Why do I really appreciate Do-san more than Ji-pyeong in Start-Up? [A THREAD] #StartUpEp10 #StartUpEp11 #StartUp

Let’s begin with how the writer accurately portrays people in the IT/software engineering field.

Nam Do-san was an average representation of the common IT/programmer/geek person that we usually see in Silicon Valley or in any country’s business districts. He’s bound to portray how software engineers act and do their thing.

On the other hand, Han Ji-pyeong is an average representation of a hotshot CEO that usually manages IT/software engineering companies. Quite obsessed by business models, revenue, and the stock market, he makes a lot of ways to make the company fruitful as much as possible.

Personally, I will be for Nam Do-san’s side in this case. Why? I won’t relate to a hotshot CEO for I’m an ordinary IT/SE company employee by myself. Bonus is I work for a startup at the same time.

Living through the life of a data engineer and a computer science student, I can say that Nam Do-san accurately shows how people in the industry think. Many want to dream really high and launch their companies themselves or make their software by themselves and pose a solution...

...in which the likes of Han Ji-pyeong fails to sit upon, since he wants a safe haven for revenue growth and continuous company growth. This causes him to be very critical of other people’s dreams (or should we say software projects), in which he doesn’t check upon...

...the level of criticism he does. People in the higher-ups, most especially for large companies, tend to give harsh criticism, which not everyone in the field can take with a grain of salt. This is how Nam Do-san reacted to Ji-pyeong’s criticism. It was too harsh that it...

crushed his self-esteem. CEOs need to remember that the people they talk to are indeed humans — they have feelings, too. In the Asian cultural perspective, people tend to be emotional even at the workplace.

Some might say that Nam Do-san is such a crybaby for being too crushed with such criticisms, but we must remember that not everyone can easily take criticisms, most especially if it’s bound to crush one’s self.

So in this series, I appreciated Nam Do-san more that Ji-pyeong since I know how it feels to be harshly criticized. Constructive criticism is always needed for improvement, but the way it’s portrayed must be watched carefully as well.

CEOs need to learn how to have empathy and compassion, and balance their revenue models with the workforce morale to make a sustainable company growth. I’m really happy that a series like #StartUp showed up this 2020, since it acknowledged the sprawling IT industry right now.

And yes, I actually like the shipping that happens around the series, but these intricate details are the ones that make me appreciate this piece of art even more. Viewers must realize that they should think of the practical takeaway aside from the fan service that it gives.