Lessons From Korean Drama Start-Up

With Nam Joo Hyuk's nearing his military service, and Kim Seon Ho's recent successful Manila fan meeting, I am reminded of one of the hit pandemic Kdramas that flooded my timeline when it was still on-going on Netflix: Start-Up. Starring above mentioned actors with my favorite Suzy Bae, this is a story on young dreamers dealing with their own struggles in life and career. Very, very relatable no wonder it became so popular!

Aside from cheering on every successes of SamSan Tech, there are valuable life lessons that I picked up from this series. Actually there are many more lessons, but to start off, here are just 3 that I can connect to at the moment:

*No major spoilers in this post*

Lead cast of Kdrama Start Up

1. SELF-WORTH

Truly, no one will believe in you at first except YOURSELF. All it takes is determination to shake off that nasty impostor syndrome, and just do it! In my case, I try to build my confidence by never stopping learning. Whether it's free education on Youtube, or paying for seminars and workshops, I believe that being a forever student upgrades my skills, and keeps me grounded too.

In the Kdrama, Suzy Bae's character Seo Dal Mi came from a humble background. She didn't finish college, but she knew what she wanted. Dalmi said, "I want to be on the 32nd floor. The elevator we take won’t take me there. I should get on one that will. That’s why I’m quitting." Saying NO does not always mean a hard stop, but can also mean the start of something better. It takes lots of guts..and self-worth.. to know in your heart that you have what it takes!

Believe in yourself. It's always the best way to start in life!

2. NO MAN IS AN ISLAND

Get yourself a mentor. Form a great team. Do not be afraid to hire people who can add value to your business. Do not waste time doing something that you are not good at, hire someone to do it. Even at my age nearing 40 years old, I still seek for a mentor ala Good Boy or a role model that can inspire me in my chosen path. I still wish for my own "SamSan Tech" team that I can trust, complement skills and values with, and help my brand grow. 

Each one of us have strengths and weaknesses. Find your tribe, work together!

On the same note, I started playing an online money game called Idle Startup Tycoon. It's a fun online game I started tinkering during my free time, whenever I'm commuting or waiting in line. In this game, you will see how fast your businesses will grow when you invest on upgrading and hiring new people. It might mean spending money, but looking at the bigger picture, you'll also see how this is beneficial to a business' long-term growth.

A game where you'll learn basic values in enterpreneurship

3. PASSION IS NOT OVERRATED

Lastly, as I grow older, life will tell me that passion is not enough. Although this has a bitter truth in it, it also doesn't mean passion is something we don't need. Actually, for me, passion is the best way to start. It will also be what you will hold on to tightly when the going gets tough. 

I've been blogging for more than a decade now. There will be days or even months when writer's block will creep in; days or even months when pay is not enough. Why am I still here? My passion to document life! My passion to share my story. That tingling feeling I get on my fingers over my keyboard when the ideas started pouring in. It's so easy to quit when passion is not there. There will be off days, but I still can't imagine myself totally stopping writing.

A line repeatedly mentioned in the Kdrama: "Follow Your Dreams"

There are a whole lot more lessons from this Kdrama, so it's really worth the watch. Have you seen Start-Up too? Sound off below if you have more to add to this post. ❤