to ignore risks and continue on a course of action that has a high chance of ending in a metaphorically explosive fashion, due to circumstances of which one is generally aware although specifics are unknown; stems from the tactic in modern warfare of hiding mines irregularly over large swathes of land to deter encroachment; can be used to refer to political risks, as would be incident to investing in a country undergoing governmental or populist upheaval, as in “We can’t invest in another factory in Slangia, that would just be building in the minefield”; may also be used in relation to an organizational dynamic fraught with tensions, interpersonal conflicts, bad history, etc., such that a certain course of action would be precarious, as in “This company has a terrible track record with branding, creating a new marketing team would be like building in a minefield”