Minimum Viable Product: A product with enough features to attract early adopters and validate a product idea

Explicitly, it’s Tarzan. Don’t you just love the scene when it stopped in time to avoid the poor kitten into a roadkill? The inspectors thought it stopped because of a “ghost” and Dosan — who didn’t believe in superstitions and ghosts — said “No.”

They realized it was just a cat.

Implicitly, the MVP is Dosan, in both forms of MVP. He’s both the “Minimum Viable Product,” and the “Most Valuable Player” in this episode.

Why do you think the director gave us this scene with Dosan being carried on the shoulders like he won the championship?

He was the MVP of course.

*****************

Let’s start from the beginning.

InJae wanted to make a bid. The City of Seongju was building a smart city. The DQ Group won the project with a budget of a trillion won, and it was looking for an autonomous vehicle company to partner with. Companies were asked to bid for the contract.

InJae’s stepbrother counted on Morning Group’s AI division to easily win the contract because he pirated the twins from Dalmi’s company. He knew the twins designed the Tarzan car.

But the Samsan Tech guys trashed the twins’ “expertise,” and disclosed that they had to reengineer Tarzan’s whole system because the twins’ work was substandard. Chulsan said “there were so many ghosts and no sensor fusion.”

Sidenote: What is a “ghost”? I can’t read Korean, but I can tell you what a “ghost” is. A ghost is a glitch in the interface of the car’s machinery and the car’s electronic and software components. Engineers call it a “ghost in the machine” because it would suddenly appear and disappear, like a ghost, and the glitch couldn’t be readily replicated in the lab for testing. Also, because the glitch would make the car to operate contrary to the software program, it would appear as if the car was suddenly controlled by an invisible being like a ghost.

Take for instance a car that suddenly braked in the middle of the road. The engineers must determine if the problem occurred in the car’s engine, electronics or software, or if there’s as outside interference like radio waves or…a cat.

The malfunction is referred to as “ghost” even though engineers are the least likely people to believe in ghosts and supernatural phenomena.

I liked how the Samsan Tech walked out of the tent with a swagger.

They ain’t afraid of no ghost.

Back in the office, however, when InJae recommended that they enter a bid for the DG Group’s project, they all suddenly became AFRAID. The team didn’t think they were capable of handing such a big venture like the smart city project.

Dalmi: You’re crazy, Ms. Won.
Chulsan: Seems like it.
Youngsan: I agree.
Saha: That’s nonsense.

Only Dosan remained silent. He was looking at Dalmi while tugging at his turtleneck.

Two things I want to point out:

1. His change of clothes — from checkered shirts and sweatshirt to a turtleneck — indicated that he was older now and more mature. He was comfortable wearing suit.

To me, this was a nod to Steve Jobs who made the black mock turtleneck popular. From what I heard, he originally proposed that Apple employees wear a uniform (e.g., a black turtleneck) as a sign of company pride and unity. His employees scuttled that idea when they walked out on him. hahaha.

So Steve Jobs ended up wearing the turtlenecks himself. He did this to rebrand himself as the “visual” of the product he was selling: sleek and efficient, understated and cutting-edge.

Likewise Dosan’s no-fuss fashion displayed sartorial elegance. His clothes were a stark contrast to JP’s fussy fashion.

Look here:

2. Dosan’s body language said that he was uncomfortable. He was touching his neck; he was  tugging at the neckline. Body language experts say that movements like these are self-pacifying. He was unconsciously reacting to a situation that he found stressful, embarrassing, or bothersome by touching his neck.

When Dalmi dragged her sister outside to discuss in private her opposition to the project, Youngsan voiced his opinion.

Youngsan: It’s like telling a little kid to take the CSAT.

CSAT is the Korean version of the American SAT. It’s an aptitude test to determine the readiness of a student for college. To Youngsan, it was impossible for a company like them to succeed in a bidding competition against bigger, more established and well-connected companies.

Of course, Dosan took his remark literally. He didn’t know it was a metaphor.

Dosan: I took it when I was in middle school.
Chulsan: Fine! Anybody can take the test but did you get into college as a kid?
Dosan: I did.
Youngsan: What?
Chulsan: You did?
Saha: What?
Dosan: I dropped out after a few months.
Youngsan: Freak.
Chulsan: Gosh. I don’t even want to try to understand this freak anymore.

Look here: every time the camera focused on Dosan, he was scratching his neck or fidgeting with his turtleneck.

The director made sure we saw his hand movement. Shall we guess why?

I don’t think he had eczema. lol.

He then followed Dalmi and InJae to listen in on their discussion. The sisters were talking about the direction the company would take in the future.

InJae was motivating Dalmi to expand the company, saying that the business can only grow as large as the CEO’S dreams. She said she didn’t want Dalmi to limit herself, and she wanted her to rise to new challenges. She said, “Foolhardy dreams can become reality, too.”

Dalmi wasn’t easily deceived.

Dalmi: I guess Morning AI is bidding, too.
InJae: (clearing her throat) That’s right. But I put Cheongmyeong Company’s vision before my personal feelings.
Dalmi: You don’t want to lose.
InJae: Yes. That’s right. I’d rather die than lose.
Dalmi: (sighing) But morning Group is their majority shareholder. Chairman Won supports them.
InJae: InJae Company is your majority shareholder. You have my support.
Dalmi: Let’s drop this. (leaving the room)
InJae: You’re not confident?

I’m not sure if InJae was goading Dalmi or was merely stating an observation.

Dalmi: I am confident in our technology. But we can’t win that bidding war with technology alone. And we don’t have time to fight a battle that we will lose.
InJae: You’ve lost your spirit.

Here, InJae sounded disappointed.

Dalmi: No, I’m just being careful. You know it. I once lost my entire team because of a reckless decision. I don’t want to lose them again. That’s my top priority.

Upon hearing her, Dosan looked strangely sad, instead of relieved that Dalmi was protecting the team better this time. Why?

Are you beginning to see why Dosan was touching his neck earlier? I think Dosan has a “ghost” in his system, too.

Then, his cousin dropped by to ask if they could test his fortune-telling app. The app was based on tarot cards.

Chulsan and Youngsa both thought it was bogus. (And I agree 100% with them) The girls however… well, let’s just say they’re not engineers…believed in it.

Chulsan: I’m sure some engineering majors came up with that algorithm.
Youngsan: Saha, don’t buy into such superstitions
Dosan: How about a career reading?
Cousin: Oh! Do you want to try?
Saha: What? Dosan you don’t believe this stuff.
Dosan: Can I ask something like this, “Should we bid on the smart city project or not?”

Like Saha, Dalmi was surprised that Dosan was willing to try out the app. But what surprised her even more is that he wanted to ask the tarot app specifically about the smart city project. There was no way Dosan would allow a Tarot app to decide something as significant as entering a bid for the project.

Cousin: Of course. You can ask it anything. All right. Career. Okay.

Of course, everybody saw THAT side-eye he gave Dalmi. Not a lot of viewers, however, noticed him rubbing his throat.

Cousin: Take your pick.

Note that hand. Was he trying to choke himself? lol.

Tarot: You chose the Tower card. They say that arrogance comes before a fall. And recklessness can make hard work meaningless. Be careful.

Saha: Wow. I’m getting goosebumps. (turning to Dalmi) So we shouldn’t do it?
Dalmi: (in a resigned voice) I guess not. I knew it.
Dosan: (poking his collarbone) Don’t believe it. It’s just a superstition.

Then, he looked at Dalmi.

To me, he knew that Dalmi – that is, the OLD Dalmi – would have loved to take up the challenge of smart city project.

That’s why he was rubbing his neck.

BTW, don’t you remember the first time he did it? It was in Episode 3.

As he walked towards her, he was thinking, “It was very unlike me, but I thought the exact same thing at that moment. That it wouldn’t be bad to sail off without a map even if we were to get lost. If it’s with you, that is.”

To me, the “ghost” in his machine is his memory. He was unconsciously remembering that he’d been in Dalmi’s shoes before. He understood what she was feeling.

When he was young, he’d taken the CSAT and he passed it.

Instead of forging ahead, he stalled in his fast-track. He so feared standing out and accidentally hurting another person that he decided to slow down his progress.

He deliberately held himself back all because of that “one line” in the Math Olympiad.

In his words: “Because I saw that one line, I forgot the fact that I had solved nine questions on my own.” To make matters worse, he saw how the one line caused another person’s pain.

He didn’t wear this medal long enough around his neck, but it made a lasting impression. It was a “ghost” around his neck.

He was lacking in ambition and drive, as his mother said.

His encounter with Dalmi changed all that. Welcoming her into his life, he realized that it was okay to wander, to get lost, to dream, to follow that dream, to fail, to dream again, and to try again…as long as she was him.

To him, working with her in Sand Box had been a “thrilling” time that he was willing to leave his comfort zone in San Francisco

To me, his “ghost” wasn’t a supernatural one, but a psychological one. It was a ghost of a memory that he had once put on the brakes out of fear of making a mistake and hurting people. His transformation from a cautious guy to a daring and resolute man was all due to Dalmi so it must have bothered him to see that the NEW Dalmi was now stepping on the brakes out of fear of being “reckless” and losing her team.

The OLD Dalmi would have been enthusiastic about the Smart City project. She would have accepted the challenge because it would have been a fun adventure.

From Episode 7 at 1:11:14.

Dalmi: Let’s do it. I was very excited when you told us the idea.
Dosan: (reminding her) It won’t be profitable.
Dalmi: But…it’ll be fun.
Dosan: (reminding her again) We can only hold out for six months.
Dalmi: That also means we’re free to do whatever we want within those six months.
Dosan: (smiling and looking down, shyly) You’re reckless.
Dalmi: Well, we’ll just get lost. “Sail off without a map.” Remember?
Dosan: (kisses her)

Listening in on Dalmi and Injae’s conversation, he confirmed that Dalmi was avoiding a repeat of the past. She still blamed herself for the disbandment of the team when, in theory, the blame rested on all of them:

Saha for not knowing what an acquihiring was
Youngsan for distrusting JP
Him for naively believing Alex’s word
Alex for wanting to hire Dosan at any cost
JP for pretending to be sick at the worst possible moment, and failing to do his job as a mentor.

Dosan knew that Dalmi was frightened to take a risk after the 2STO deal. Once bitten, twice shy.

After her initial resistance, Dalmi became open to the project. She sounded JP’s opinion about it. When she blamed her sister’s competitive streak for wanting to go up against Morning Group, JP pointed that she was like her sister, too.

JP: You don’t like to lose either.
Dalmi: Right, I don’t. But that’s just your personal feeling. Since I’m a CEO, I should make a rational decision.
JP: (proudly) I think you could be a mentor now.

Dalmi glanced down at the DQ’s brochure on “Looking for partners for self-driving platform.” She smiled as she recalled Dosan’s advice earlier, “Don’t believe it. It’s just superstition.”  She asked JP about it.

Dalmi: Director Han. I’m just asking in case.

Obviously, there’s a mental connection here with Dosan’s “Just in case” earlier.

JP: It’s unlikely.
Dalmi: Still. If we got lucky…like, if we got unbelievably lucky, do you think we could win?
JP: No. It’s just a waste of time and resources to try something you know that you will fail.
Dalmi: Right? I knew you’d say that.

They stood up to leave. He offered to carry her lunchbag to her car.

JP: Where did you park?
Dalmi: On B4. Oh. My grandma wanted me to ask you what kinds of side dishes you like.
JP: It’s really okay. My body fat percentage is soaring.

The next elevator scene was interesting. This is what Dosan saw:

In his eyes, JP and Dalmi looked like a couple. But he held the elevator open and asked Dalmi if she was getting in. Dalmi said yes, and JP followed.

Dosan: What floor?
JP: B4.

The impression here was they were both leaving for the day. They were going to the same parking level. Dosan was going to B3.

JP: (being an asshole again) Kongjaban.
Dalmi: Sorry?
JP: Next time, ask your grandma to make some kongjaban for me. I love kongjaban.

Dalmi eyed Dosan. She knew that Dosan would misinterpret this.

Dalmi: (keeping it short) Okay. Will do.

Elevator stopped. Dalmi asked for maintenance assistance. JP closed his eyes. Dosan tugged at his turtleneck. This was an uncomfortable place for both of them.

Dosan spotted Dalmi’s brochure, and began talking to her.

Dosan: Dalmi.
JP: Yes?
Dosan: You know we should put in a bid for the self-driving platform.
Dalmi: (stared at him blankly then replied) You know that this isn’t something we can tackle. And it’s highly unlikely that we’ll get it.
Dosan: I know. I don’t expect us to get it. Still, we should —
JP: (interrupting) Why bother? It’s a lot of work for something you don’t expect to succeed at.
Dosan: That’s why we should do it. That way, it’ll be easier next time.

He learned this lesson during Hackathon and Demo Day. They failed the first time against InJae’s team during the Hackathon. Afterwards, he worked on it overnight till he solved it. Then, from the complaints he received from NoonGil draining power, he modified the app. His modification led him to streamline the app so the software was able to work on a single-board computer with a low RAM.

So speaking from his personal experience, any challenge became easier the next time. Anyway, that was how Tarzan was machine-learning.

Dalmi: Well..
JP: So like a practice game, you want to put off everything else to come up with a proposal and a whole new program for this project and even prepare for the tech evaluation just for practice?

I like the way Dosan looked here when JP said, “just for practice?” For JP it was ludicrous to waste so much effort when there was little returns.

Moreover for me, it was clear that there’s a difference in mindset between an investor like JP and an entrepreneur like Dosan. JP NEVER created anything in his life, and he only knew the business based on financial reports and ROI (return on investment). An entrepreneur like Dosan, however, created a business from a vision, managed the business’ daily operation, and saw the INTANGIBLES of a business venture.

JP: That’s a lot of time and energy. If you don’t get it —
Dosan: It’ll be a learning experience. You pass failure on your way to success. We’ll build experience.
JP: That’s just being reckless.

Dalmi: What’s with you two? Why talk about work here?
Dosan: “Reckless”? Right. You need to keep digging around to find a good lot. We’ll keep digging and —

The old Dosan would have started tearing up here. Now, he exuded confidence. You could tell by the way he was moving his neck that he was NOT intimidated by this confrontation. He was neither tensed or strained.

JP: The wrong order can cost you your life. I told you before. If you sail off without a map, you’ll die. Be it a typhoon or a shark. You will die either way. Did you forget?

Facepalm.

What do I do with this JP? He was still an idiot.

It wasn’t actually Dosan who forgot. It was JP. He was so intent on scoring points against Dosan that he forgot that Dalmi was listening to him, too. Dalmi was the CAPTAIN of that ship that sailed without a map and sank. He was trying to hurt Dosan, but he was actually hurting Dalmi more.

Dosan: How could I? Of course, I remember. Sailing off without a map.

Dalmi looked at him, and remembered when she asked him to do Noongil. “Sailing off without a map,” was her idea back then, and he agreed to it.

Dosan was aware that Dalmi would beat herself up about this again, so he firmly told JP that he regretted nothing. Obviously, he was shielding Dalmi again from JP’s tactlessness, just like he did on that day when JP told her that 2STO fired her for not measuring up.

Note: Dosan was talking to Mr. Regrets himself.

Dosan: But to me, sailing off without a map was marvelous. (turning to Dalmi to reassure her) I might’ve failed, but I have no regrets. Never did and never will.

Dalmi stared at him.

To me, Dosan was having a conversation with Dalmi in “plain hearing” of JP. JP would never understand what Dosan was saying because:

one, these were Dosan and Dalmi’s memories, and
two, “sailing without a map” was beyond JP’s comprehension.

JP: Look, Dosan.
Dosan: (turning to look at him) I know. Like you said, sailing off with a map could cost me my life. But I could also survive. And people like that become trailblazers.

This was a brilliant parting shot. JP had no comeback for this. Then, right on cue, the elevator doors were open.

Note here: A trailblazer, like Dosan, is a person who opens doors for other people. They create opportunities for their followers to improve the world. The opening of the elevator door at this exact moment visually demonstrated Dosan’s closing remark. He was a trailblazer; JP wasn’t.

Opening doors…lol. 

He walked out and Dalmi followed him. Of course, she trailed after the trailblazer and left her lunchbag with JP

And JP was left in the elevator which was GOING DOWN to Basement level 4.

lol.

Dosan sensed that she was following him so he stopped.

Dosan: I’m sorry. I put you in a difficult position. Just pretend you never heard what I said. It was just noise.
Dalmi: How could I do that when I heard everything you said?
Dosan: Dalmi. I’ll support your decision no matter what you decide to do. I just don’t want your decision to be hindered by us. Even if we fail, it won’t affect the team.

Meaning, he didn’t want the team to be her primary consideration when deciding to take the project or not. She shouldn’t let her desire (and anxiety) to protect the team from another break-up hold her back from pursuing the project.

Dalmi: You must’ve overheard my conversation with InJae.
Dosan: Yes. So don’t worry about that, okay?
Dalmi: The past three years have changed me. I’m a lot more careful now.
Dosan: I’ve changed, too. I’m much stronger now.

That night, she recalled Dosan’s recommendation to put in a bid. She couldn’t sleep so she asked the Tarot App, “Believe it or Not.” It answered, “You chose the Seven of Swords card. You are holding the blade, not the grip. You may get hurt. Do not make any rash decisions.”

Although she told herself, “Right, of course. I agree,” she couldn’t resist testing the app another time. The answer was the same. She tried again and again and again, and the answer remained unchanged.

To me, the reason she kept asking the app was because she did NOT believe in the app. If she actually believed in it, then she would have accepted the FIRST answer as the FINAL answer.

Her response to the Tarot app was completely opposite to her reaction when God answered her prayer to find her a “companion for the journey.”

The instant she saw Dosan, she accepted him as God’s answer, without a question.

She believed that he was godsent, although a “peculiar” one. She didn’t doubt God’s answer or asked for another answer.

Dosan had asked if she was disappointed, and she said no, she was thankful.

And when he offered her the job of CEO, she said, “gladly.”

Do you get what I mean? She didn’t believe in the Tarot app “Believe It or Not” or else she would have accepted its prophecy as final.

Before I continue to Part 2, let me summarize what I’ve said so far. So far, there were three “minimum viable products” or MVPs.

Remember: MVP = a product with enough features to attract early adopters and validate a product idea.

1. Tarzan is the prototype of a self-driving car with the safety features that drivers wanted. Feedback was great.
2. The Tarot Card app, “Believe it or not,” is an app being tested to see if it was a practical and usable. Feedback was mixed. The guys didn’t like it; the gals liked it; Dalmi didn’t believe in it.

3. The OLD Dosan: from the beginning, he had enough features to attract Dalmi.

Dosan: What do you like about me?
Dalmi: Why all of a sudden?
Dosan: Please tell me what you like about me.
Dalmi: First of all you’re my first love.
Dosan: (thinking) That’s not me. (aloud) And?
Dalmi: Your letters comforted me for a long time.
Dosan: (thinking) That’s not me either. (aloud) And?
Dalmi: And…after all these years, you’re still so brilliant and cool.
Dosan: (thinking) Again, that’s not me. (aloud) And?
Dalmi: You want to hear more?
Dosan: (Nodding.)
Dalmi: You have nice big hands.
Dosan: My hands?
Dalmi: Why are you suddenly asking me this? You’re embarrassing me.
Dosan: I’m sorry. That was random. Go inside. I’ll get going.

Of all the four features she listed, only one was truly his: his hands. But that didn’t matter because as far as she was concerned, he was the earliest lovable product available on the market anyway.

The other guy, JP, missed his release date.

To be continued…I have to inspect the flower beds. lol.

(edited 12/8/2020. Because my laptop has a life ghost of its own)