A Businessman's Choice

If I Had 2 to 3 Billion Won

When a company reaches around 2 to 3 billion won (approximately $1.5 to $2.2 million USD) in capital, an entrepreneur faces several options. One might continue renting and focus on growing the business. Another might choose to sell and wind things down. Or, they could take out a loan, buy a small building, and combine running an office with a rental business. This is the path most businesspeople in Korea tend to take.

But I choose — and live — differently.

First, I opened offices abroad and improved our profit structure by leveraging the labor cost gap. This helps resolve Korea's chronic talent shortage. The longer you work in the IT industry here, the more you realize how high development costs are for in-house services and how deeply the subcontracting structure is embedded. A fundamental solution is needed.

Second, I chose to engage in equity swaps and partnerships with other companies. If I have money, I invest in companies I trust — not in public stocks, but by becoming a shareholder in private businesses. I’m already a board director in more than five companies. But being on the board is about more than just sharing profits. When you become a director, you join a circle where board members talk to each other; when you're a CEO, you enter a world where only CEOs interact. It opens up a whole different layer of business life.

Third, like Jeff Bezos, I heavily reinvest in the business. Just as Amazon reinvested over 97% of AWS’s operating profit in its first seven years to build an unshakable competitive edge, I’m following a similar path. Heavy reinvestment comes with cash flow risks, but it also means lower taxes and faster growth.

Someday, when our company receives large capital injections, major investments, and achieves overwhelming operating profit — then, maybe, I’ll build a headquarters or buy a building and rent it out while running the business. But until then, I want to fight an aggressive battle to expand our territory in the business world.

I want to achieve a lot before I turn forty.