How have you been?
As the Year of the Water Rabbit draws to a close, I look back on the past twelve months. As the upcoming Year of the Wood Dragon is traditionally seen as a time when the seeds of success begin to flourish, I sincerely hope that such growth finds its way to all of us.
It feels as though the uncertainties that hovered both internally and externally this year have crystallized into specific risks. Fortunately, thanks to the exceptional people around me, I’ve been able to grow into someone who can not only endure these risks but also find a way to enjoy them. I hope to live not just by predicting what’s next, but by knowing how to respond to whatever comes.
Surviving the Military
I’ve steadily built up another year as an active-duty soldier in the Republic of Korea Air Force. It was a year spent entirely as a soldier. Since it’s the Air Force, it’s true that there is less training compared to other branches, and it’s also true that there is significant personal time. However, I’d rather talk about "work" than how I spent my free time.
I believe that one's attitude toward work determines the major crossroads of life. While many might underestimate the importance of work during military service, I think the opposite. If one neglects work even in the military, how can they expect to handle "real" work in society? That’s why I’ve always approached my duties with a desire to learn at least one more thing. Naturally, results followed.
I handle both administrative and kitchen duties at the "Officer’s Cafeteria," where we provide meals for the leadership. While kitchen duties involve the entire process of meal preparation, I want to focus on the administrative aspect—specifically, team leadership. This was a significant challenge for me. I led a small team of about ten people. Leading a team of solely soldiers within the military is far different from any corporate setting. Each individual is critical, and in this strictly hierarchical organization, the role of the "Wang-go"—the one with the highest rank and seniority—profoundly affects the entire department's atmosphere. At least, that was the case in my unit.
I quickly became an "all-rounder" who mastered every task in the cafeteria. As a result, many tasks were naturally delegated to me by the officers. My physical labor decreased, but my responsibility grew immensely. It wasn't an unmanageable amount, but it was a problem if I was the only one doing the "work" correctly.
Let's look back at my school days for a moment. I was always the person who could join a project midway, quickly grasp the situation, and execute it well—but I committed the grave error of never properly handing off my tasks. Consequently, I’d often hear that the organization fell apart shortly after I left. This was especially true for my school clubs. I truly regretted this. I blamed myself. Would it have been different if I had created a system that ran well even without me? But at the time, I lacked the ability to find and train a proper successor.
Based on those past experiences, I resolved not to repeat the same mistake. I solidified and documented what was previously a somewhat unstable system. My goal was to teach this to my juniors. I wanted to build an organization where work was appropriately divided, where people took initiative without being told, and where it was normal to have multiple leaders rather than just one. I’ve put immense effort into setting a systematic schedule and helping my juniors internalize it. In this process, I try to balance "carrot and stick"—offering full-hearted praise when deserved and reminding myself to take a step back when delivering criticism. Developing this team management and leadership style is the most precious "experience asset" I’ve gained from my military service.
Timing played a key role in making this possible. As my seniors were discharged early, the environment for me to reshape the organization was established. Whenever a new recruit arrived, I showed consistent interest, taught them the ropes, and helped them adapt to the cafeteria culture. I held private meetings, discussed their progress with officers, and sought candid advice. None of this would have been possible without the support of the officers and the cooperation of my juniors. Looking back, I feel a great sense of accomplishment. Now, I serve as a reliable supporter for my juniors, ensuring the cafeteria runs smoothly.
A Man of Much "Jeong"
I am not a professional soldier. I am fulfilling my mandatory service as a South Korean male and will be discharged next year. Therefore, to me, the military is a space with an expiration date. Knowing that there is a set end to my time in this organization implies that this is a place filled with meetings and partings.
I am a person of much jeong (deep affection and connection). If we were to argue over the scale of such feelings, I’d confidently say mine is the largest. But perhaps it was too much. Having so much jeong brought me more loss than gain, and I needed a way to protect myself before the moments of loss became too much to bear. The solution I found was to withhold my jeong. If I didn't give it, there were no wounds. I started viewing people as individuals simply passing through my life.
Naturally, I didn't give my jeong away in the military. I strictly avoided conversations outside of work and always kept a step back from my peers. I suppose I’ll continue this way. I’m sure some might have been hurt by this side of my personality. If so, I’m sorry. But I truly strive to give my best to everyone I interact with. I never once engaged in a soulless conversation. I am always open, so feel free to "send a friend request." A "request"—even I can see how cold that sounds.
Since I don't give away my jeong, I don't feel much when others are discharged before me. Nevertheless, the absence of an older brother (Hyung) with a similar personality to mine—whom I relied on more than I realized—and my immediate senior who recently left, feels a bit sharp. If they happen to be reading this, I hope they are doing well.
A Great Developer
I still dream of being a great developer. But what does that mean?
I’ll admit that my self-esteem as a developer has dropped slightly after a year in the military and being disconnected from the developer community—at least in terms of raw skill. But I’m not overly worried. There are many developers better than me, and as I grow alongside them, my confidence will naturally return.
This year, I spent time developing a chatbot that filters necessary information for my studies and turns it into Evernote documents. Since this project was built for my personal needs, I’ve been fully occupied with fixing bugs and adding features. This has been a huge help in maintaining and growing my development skills within my limited time. Above all, the immersion of writing code and the thrill when it works as planned was enough to keep me captivated as an engineer.
And... finally, starting next month, I begin the journey of finding a company I want to work for. My deadline is next May. Since this will be the official start of my career as a developer, I hope it goes well. I look forward to sharing new experiences and growth as a developer in next year’s letter.
Thoughts on the Future
I’m looking about ten years ahead. The life I envisioned at twenty is now approaching its middle phase. Next year, I’ll be twenty-three. And in May, I say goodbye to the military. I’ll be back at the starting point.
By thirty, I hope to conclude my career as a developer and take on challenges in a new field. In the meantime, I desire to achieve as much as I can as a developer: becoming a front-end lead, speaking at various conferences, and contributing to the open-source community by releasing new libraries. I’m looking for an environment and a team (=company) where such things are encouraged, and I plan to stay with one team for a long time.
Before I turn thirty, I intend to build significant wealth. I plan to use investing to achieve this, and I’ve been studying various aspects of investment. If you asked me what I studied most in the military, it would be investing. I hesitated about sharing this, but since it has become such an important part of my life, I couldn't leave it out. Does this mean I’m not doing my main job well? Not at all. I take pride in being more diligent and capable in my primary duties than anyone.
I haven't seen any visible results from my investments yet, as I’m still in the experimental phase. The amount of capital I’m working with isn't large either. However, in the final month of this year, results have finally started to trickle in. It makes me happy. I’ve started to establish principles, and much of my hastiness has vanished. I’m excited for the future!
Using the wealth I build and protect, I want to run various businesses based on a single, systematic core enterprise. My goal for these businesses isn't just to make money, but to live my life entirely on my own terms, rather than anyone else's. I want to open a diving shop somewhere overseas and spend my semi-annual breaks traveling the country in a food truck, doing charity work and providing food for those in need. I’ll accept donations, and 100% of those funds will go directly toward the operation of the food truck. I’ll transparently share that entire process through video. The diving shop will be a full resort with a restaurant, cafe, and bar all on-site. If that’s too much, I can partner with local businesses. I will always stick to a "customer-first" principle, though I might be a little stubborn along the way. How does it sound? Doesn't it sound exciting? And I want to write. I’m gently unfolding my once-discarded dream of becoming a full-time author.
These are just examples, but I truly dream of such a life. I am certain I can do it. People around me often encourage me, saying, "I think you could really do it." Yes, that is the life I intend to lead. Can I? I can.
Systems and Leverage
They say one should "manage" their life. Managing your life means making every moment of your daily routine meaningful. During my time in the military, I wanted to define my boundaries clearly. So, I tried many things and created a sort of "lifestyle guide" or "reference book" for myself. I’m tailoring my life by appropriately utilizing systems and leverage.
In 2023, I built upon what worked in 2022, adjusting what needed changing and adding what was necessary in my search for a better way to live. Looking at a slightly longer timeline, I boldly discarded what I couldn't do right now. I kept only the most fundamental elements to extract maximum efficiency with minimum time.
I start my day at 4 AM. Waking up at 4 AM is my personal method for starting the day efficiently. It’s a time when I can be entirely myself, without any interruptions. During this time, I focus especially on studying, reading, and thinking about how to launch my day. It is the optimal time to start the day with energy. To wake up at this hour, I go to bed early—usually by 10 PM, or midnight at the latest. I try not to stay up past 12 so I can get enough sleep.
I minimize my use of Instagram and YouTube. These restrictions help me focus on more important things and spend my day more productively. Aside from a few essential media outlets, I hardly use them at all. I delete Instagram and YouTube from my smartphone. On my computer, I use the Arc browser to create an environment where I can focus on work as much as possible, using extensions to remove Reels and Shorts. If you turn off your search history on YouTube, the home screen remains empty. I use this to prevent new content from being recommended. I also minimize the channels I subscribe to, keeping only those relevant to my work. Since setting things up this way and increasing my workload and study time, there are many days when I don't log in even once. I’ve finally almost completely stopped using social media, which I once thought I could never quit!
Netflix. I enjoy watching documentaries on Netflix. Since I have a great interest in cooking, I naturally gravitate toward culinary documentaries. I watch them when I’m eating alone or folding laundry. This year, I’ve watched a lot of Chef’s Table. It captures the stories of chefs running the best restaurants in the world. I love this series because it always includes the chef’s personal philosophy. I gain deep insights not just into cooking, but into life. It uses the field of cooking as a medium, but in reality, it’s a story about life.
Finally, there are books. I tried to give e-books a chance, but paper books still win for me by a landslide. Although I subscribe to Milliseo-jae through a mobile plan, I get far more satisfaction and focus from physical books. Even on the subway or the bus, I still reach for a paper book. E-books just don't read as well for me. I don't necessarily set aside specific times to read; instead, I read whenever I have a spare moment. But I read seriously. I treat it like work. Fortunately, this "work" feels like a hobby to me, so I can do it without getting tired.
Health
While I know that health is the ultimate asset, I’ve been neglecting it.
A few months ago, my weight reached an all-time high. It happened because I grew lazy with exercise, using my studies as an excuse. Time is meant to be prioritized, but I haven't been carving out any time at all. I "only" think about how I should start investing at least an hour a day again before it gets worse. (Pardon?)
Until about September this year, I exercised for about 30 minutes a day, but I’ve hardly done anything since then. Entering December, I’ve started finishing my daily workout by doing the maximum number of pull-ups I can in the morning. (Pardon?)
Now, let's talk about exercise seriously. Exercise has always been an inseparable part of my life. But that exercise wasn't always weight training. The first sport I learned was swimming—my father was a swimming instructor. Then I took up boxing to lose weight, and basketball because I wanted to grow taller. All of these require intense physical movement. For someone who grew up with those, weight training never felt particularly appealing. As expected, it didn't last long—about nine months... though that’s actually quite a while. I want to be discharged soon. After my discharge, I want to start boxing again.
I try to get four to six hours of sleep. I strive to maintain a regular sleep pattern and make sure to get enough rest on Saturdays. I either go to bed earlier than usual on Friday night or wake up a bit later on Saturday morning.
Finally, I can't leave out diet. I usually eat breakfast and lunch; if I have dinner plans, I skip breakfast the next day. I try to maintain a fasting window of over 16 hours and always try to be slightly hungry. This keeps my brain sharp and my focus uninterrupted. I try to avoid fried foods, minimize carbohydrates, and restrict processed foods and sugars.
Acknowledgments
This has turned into a fairly long letter. Next year, as I’ll be free from the constraints of the military and able to spread my wings as I please, I imagine I’ll be writing an even longer letter. Still, I’ll try not to make it too long and find the right balance. I always strive to write less while conveying more.
Last year, I wrote individual essay-letters to 12 of my closest friends. I’m sorry I couldn't do that this year. I hope to be able to send letters filled with my heart to even more people next year.
A year is too long, but a quarter is short. I keep in mind that seeing each other too often isn't always a good thing. I will continue to greet you semi-annually, cherishing the connections I have. Thank you to everyone who has been with me. Even if we only crossed paths for a moment, you were always the best to me. I look forward to your continued support.
I end this with the best sentence I've found and written this year.
Farewell for now.
I hope our love flows slowly and leisurely, like a gentle ripple. Not just a cup of water, but the flow of a vast ocean, embracing the subtle sparkle of sunlight on the waves.
Life is like that. Understanding someone you couldn't understand. Admitting that you could have been in their shoes. Knowing that all those rejections and regrets led you here. The wisdom gained with age is too precious to refuse.
I believe that being able to cherish memories of someone, some place, or those times is a blessing in itself. I bless everyone who remembers, and I applaud your still-youthful self who wishes to face the past through those memories. Finally, at the risk of sounding like an old-timer, I leave you with one thought to remember: "The very moment you are reminiscing about the past is the moment that will become the most missed past of your future."
- Letter from Go Gil-dong
A person who says they are busy is simply advertising their incompetence. A foolishly busy schedule doesn't indicate one's importance; it means they have been isolated from the world.
- Nassim Taleb
Work should always be fun. You should be so excited on your way to work that you skip up the stairs two at a time. With flexible working, you should be surfing when the waves are good, skiing when there’s heavy snow, and staying home to care for your child when they’re sick.
- Yvon Chouinard, Let My People Go Surfing
The answer lies in words like moderation, quality, and simplicity. Growth is not always good. "There’s a massive difference between growing fast and growing healthy."
To protect your philosophy, you must be able to forget what you’ve done well and pursue something new.
Rather than the glamour seen on the outside,
achieving a small and peaceful lifeAlways maintaining peace of mind
They say you have to live in the present and remember the present to shape the future, but remembering the present is always difficult. I believe recording is power. I hope the utility of recording is something tangible, not just abstract.
I think successful entrepreneurs have two things in common: they are driven CEOs, and they are people who "didn't know how little they didn't know." The reason there are so many founders in their 20s or 30s making great companies is that they don't know very much, and therefore they don't know they "can't do this."
Furthermore, if I had to pick the three most important qualities in growing a company: 1) knowing exactly where you’re going, 2) effectively convincing people of that (all of life is about convincing people to do what you want), and most importantly, 3) leading by example (the most effective way is to do what you want people to do yourself).
- David Rubenstein, Carlyle Group
It’s better to avoid having to make "resolutions" or "decisions" as much as possible.
This is because needing to make a decision means you’ve already been pushed into a situation with limited options. Not being pushed into a corner is far more important than "making the right decision."
- Tatsuru Uchida, Contemporary Thoughts on the Street
While some are born with it, you must see, hear, and feel a lot. They say you see as much as you know. It shouldn't end with just seeing; you must make it your own. When looking at a piece of art, don't just say, "It's pretty or cool." You should be able to analyze what meaning it holds and express it in your own way. If you just follow what is "good," it’s just imitation. To re-interpret and put something out, you must have accumulated many experiences and ideas within you. That's why you must see and feel a lot.
- Na-young Yu, Shinsegae VMD
Business opportunities should not be judged solely on past income and profits, nor just on current or future ones. Numbers on paper are important, but they don't tell the whole story. The core to watch is whether you are improving efficiency and creating value for society and consumers. As long as a company continuously creates value for society, those incomes and profits will eventually be realized, and society will long-term reward you.
Over years of investing, I realized that skiing and investing have many similarities. Both require maintaining balance, keeping your eyes near your feet while looking far ahead, gaining acceleration, and most importantly, maintaining inner peace.
Investing can generally be analyzed on three levels: industry, company, and management. When looking at the industry, you should focus on the business model—what is the essence of this business, what is the logic of making money, and what is the competitive pattern (monopoly or perfect competition, can anyone imitate it?). When looking at the company, focus on the business model, operating model and process mechanisms, how large the management radius is, the scale effect, and whether there is core competitiveness. When looking at management, focus on whether the founder has frame (gyeok-guk) and execution power, the thought and ability to create an efficient organization, and entrepreneurship.
- Value: My Thoughts on Investment / Zhang Lei / 2020
Falling in love is like creating a secret that others don't know about. Especially if you have signals that only the two of you understand. If someone laughs at an odd moment, you know why they’re laughing, and you can burst out laughing with them. Sometimes, you have conversations with just expressions. Perhaps in a situation where you can't make a sound—like a crowded subway or a restaurant with bad food. And as they say, love makes you a parrot—because you know each other best, you’re busy mocking each other with imitations. To think that this bickering is also love is surprisingly wonderful. People don't know where the moles are on your body, or what expression you make when you sleep. They won't know how you furrow your brows when you’re serious, or what you do when you’re angry. So, being able to know the abstract parts of another human being is a blessing. That qualification of blessing is a reward earned through passionate courtship—how sweet and wonderful a reward it is.
"The moment you create a path for escape, you lose the qualification to be loved."
Yes, yes. Since there is as much positivity as there is negativity, it wouldn't be bad to count the good things first. Someone's flaws might just be a secret that only I know; when I can cherish even those, I might truly be able to say the word "love." Truly, love is a heavy thing.
- Shin Ha-young
Learning deeply, expressing clearly, and persevering consistently.
I thought about the causes. I suspect the driving force behind the high growth of the past decades—a fiercely competitive society, the structural polarization that inevitably occurs, and social media, which makes comparing yourself to others all too easy—is at the heart of it.
In the past, ordinary people had no way of knowing what the top 1% were doing. But recently, through Instagram or YouTube, it has become too easy to see how others live. Many people compare the "highlight reels" of others on SNS to their own average moments and feel miserable.
- Seung
People think ideas are more like answers than questions, but in many cases, true insight lies in the question.
Questions with no clear answer can be uncomfortable to hold in your head. But the more you accumulate them, the higher the chance of finding a solution. Even more interesting is that two unanswered questions sometimes share the same underlying meaning.
Some questions stay in your mind for a long time. Great work comes from returning to questions you first noticed years ago—even in childhood—and couldn't stop thinking about. People often talk about the importance of keeping your childhood dreams, but it’s just as important not to forget your childhood questions.
It’s a good thing to have many unanswered questions. Why? Similar to how money makes money, you can find new questions by answering existing ones. A question leads not just to an answer, but to even more questions.
Use the advantages of youth when you are young, and the advantages of age in your middle years. The advantages of the former are energy, time, optimism, and freedom. The advantages of the latter are knowledge, efficiency, money, and power. Through effort, you can gain some of the latter when young and maintain some of the former as you age.
Furthermore, as you get older, you have the advantage of knowing what your strengths are. Young people sometimes have strengths but don't realize it. Their greatest advantage is time. Young people have no idea how "time-rich" they are. The best way to use this wealth is to swipe the card a little frivolously. Learn about things you don't "need" to know just out of curiosity, build something just because it’s cool, or become an outlier in a single field.
It’s important to interpret "frivolously" well. Spend time generously when you’re young, but don't just waste it. There’s a big difference between doing work that you worry might be a waste of time and doing work that definitely is. The former is at least a bet, and it could be a far bigger game-changer than you think.
Find the best colleagues. There are many projects you can't do alone. And even if you’re working alone, it’s good to have others who encourage you and give you new ideas.
But colleagues affect not just the work, but you as well. So, work with role models. Because you will grow to be like them.
When it comes to colleagues, quality is more important than quantity. One or two outstanding people are better than hundreds of mediocre ones. In fact, it’s not just "better"; it’s a prerequisite. History shows that great things are achieved within small groups. Having great colleagues by your side makes an enormous difference.
How do you know when you have "good enough" colleagues? In my experience, once you reach that point, you feel it immediately. If you’re not sure, you probably haven't. More specifically, having a handful of colleagues who provide insights you can't see on your own is enough.
- "How to Do Great Work" by Paul Graham