I am a person who learns quickly from personal experiences. In other words, I’ve always got to learn it the hard way. After quitting my job as a BD at Deer Corporation, an e-scooter startup based in Korea, I quickly assembled a team and started doing projects with them. Little did I know that things started cracking apart when I didn’t assemble a team centered on a single interest. Here’s what I’ve learned during the past five months spending with them. (Heads up, they’re not really sorted out in a MECE format.)
- Team-fit exists. Putting up a team from individuals with great performance and potential doesn’t guarantee the team to excel. In this situation, the team really doesn’t get things done properly due to conflicts in making decisions. Besides, being a good friend and being a great coworker are completely different.
- A co-founder that doesn’t know how to code is a disaster. Or to better put it; if you don’t have a clue about how to build something - get the fuck out of my company. (updated on Jan 5, 2026)
- Early teams must be lean. Any sort of gathering that has a sole purpose should not be over three. The more people there are, the less speed you’ll gain. The concept of inertia applies to people, too. Business is all about momentum, and it seems like a big team without any discipline will not get you anywhere.
- You’ve got to have dedication. I’ve met so many brilliant people. But I’ve rarely seen people with such intelligence be dedicated to a single problem. I agree that there are so many things to be done in the world right now and there will always be more to solve. It’s just how the world works. I also understand that there are so many interesting things that one cannot help but pay attention to. But you can’t make progress unless you spend time and effort on something, just a single one, for a shit load of time. If you’ve made a decision to work on something, suck it up and neglect everything else.
- Do NOT exceed your capability. I found out that I can manage up to two projects at a time, but the output will not look good for either one of them. I know that I am a person who needs to focus on one thing, and one thing only. If I am assigned to two or more projects, I know that I am going to drop one sooner or later, or else I’d flunk them all.
- Okay I change my mind. You can actually work from home. BUT only if you know what you need to do. It requires agency. Also, the less tools you use for collaboration seems to be better for communication. I think GitHub is a fantastic platform for software companies - you can log issues, start discussions, and manage your project.
Home is NOT a place to work. I can assure you. NO ONE is productive in their homes, unless they’re under some special circumstances such as taking care of the baby and working at the same time. For ordinary people like us? Hell no. I am not taking that bullcrap.(updated on Jan 5, 2025) - Credibility is everything. Credibility allows us to have transactions between one another. The best way to keep yourself credible is to not make any promises. However, if you neglect the small ones, such as being tardy frequently, you will lose faith from others. (Mark my words.) There are two things to do to overcome this. The first, of course, is acting like the person with manners you’d hope for. Being punctual and sticking to the plan are things that apply to me. (I really hate people who are always late. I think they are inconsiderate, arrogant, and retarded.) Also, you need to be resilient. You must be firm on what you stand for, which doesn’t mean that you should be an asshole. But rather, you must think things through and try to evaluate things while trying to keep your edge.
October 8, 2023