allowing them to engage only on favorable terms, taking advantage of better position or terrain, and quickly withdrawing from any threat of superior enemy forces.
Though often critical in protecting the main army from sudden enemy advances, skirmishers are poor at taking or defending ground from heavy infantry or heavy cavalry.
This is similar to prioritizing tempo vs value in card games.