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Today, we’ll be discussing Episode 6 of Start-Up, the hit K Drama on Netflix starring Bae Suzy as Seo Dal-mi, Nam Joo Hyuk as Nam Do-san, Kim Seon Ho as Han Ji Pyeong, Kang Han Na as Won In Jae, and Kim Hae Sook as Choi Won Deok. We discuss:

• The songs we featured during the recap: Where Is Dream by 10CM, Maybe You Know It by Park Sejun, and Game Room by Park Sejun. We also shared insights into 10CM’s music career and unique vocal style.
• The concept of the “key man,” and how Nam Do-san, as the brilliant coder, is the true key person behind Samsan Tech’s success, not Seo Dal-mi.
• An in-depth conversation about equity and ownership, with Han Ji Pyeong insisting that a CEO must have majority equity to lead effectively — a controversial claim that causes major friction in the team.
• The fallout among the Samsan Tech founders when Chul San and Yong San feel betrayed by Nam Do-san’s proposed equity structure, prompting a near breakup.
• Seo Dal-mi’s growth as a CEO, including how she proposes a new equity split and confronts Jeong Sa Ha with strength and confidence, signaling her rising leadership.
• The tension between being a good person and being an effective CEO, and how Seo Dal-mi learns to make hard decisions without trying to please everyone.
• The emotional weight of keeping the truth about the letters hidden from Seo Dal-mi, especially now that Nam Do-san learns the grandmother is losing her eyesight.
• The deepening love triangle between Seo Dal-mi, Nam Do-san, and Han Ji Pyeong, as seen in the nuanced facial expressions, especially during their scene on the bleachers.
• A sobering look at Won In Jae’s fraught relationship with her stepfather and mother, and how her need to “win” is rooted in betrayal and guilt.
• The dark twist at the end of the episode, where a hooded figure leaves a message about revenge on the Sandbox wall — suggesting deeper intrigue ahead.
• A spotlight on the incredible Kim Hae Sook, who plays the grandmother, Choi Won Deok. We discuss her prolific career, her range as an actress, and her importance to Korean cinema and TV.

References

• Could Malcolm Gladwell's Theory of Cockpit Culture Apply to Asiana Crash?
• Malcolm Gladwell’s Outliers and Aircraft Dispatchers
• Thinking Beyond Cultural Legacy: The Case of Korean Air
• Malcolm Gladwell Theory Debunked - Hacker News