Ask me anything about being a Man, Korean Style - Page 7

On February 23 2011 04:09 MightyAtom wrote:



I love Guy, but he a product guy and I'm a process guy. His context is the start-up, my context is running a business properly and its very different.

If you're interested in doing a start-up then take his route, but while an MBA may only be considered a basic necessity now rather than plus, its just shows how competitive everything has been.

But I agree, an MBA for a start up company that is creating a product, not useful.

An MBA in my case where I am basically building up 2 global gaming brands and my entry as as senior consultant and senior executive, because I had and MBA, well extremely useful, and what the hell is 250k? Go to Singapore or Hong Kong and do your MBA and work overseas, cause what trumps an MBA is the first firm you work for after your MBA and that will define you more than your MBA.

You take an engineer and put him in my job without an MBA, he'd get eaten alive. Plus, honestly Guy, aside from being in Apple, what is his major win that came more from products more than his business sense? Cause I think he has impeccable business and managerial.marketing sense.

On February 23 2011 03:17 MightyAtom wrote:



Basically, every man has a shelf life of peak performance, at 35 I knew that if I didn't make a move now, I'd never make a move ever, not in the same way and I thought in a 5 year window before 40, I still had the physical stamina to take on the full operations myself (although this is much tougher than it was when I was 32 having already put myself through hell to climb the ladder). So I didn't want to regret this moment and I knew that I would never be the same combination of stamina, experience and mental ability all this level. But the biggest thing was stamina. People think that they work hard, boy, they don't know shit. It one things to work hard at the same routine job, its another to work on a different job every single day and problem solve major issues every single day for 3 years straight while doing non stop travel and literally 5 days off in 2 years. But, that also gave me confidence that I could do it if I needed to.

But I dont' like to use the word entrepreneur, I'd like to just think I transitioned over to the equity circle.

The event horizon is about 2 years; because if I fail at that point, I will need to re-enter at a much lower level such as a manager level and work my way back up which will take another 2 years. So I'd just be hitting 42 or so at the twilight of my professional work horse stamina. But the opportunity cost of the next 5 years would have been significant at least 3 M had I just stayed put. But on the flip side, not doing it would have been a life time of regret.

Biggest tips, you know all those stories you read when the entrepreneur says that they maxed out all their credit cards and their family was all stressed and it was hell. All fucking true. Didn't think it would happen to me, but sold my house, and basically living off of savings while everything that can go wrong goes wrong and every short cut is a dead end, but keeping things in perspective, I tell my wife, baby, no matter what, in 5 years I we will be fine no matter what and our kids will only be like 7 years old their whole lives ahead of them anyways. But of course my wife says 'what about now!', but i'd say, no balance exists, but keep your eyes on the goal line, its the only way to keep everything together.

On the point of why its like-the entire capital strapped thing; had I stayed for an additional year, I wasn't confident that I would ever leave and that is what happens to a lot of senior executives.

On February 23 2011 21:50 Cedstick wrote:
Why are Korean women crazy once a week? Don't get me wrong, women are crazy, but why specifically once a week (rather than once a month?)

On February 23 2011 22:26 VManOfMana wrote:
Two questions:

1. How would you explain the Korean Starcraft phenomenon to a foreigner (non-Korean)? Have you ever been in a situation where it becomes a topic of conversation with non-Koreans?

2. Given the competitiveness of Korean society (as you have explained it), how does progaming fits into it? I live in the United States, and my personal experience is that gaming is still looked down upon by people over 35. After what you said in your blogs, it sounds a bit illogical that of all countries, progaming would develop in Korea.

On February 23 2011 23:24 beetlelisk wrote:

Yeah, do you think it's because competitive society is generating so much stress that Korean people are (or maybe have to be) tolerant to a wider variety of stress relievers than Westerners?

On February 24 2011 00:22 cArn- wrote:
Here is my issue ;

I've met a korean girl at a place I go to pretty often, and at some point I ended up asking for a picture with her (she's really beautiful), as they take picture of the people coming in at the end of the event, and asked her name before leaving. After that she started to come to me when I happened to be at the same place (at an event, in the subway, etc..) to talk and whatnot. Before all that a friend confirmed me that she would glance at me pretty often when I was around (I noticed it because I have a hard time getting my eyes off her myself). So after all that I figure she would be interested in me in some way, but being the retard that I'm I took a very long time to actually try to make something happen, and she backed off a bit and wasn't really coming to me anymore.
So when valentine day came I finally decided to make a move and sent her a chocolate box along with a rose with written "happy valentine day" in korean, signed from me, via a co-worker of hers that I know pretty well (I couldn't go there myself obviously). So when I saw her a few days later I asked if she received it etc and if she liked and smiled giggle a bit saying that yeah she liked it, so later on this day I tried to invite her for dinner the night of her last work day of the week, but she basically said she's working late and has to get home afterwards, so that she couldn't. I told her I would drive her home back anyway but I don't think she clearly understood that (her english is decent but she's not fluent), and when I proposed the next day which is her day off she said that she's resting on that day (it's her only day off).

So basically I don't really know if I could take that as a no and her being too nice to tell me directly or if she really is too busy and too tired with work etc. I'm even more confused as she clearly seemed interested at first, unless I'm completely misunderstanding the situation.

I also know that it's korean girls who actually are supposed to send chocolate on valentine's day in korea, and that men do it the next month, but I still did it cause I'm not korean and I thought I could get away with it as I'm not supposed to know that kind of things as a foreigner.
It also doesn't make sense to me as I think they would expect men to take the initiative, so I just did.

Also I almost forgot, we are both 23.

Sorry for the long post but I felt you would need some details to help me figure it out, and I really need to settle this as it's ruining my focus a lot and I can't practice nor perform decently anymore

On February 24 2011 00:30 BLinD-RawR wrote:


Don't forget Indians,we have good population of Koreans in India,and the city I currently reside in(Chennai) has probably the biggest amount!Hell my neighbours are koreans,although they don't like talking to me becuase they are afraid of my mom(lol,a story better left unsaid until the right time).

anyways,how is a relationship between Kodeh and a Yodeh(spelling?),during the unversity years as opposed to after university?

On February 24 2011 01:46 r3dox wrote:
how does a man make decisions? is there a general formal process? is it ever a good idea to delay a decision?

On February 24 2011 01:58 MightyAtom wrote:


All Koreans are fundamentally irrational emotional people, but men are better at controlling it except when they are angry. Whereas Korean women need to suddenly freak out for no reason randomly because they don't express their emotion through anger, so become irrationally unreasonable once a week is their outlet. It's not a PMS thing, its a Korean thing and perfectly normal. During this time you allow them to vent and say crazy things, but then when they get out of control (cause they will work themselves up to a frenzy) give them a stare and say, ok, enough! And they should return to normal after muttering something under their breath.

But, if you as a man have not been blameless, then just let it run its course, or she will really go psychotic and get crazy on you and point out all the shit you did wrong or are not doing right. You can only shush your woman if you are totally blameless and after she has vented enough. If you are a foreigner, I'd suggest just letting them rant themselves out because you won't have the 'nunchi' (eye sense) to know when to say, enough.

On February 24 2011 01:49 l0st_romantic wrote:


Thanks hyung.

I really like the phrase "transitioned over to the equity circle", haha. The shit that you've been through puts Modigliani-Miller in perspective... perfect information in an economy is such an unrealisitc assumption; equity will never be the same price as debt.

I actually had kind of a question about Asian business culture, and Korean business culture specifically. I assume that you've had dealings with Chinese, Korean, and Japanese businessmen--what are the differences in the male business culture between the three? Do these differences become bigger or smaller when you are dealing with entrepreneurs/equity-holders as opposed to corporate bureaucrats?

On February 24 2011 02:10 Terrakin wrote:
I was wondering if it is possible for me to get an under the table job in Korea or any job for that matter as a foreigner without diploma. Also are tattoos taboo in Korea?

On February 24 2011 02:30 HeadhunteR wrote:
this man is very wise please listen to him fellow TLers. Great blog !5/5 stars.

On February 24 2011 02:50 happyft wrote:


Oh my god, I laughed so hard at this, 'cuz it's so god damn true XD My mother, my friends, my girlfriend... all so true, I never even realized it but when you mentioned it and I thought about it, everything you say is spot on. (Especially the return to normal after muttering something under their breath part, which is always just barely loud enough that you hear what they're saying just so they can get the last word and piss you off LOL. God, it's like a skill they all acquire when they grow up or something, lol)

On February 24 2011 01:58 MightyAtom wrote:


All Koreans are fundamentally irrational emotional people, but men are better at controlling it except when they are angry. Whereas Korean women need to suddenly freak out for no reason randomly because they don't express their emotion through anger, so become irrationally unreasonable once a week is their outlet. It's not a PMS thing, its a Korean thing and perfectly normal. During this time you allow them to vent and say crazy things, but then when they get out of control (cause they will work themselves up to a frenzy) give them a stare and say, ok, enough! And they should return to normal after muttering something under their breath.

But, if you as a man have not been blameless, then just let it run its course, or she will really go psychotic and get crazy on you and point out all the shit you did wrong or are not doing right. You can only shush your woman if you are totally blameless and after she has vented enough. If you are a foreigner, I'd suggest just letting them rant themselves out because you won't have the 'nunchi' (eye sense) to know when to say, enough.

On February 24 2011 03:39 StorkHwaiting wrote:


Haha, I think this nunchi phenomenon is quite similar to the Chinese skill "kan lian si" (translation: reading expressions).

I used to get beaten by my mom all the time because she said I didn't know how to read expressions, as in I couldn't judge the proper time to say or do something in a situation.