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Korea (South)1897 Posts
I'm so far far away from Silicon Valley,
but the way things are done there, the standards and norms, dribble their way around the world to guys who use to be in the Valley and are now in Asia, or investment bankers who dabble in investments and have seen a few term sheets and try to emulate what they know.
I operate in a very different way, but, in other ways, not at all. I mean at the end of the day, business really is business, but you know things are always going to be different whether you're in Seoul, NY or the Valley.
DEVELOPMENT 101
I actually had an investor, email me, and ask me about 2 months ago, if I had seen the series, 'Silicon Valley' and he said it was good and that I should. And while I have heard about it, honestly, on many levels, I just thought it wasn't going to be real or entertaining enough for my time, but since this investor is not only someone I greatly respect as the country head of an investment bank and friend, he generally is seldom off. So I watch it and it was funny, great, smart, and this compressed form of many of the things I've experienced, but a lot of things that I will never. But recently, as I have finally embarked on my own development (of course by taking on a development house, not myself personally), but being able to really make a product to what I envision it to be, it's really opened this massive range of possibilities and perspective that never existed before for me.
JUST A GOOD ENOUGH PRODUCT
At the heart of things, I've always seen a clear divide between what I do and what a real tech entrepreneur does. I don't build products, I don't envision features. I take what I'm given, as long as it is adjustable within the product itself, then I can usually re-purpose the existing functionality to either maximize one focus or another, which usually is enough, after all, focus in competing is really the name of the game, most of the time. And when it's not, well, I never experienced that before because I always chose my partners very carefully, but at some point I didn't have that luxury, especially when I went off on my own in 2010.
But for the most part, it's worked out, until this past year; I mean, being in the standard is no longer enough, my company's product really really needed to be different, it wasn't enough to check all the boxes, be experienced, know the market, - the market evolved, the gap between the competitors is exponential now, and by fate/luck, I was forced to look at new software and while everything was lacking, there was potential there- the potential to build something amazing.
THE MAIN CHARACTER
The main character, he is a loser, in fact, he was the object of ridicule, but even though he ain't slick, he ain't necessarily the most insightful, he has 2 things really going for him, he knows his tech better than anyone else in the field and he has the ability to listen and adapt.
The first point, it can't be underestimated, that not only does his know his tech better, he can always be better, and because his product can always be better, it gives him breathing space, it always gives him options.
FUCKING PIVOT MOTHERFUCKERS
I fucking hate the word 'pivot' - every fucker that I know that thinks of themselves as tech entreprenuer or entreprenuer in general keeps taking about pivot this or that or whatever. I get it, but what people don't get is, that you pivot when you absolutely have to because the product, as good as it is, isn't working for the target market: its more like you have this laser beam and you're trying to burn through the walled defenses and it ain't working, so instead, you take the laser beam and it's existing functionality and use it instead for a long range targeting system for a tactical nuke in the heart of their city, by passing the wall and killing all the terrans inside. But, it's not like you 'pivot' every fucking day with every fucking problem.
If there is a problem, you solve the problem, if you have your product and it doesn't work for the market, you 'pivot', but when it comes to major big boy problems, no amount of pivoting will do the job, you need more options on the table. Options. Additional choices, things not related to pivoting, but something new in terms of a new client, a new partner, a new source of funding, a new market niche (but same direction).
BIG BOYS NEED OPTIONS FOR BIG PROBLEMS
There new options, make your first situation relative, allows you some perspective, and sometimes whether or not you take these options, sometimes, these options give you the space you need to breath to actually tackle the first issue properly - that anxiety and panic are not paralyzing your decision making abilities. Paralyzing anxiety is the bastard child of uncertainty and no one is immune from suffering from it. But what is eye opening for me, is how much does the ability to really develop your product open doors internally - like as the creator, you can create internally to compete, you're not looking to be in the market and out market or position or drive through distribution deals, rather, you're really making that product which you think the consumer will love. Now this isn't ground breaking stuff here, but it's a first time for me when it has been applicable and I love it.
This blog post is almost a repeat of the previous 10x post I did, but I think it's been a couple of months since then and I feel good. All the stress and expectations are still there, nothing has changed, but as a creator, I feel this sense of destiny that I haven't ever felt before in this way. The main character in HBO's Silicon's valley, it's what he ultimately gets his strength from and when he forgets that, he falters, when he steps up to it, he is a superstar.
On the main character's second skill, all I can say about it is, he has character and maturity. You can't ever replace those two things.
TO CODE IS TO CREATE IS HAVE THE REAL POWER
I wouldn't have ever thought to get my kids to learn to code, but now I think it's as important or more so that learning Mandarin, to just have that perspective, to not just communicate, but to create. Now not all creators are equal, I mean, in my case, without my extensive industry background, I don't think the solutions I proposed would have been as applicable. My industry is getting mature, pretty much consolidated at this point, my window for this project is the next 8 months, after that, the last 5 years of my life on this project, it's done, there are no more chances left because the industry will just be out of my reach without going full on innovative/disruptive, it's just a fact, but I think I'm there and whatever the results in the next 2 months, I know, I really know, I did it all and I did what I could and if I fail, well so be it, but even as the last man standing, of course I don't feel as though I will fail, I never have, I've always been willing to walk the walk even if I'm crawling on my belly.
PETER & ELON: FULL ON NERD ALERT
The best thing, the absolutely best thing about watching the series was to go an watch videos of Peter Thiel and Elon Musk. They are weird, nutty in their way, but really awesome, inspiring, thought provoking, more than all the modern thinkers I've come across, they are honest, authentic, because they can be, they have the money, the success and they can be as full on nerd as they want to be, they can be themselves whereas in any other situation, they would be ridiculed and insulted (far more than they are now) as they may have been as children, I know Elon was through some interviews. But I'm thankful they are worth billions that they can be full on nerd and really express themselves.
With Elon, I read this article about him responding to his divorce, and how he explains where Tesla was at that time, and another article where there was this point where if he didn't fund Telsa it was going under and he didn't care if it it did, rather, he was willing to try and I'm not like that, I can't fail, I won't fail and it made me realize that why there is no failure for him is that regardless, he created. He created something and whether the market responded or not, or business worked out, he created and he is a creator. He isn't doing business, he is creating.
I'M RAISED TO BE A DESTROYER NOT A LOVER
I don't feel that way, I'm not a creator, I'm a leader, a fighter, a planner - I compete, and when I watch that show, I smile a lot, not that all of it is funny or outrageous and lots of it is, but that I smile because it is cute on one hand and also like this window of something that I can really appreciate but can't ever really be. Sometimes I take on projects for consulting cash, I need pocket money and most times I take on some side projects just because I like them, and I come in, set things in order, give them some quicky business education and just clean them up and put them on the right track, like I'm a daddy of some autistic genius child and I'm just cleaning up their shirt while making sure they get on the right bus for their university presentation. I tell them, what I do, you could get anyone to do for you for 150k a year (well for me, it should be at least 400k keke), but what you do, no one can do but you. That is my point of humility. I'm in awe of so many of my juniors in gaming and in other fields who don't know how unique and special they are to be able to create in the way they do. Me, I need my confidence and bravo to compete, its an indispensable tool, and it always gets my juniors all happy and giddy when they send me in to take on some corporate bully or competitor or when I start dissecting some legal or development billing and they end up paying 50% less.
CHANGE THE WORLD WITH TECH?
So I've been watching some youtube videos of both Peter Thiel and Elon Musk, which for regular silicon valley guys I'm sure is old old old news, but I never thought/bothered because I just didn't think it was applicable to me on a business way, and it really isn't. Things in my part of the world don't work the same way, I get cash from private pool of investors or direct private investors who are just brutally wealthy or listed companies looking for a strategic partner. But anyway, they are awesome to listen to just hear what it is to be a creator or something which can affect the world. Maybe I'm speaking more about Elon here than Peter, but Peter's view on competition or the need to be in a position not to have to compete, but then focus on things that really can change the world- well its all very interesting- I personally don't share their vision of what is world changing, but then it makes me question - for all my knowledge and capability and if I am successful, how would I do it, make something that changes the world - what do I create?
SOMETHING COOL TO THINK ABOUT...
And its a refreshing moment, to be out of the competitive mindset and just think, with everything I think I know, what could be my maximum social contribution? Its something which is a really cool way to daydream in a serious way and look back on my relatively young life at 40 and try to figure this out. I guess that was the same process that Bill Gates had done with his wife at one point for them to go the way of the Bill & Melinda Gates foundation; I don't think I'd do that, even with the cash, I wouldn't want to set it up like that, but in any case, it's on my mind and makes me feel like I've come full circle from the days I started in business. But I'll let you guys know after I take care of business first. ^^
  
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Insightful. I'm certain your product is going to kill it in the market, just waiting to hear about it on the news.
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You've always been the most interesting nerd to me I can't wait to hear the end of the music you've been making these past years.
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Korea (South)1897 Posts
Thanks guys ^^ I'm gonna be the most publicly abusive nerd though if I make it lol
& thanks for the TL plus gift!!!!
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Mighty, if you don't mind me asking, whats your startup? I have a few myself that I've been working on and watching Silicon Valley is a treat. Although, there are times on that show that makes get anxious, like when Richard doesn't speak up when he needs to.
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Korea (South)1897 Posts
On May 26 2015 22:33 ShoCkeyy wrote:
Mighty, if you don't mind me asking, whats your startup? I have a few myself that I've been working on and watching Silicon Valley is a treat. Although, there are times on that show that makes get anxious, like when Richard doesn't speak up when he needs to.
Its not really a start-up per say, I was a senior director of a multi-national market leader in my industry and left to start a competing business in 2010. So when I started it, it was more like creating an insta company which of course didn't have all the infrastructural support and so when the market shifted 2 times, I got crushed and had to start again, this the 3rd re launch of the company in a 4 year period (6 months was for prep and non-compete). All the technology was provided by 3rd party providers, and so up to about 3 years ago you didn't have too many options/combinations.
I don't share things in detail, I've actually been burned a couple of times because one investor and a competitor found out my secret gamer identity and for the investor, well, he didn't feel as though I was acting appropriately for my position and for the competitor, well, I share things I shouldn't have, not that I was executing what I was doing properly, but they could (i.e. ex-company), so it was stupid of me. So I don't share any details here where they or anyone who does know what I really do can peg it out. So they know I'm doing my own dev now. ok big deal. I think the market has moved so far and it's been 5 years since I was part of that company that the senior management has 80% changed, so I'm not worried. But the blogs that were deleted were far more in detail. Now when I say I'm somewhere it more reads like I'm a tourist when actually I'm just working my ass off, but I still wanna say, 'I'm alive, and if I could write something more in detail I would' maybe I'll go back after it works or doesn't and fill in the blanks' but for now, mums the word ^^
For pocket money though I consult for infrastructure projects like a sea port, wind farm, terrestrial broadcasting and of course gamer things here and there. ^^ Basically the funding, set-up and agreements. I never actually operate anything except for my main company.
I think the show is such a treat as well but Richard, I mean for sure the show shows him as learning, and this accelerated up and down situation; I like that because it's so compressed- but in terms of Richard himself- he got good character and great council, each and everyone one on his team wants to be there and they each represent a different facet of information, he doesn't know it, but he really is surrounded by an A team as well. ^^
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I agree, the show is surprisingly detailed and accurate about what most startups have to struggle with.
For example, setting up servers on your own vs. using cloud based servers.
Or having to deal with big lawsuits from competing companies.
Or the billionaire investor that uses up huge amounts of time and always wants things go his way though he doesn't have a clue what he's talking about.
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I'm convinced to actually consider this show; I didn't know much about it until now.
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This show is actually really really funny. Thomas Middleditch is great.
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If at first you don't succeed.
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Yeah, the show is a great satire of Silicon Valley and a lot of the strong personalities and hokey folk wisdom/corporate culture coming out of there. It starts be deflating the hype from the movie the Internship and flipping it on its head that many of the "cool" things at Google are actually weird and creepy. All of the characters are parodies and they're spot on, at least from what I saw working at a few start-ups in San Francisco.
I will say that I actually think Peter Thiel and Elon Musk are highly overrated. There are people who get to surf the tsunami and others who get crushed by it, and I think they're as fortunate to have been in the right place at the right time as anything else. I will note that I didn't call them "lucky", which I think implies a connotation that they didn't deserve it when in fact it has nothing to do with deserving.
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I didn't like the series, probably because I ccouldn't really relate.
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This got me to watch the first episode. Pretty good!
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Sorry I don't understand. Is this supposed to be educational or help us in any sort of way?
Mr Atom is a Korean American 40 yr old millionaire??
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Korea (South)1897 Posts
On May 27 2015 13:21 coverpunch wrote:
Yeah, the show is a great satire of Silicon Valley and a lot of the strong personalities and hokey folk wisdom/corporate culture coming out of there. It starts be deflating the hype from the movie the Internship and flipping it on its head that many of the "cool" things at Google are actually weird and creepy. All of the characters are parodies and they're spot on, at least from what I saw working at a few start-ups in San Francisco.
I will say that I actually think Peter Thiel and Elon Musk are highly overrated. There are people who get to surf the tsunami and others who get crushed by it, and I think they're as fortunate to have been in the right place at the right time as anything else. I will note that I didn't call them "lucky", which I think implies a connotation that they didn't deserve it when in fact it has nothing to do with deserving.
On the parodies part, I agree, but on that side as well, it does legitimately touch upon legitimate issues and I think each of those characters does a great job representing a role etc. And I think it does a great job in, exactly what you said, seeing the other side of cool as weird and creepy at times, but that being said, you have a city full of non-average people who now are 'average' in a way there- a different society of sorts for sure and something exciting/unique/opportunites you wouldn't find elsewhere. The advice that many of the characters do give, while not mindblowing are correct and its fun to watch because it is all compressed.
I think from someone who has worked in San Fran, and for my other friends who have/are working in Silcon Valley, haveing asked around recently, I think they do respect them but also feel that they are highly overrated in what they are talking about in terms of general philosophies or thoughts on general topics. I think in terms of their successes, yes, they had the background and timing and they also got it done, I mean there were thousands of guys who were at the right time and place with the right background who didn't get it done, so yes fortunate, but the fact is that they had something them to work it out.
There was this movie, right before the internet called 'pump up the volume' and it stars Christian Slater as the main guy, and the premise was that everything has now been done, so what is the point of life or where is it going? But no one talks about that movie anymore because the internet came to life and suddenly there were no limits. But how many of us will really ever ride every new tsunami that comes our way, very very few, and most of us will get crush, but some will get aquired and be a silent bought out millionaire (another cute point that the show does present) - but that being all said, we live in really fucking exciting times and I also don't agree with everything and the vision of what Peter and Elon are saying, but, it's really awesome to have two full on nerds who are riding that Tsunami to give us their point of view and perspective to really compare or peg our own thoughts and perspectives by.
You can read on business thinkers, world leaders, busines CEOs, etc, but adding 2 super nerds to the mix where they can't/won't shut up because they are on that tsunami and they have something to say, something thoughtful, I think it's a wonderful thing - for that I really am thankful that they can do that. I have met a lot of very wealthy individuals that will never be on the forbes lists of the richest but who would rank right up there. I'd say the richest guy I had a meeting with for investment was worth plus 6B usd - no shit. and after 20mins we decided we weren't a good fit then I had to endure 2.5 hrs of him extolling the virtures of his investment style when my partners and I had gotten it after 15 mins, and I mean his societal contribution will be virtually zero, he is only interesting increasing his wealth and he is relatively young at 55. And I was like who is this dickhead (I realize that this post is likely to get me into shit later, so I may delete this part in a couple of weeks fyi) but pre meeting I didn't know he was worth 6B plus because the guys setting it up didn't want me to be nervous or anything and just take the meeting as it was - I mean I knew he was quite wealthy, I've met oligarchs (just 2) and a Sheikh (just one and I know relatively common), but 6B is a different kind of wealthy, and why they telling me was to let me know why we let him speak for another 2.5 hours instead of just cutting it off, because he isn't the kind of person we ever want to break relations with, no matter how much of dickhead he was. And I was like, yeah, knowing that I would have endure another 2 more hours of him rambling on lol, but my point is, money, power, won't make you any smarter or enlightened, but for the few who have it and then can have the opportunity not to be silenced, well, just for that I'm thankful, I could listen to both Peter and Elon for at least 5 hrs each before they were too nerd for me to endure more- unless they were going to take a 20M investment in me, then I'd grin and love it for another 10 more hours ^^
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Korea (South)1897 Posts
On May 28 2015 01:18 Saechiis wrote:
I didn't like the series, probably because I ccouldn't really relate.
Honestly, the show is super compressed, I mean, for me watching it, it's elementary on many levels, and so it's amusing and cute for me, but unless you were part of that world, starting into it, a lot of it would just go over your head or not be relevent, like I read tech cruch at least 3 times a day for procrastination pruposes, but if you've never visited tech crunch once, so much of it is just almost fantasy and non-relatable. For most people from a busines/tech background the show is really a fully on parady/commedy, its like watching a SCBW documentary on e-sports, if you're from e-sports, its elementary, if you're not, you're in shock/awe/disbelief and ask, 'do kids really want to watch video games on tv?'
But I think what is cool that it is honestly a very good 'reflection' of that world opposed to the 'social network' movie out there or that google movie. (which I did like both, but this is a great balance). ^^
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Korea (South)1897 Posts
On May 28 2015 07:18 masterrn wrote:
Sorry I don't understand. Is this supposed to be educational or help us in any sort of way?
Mr Atom is a Korean American 40 yr old millionaire??
This is just my blog which I share as part of the community, it is only supposed to help me take some time out to write out what's on my mind in a way that is familar to me. I had some time away from TL when I was uber corporate, and I think I lost a lot of perspective during that time, this keeps me grounded, to expose myself to both encouragement and negative comments and I always walk away with perspective- that without my physical presence, or my background and just whatever the post is - I get a reaction that kinda of keeps tied to the world outside my own, so even some of the rude or immature posts I get from kids I would have crushed even at their age, it's good.
So this is purely a selfish endevour ^^
And I'm Korean 40 year old paper millionaire. Emphism on 'paper' i.e. only in the compay's valuation, which is on paper. ^^
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Korea (South)1897 Posts
On May 28 2015 05:45 Chairman Ray wrote:
This got me to watch the first episode. Pretty good!
cool ^^
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I don't think the majority of people are six-figure salaried people. It's really hard for me who's struggling to make ends meet with a few mouths to feed to relate to this at all. Lately I'm wondering why I'm even working in a technical position and not the the middle-businessman. Shouldn't this go to like forbes or something..
At least you recognize it's selfish, but much needed. I know living in Korea with that dense a population can easily get absorbed and lose one's identity.
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EPT
