I start by giving a brief introduction to the duality between string theory and gauge theories. I will underscore the dictionary between geometrical data on the string side, and dynamical effects on the gauge theory side. Different kinds of fractional branes lead to different IR dynamics, such as confinement, Coulomb branches, and runaway or metastable supersymmetry breaking. I then review a model, D3-branes on the orbifold of the conifold, that displays all of the above behaviors. Of particular interest is the case when different fractional branes are present at the same time, leading to a rich dynamical interplay.