Scale-Up: The expansion of a business

There are several reasons I like the final episode.

One, we had our emotional payoff when Dalmi and Dosan became a couple again. Being a gentleman, he let Dalmi’s family know first that he was back in Dalmi’s life before he announced to their colleagues that he intended to marry her.

Two, the ending wasn’t rushed. It was good that Dalmi and Dosan reconciled in Ep 15 so this episode was spent on wrapping up all the loose ends for the other characters, too. Everybody got the happy ending they deserved, including Jipyung.

Three, there was closure. There was no shocking plot twist and no open endings. We knew that the story has come full circle. Things that we saw fleetingly in the first half reappeared in the end, like book-ends, but the second time around, we got a fuller, more settled outlook.

For instance, the scene when Dalmi and Dosan were picking out cakes for their team celebration. Dalmi called Dosan’s attention to the one with the berries, saying, “It’s the best. Make sure you target this first. Got it?” He answered, “Got it.”

Lol. I know this is blatant Product Placement!!! But I don’t care. I’m checking this place out next time I’m in Seoul. I like the ceiling decor.

Where have we seen this interaction before? In Episode 5. 🙂 The Samsan Tech guys were loading up on all the free snacks they could haul with them that even Dosan’s hoodie was stuffed with candies. Dalmi eyed him quietly (I was so sure she was going to scold them for their shocking behavior) but all she did was to order him to “Bend down.” She then tucked some of her favorite candy into his hoodie, saying, “Don’t share these gummy snacks, okay? They’ll be gone in no time.” He smiled at her saying, “Okay.”

That’s why the cake scene in Ep 16 felt familiar. Although times have changed, and Dalmi and Dosan could afford to treat their team to cakes, they still sounded as conspiratorial as they were when they first started out at Sand Box. She was teaching him what she wanted, and what tasted good, and he was machine-learning her like Tarzan.

Four, everybody scaled up. Even Yeongshil, that virtual AI device. There were no dead-ends.

So, here’s an accounting of everybody’s happy ending. I already went over JP’s “scale up”:  “Good Boy.”

1. Yeongshil, the virtual AI. This is the dream of every AI: to become human. It was brilliant of the writer to turned Yeongshil into an orphan just like JP (No wonder he felt a kindred spirit in JP!) and a CEO of a start-up to help orphans transition into society.

2. Dalmi’s mom. She got her daughter Dalmi back. She was working to earn her keep. She bought her mother-in-law a corndog shop. She became her mother-in-law’s companion. And she scaled up when she was getting a nice son-in-law in Dosan. What more could she want?

3. InJae. I like how she came to rescue Grandma from the mailman asking for a signed receipt. She introduced herself as Seo Dalmi’s sister, then signed her former name, “Seo Injae.” She confessed that she wanted to drop by earlier, but she was so ashamed because she had changed her her last name to Won. Since her adoption had been dissolved, she could return once more as a member of the Dalseong Seo clan. (Darn! That pride of hers again!) Dalmi just scoffed and said, “You could’ve just come. Who cares about that?” (This was Dalmi who eschewed pride during desperate times.)

InJae’s full circle came with the music box. In the beginning of Ep 1, she was playing the music box when her parents began fighting over her dad’s resignation. Later, when Dalmi tried to give it to her, she threw it as a sign of her rejection of her family. Dalmi had it fixed. Now, InJae took the music box with her and in return, she gave Dalmi 10,000 won. It was payment for a bet they had three years ago.

Dalmi: But what does this mean? Do you think I’ve outdone you?
InJae: Not yet. But you will if you scale up your company.
Dalmi: What? But you said no.
InJae: Do it.
Dalmi: What changed your mind all of a sudden?
InJae: I don’t want you to become obedient.
Dalmi: What does that mean? Are you saying you like me when I’m hot-tempered and rebellious?
InJae: Something like that.

When they were little, InJae ordered her to change her sock because it had a hole. Dalmi complied, good-naturedly. To me, InJae was saying that Dalmi wasn’t a kid anymore who needed to obey her older sister’s bidding just because of seniority. She was her own woman and could speak her own mind.

4. Grandma. She had two full circles here.

One was with JP. She had always offered JP kindness and protection, but each time she did, JP spurned her offer or grudgingly accepted her help.

He rejected her a number of times in Episode 1.

At the corndog stand, she asked him, “What can I get you?” he growled suspiciously, “I’m not hungry.” She encountered him in the rain, and offered him the use of her stand. He denied needing shelter, shouting, “Are you deaf? I said, I have a place to sleep!” But once she left, he changed his mind. Right before he left for Seoul, he accused her of stealing his money and “luring” him into writing the letters by calling him a good boy. Despite his angry outburst, she chased after him at the bus stop to bring him shoes. He thought she was asking him to pay her back in the future…with interest.

JP: So what do you want me to do? Should I return the money to you?
Gran: Good Boy. I know you’re just saying that. Promise me. If you become successful–
JP: Forget it. I’ll just pay you back now. I’m not going to pay any interest later.
Gran: If you become successful, don’t call me. Don’t call me if you become rich and get married. Don’t call me if you’re happy. I don’t want to feel jealous. But call me…if you’re going through a rough patch. Come to me if it’s raining and you have nowhere to go like you once did. Don’t just stand in the rain. You know where to find the keys.
JP: Tell me what you want. I have to pay you back. You know I ever owe anyone anything. So tell me what you want.
Gran: I don’t want anything. Hurry up and get on the bus.

In Episode 5, when they met briefly at Sandbox, JP asked her if she regretted helping him when she could have used his money to put Dalmi through college, and to keep her corndog shop. She answered, “I never regretted it. But I wish things could’ve been different. I always wished I had met you sooner. Then, we could’ve played cards on the holidays, and I could’ve made gimbap for your school trips. If anyone bullied you, I would’ve met their parents, yelled at them to teach their kids better, and fought for you. I know I can’t replace your parents, but I could’ve at least been a nosy old lady who lives next door. That makes me a bit sad.”

And JP walked away.

In this final episode, she reached out to him again. She told him to visit her because she didn’t want him to become lonelier. She would be his guard against loneliness. He wept and hugged her. Her desire to help JP, which began with that innocent question, “What can I get you?” at the corn dog stand, finally came full circle.

The second full circle was when InJae returned. It filled her heart that her son’s wish to bring back his wife and daughter home finally came true. Although she couldn’t see how Injae turned out to be after 18 years, she could imagine the happy family that they once were, and she was content.

Thus, Grandma too had a “scale up.” She enlarged her family with the return of Injae and the addition of JP as an adopted grandson and, of course, Dosan as a future son-in-law. 😃

5. Chulsan and Saha. For Chulsan, his full circle happened when Saha introduced him to her sister. He was always open about liking her, but she kept her feelings hidden, and even disguised in apathy or scorn. So being introduced to her older sister was a big leap forward for both of them.

Also, at the Hackathon, he offered her his snacks with a cheesy finger-heart. She looked disgusted.

Then, on that team dinner when they had chicken, Chulsan gave her a piece of chicken which she promptly tossed back into the basket. She refused any food he offered to her. And I get why. She didn’t want him feeding her because that would mean that they were attached to each.

So it was interesting to see her getting back at Dosan when Dosan didn’t want to share the berry cake with Chulsan. I didn’t expect her to avenge Chulsan. Then, Chulsan furtively gave her a finger-heart.

And yes, they won the bid, judging from the photos. As you all noticed, Chulsan was wearing a beanie to hide his shaved head, and he and Saha had their arms around each other. They went public with their relationship.

This was their first picture at Sand Box. This was their full circle as a couple. They definitely scaled up in their relationship.

6. Yongsan. I like his apology to InJae. He apologized that he accused her of nepotism. He attributed her success to her rich father, and didn’t think it counted because she didn’t have her own start-up company at Sand Box. InJae said however that without his insult, she wouldn’t have gotten angry and motivated. In a way, InJae’s motivation mirrored Yongsan’s reason for joining Sand Box. Remember? He had gotten angry at JP, not only over his brother’s death, but also because of JP’s disparagement of Samsan Tech. He became motivated to prove him wrong.

They both scaled up in the business world because of their motivation.

7. Samsan Tech guys. Their old office space got new tenants, three guys in familiar-looking flannel shirts.

lol. They were also wearing RGB-coordinated plaid shirts, I believe the leader was the short guy.

The Samsan Tech guys gave them advice about their place, then asked permission to look around their old office for the last time. Chulsan handed them his business card. I like how the guys stayed true to their humble beginnings. They knew the young guys looked up to them, and they didn’t put on airs like JP did. They learned not to emulate JP’s conceit.

When they saw their shabby office space, Chulsan started to tear up. He said that he felt sorry for the new guys because they’d be slaving away in that moldy office. Youngsan agreed saying that he didn’t envy them.

Dosan misunderstood and thought that they hated their time working there. He remembered what JP had told him, “If I were Chulsan or Youngsan, I’d ask you to compensate me for the past two years of my life.” Then, he apologized to his friends for making them worry and putting them through so much. He was ashamed to be such an incompetent CEO.

Chulsan corrected him. “Gosh, you’re so clueless. I miss the old days. The scorching summers we spent together here. I loved them. I missed them.” Chulsan agreed. Their brotherhood was the reason they showed up every day at such a horrible place. Then they group-hugged, shedding manly tears.

I thought that with their group hug, they’ve come full circle, too. In Episode 2, when Dosan’s parents came knocking on their door, they were also huddled in a circle, down on their knees, hiding from Dosan’s dad. Now in Episode 16, they were huddled together again, but with great expectations ahead.

Before:

After:

The guys definitely scaled up.

8. Dosan’s parents. They brought home the Samsan Tech sign. Mom chewed out Dad for being mean to Dosan. Dad acknowledged it. He put the sign up on the living room wall to remind him that if Dosan did something unreasonable again, he’d look at the sign three times and put up with it. They “scaled up” in parenthood.

9. Tarzan. I thought this was the cutest “scale up.”

Tarzan was originally a ramen bowl. Next, it was a prototype of a self-driving car. Then it was rebranding itself as the smart car in partnership with a smart city. For the bidding, Dosan was redesigning Tarzan to have other features like, syncing with the traffic signals, and monitoring the driver’s level of attention to traffic to detect drowsiness.

This is the dialogue between Dalmi and Dosan as subbed on Netflix:

Dalmi: We’ll submit our proposal tomorrow, so review it thoroughly. Driving environment recognition is nothing special. We need to differentiate ourselves to stand out. Should the decision-making part come first? Or second?
Dosan: Dalmi.
Dalmi: Mmm?
Dosan: How far do you think Tarzan can go?
Dalmi: Our goal is level five.
Dalmi: But there are more factors than just us. Law, the road environment…we need the whole infrastructure in place.
Dosan: Not like that.
Dalmi: Why? If I tell you my goal, can you make it happen?
Dosan: (nodding) Sure.
Dalmi: What I want Tarzan to do is…like in the movies, I want it to be able to navigate on its own and even fly.
Dosan: What?
Dalmi: I’m just joking.
Dosan: Not like that.
Dalmi: My father passed away in a car accident. And my grandma is almost blind now. I hope Tarzan will make sure that no one passes away like my father did and that my grandma can move around without worrying. Can you make that happen?
Dosan: Yes, I can make it happen within five and a half years. If we scale up properly and invest in R&D (Research and Development), then within three years.
Dalmi: Do you think we’ll win the bid?
Dosan: Of course.
Dalmi: You said we should give it a try just for experience.
Dosan: I changed my mind. We’re not just giving it a try. It’s not just for the experience. I’ll make it happen.
Dalmi: Not delivering what you promise makes you a fraud.
Dosan: I will deliver it. At all costs.

He was going to kiss her when Chulsan interrupted them.

Now, if you ask me my honest (and fanciful) opinion about this conversation, I’ll say that Dosan wasn’t talking about Tarzan as a car.

Tarzan had “scaled up” from a self-autonomous car to a marriage proposal. 😂

To me, when he asked her, “Dalmi, how far do you think Tarzan can go?” he was actually following up on his proposal.

Remember, he told everybody, “If we win, I’ll propose” and everybody was stunned speechless. Then, they assumed he was joking because it was impossible that they’d win.

Wellllll, I think, that after spending the whole day working on the “Driver Monitoring System,” he had a pretty good idea that they could win this bid. He knew that Tarzan had a good chance of winning, but he didn’t know whether Dalmi still thought he was joking when he said he’d propose if they won.

Do you see what I’m trying to say? She thought he was joking so she dismissed it.

That’s why he asked her, “How far do you think Tarzan could go?” Did she think their bid would reach first round? Second round? All the way to win the contract? Did she think they would win the bid? He wanted to know if she was prepared for his proposal because he was confident that they could win this contract.

“How far do you think Tarzan can go?” = “Are you prepared for my marriage proposal when we win the bid because I can guarantee you that Tarzan’s success?”

But Dalmi interpreted his question in the literal sense. She didn’t understand the other meaning of his question. so she replied, factually, that the goal was Level 5. To Dalmi, Tarzan the car could go all the way to being a fully automated car, without the need for steering wheel. That’s the endgoal of all self-driving cars, anyway. Full automation.

But Dosan replied, “No, not like that.” 😂 He wasn’t asking for the technical specs of Tarzan. He was looking for the endgoal for Tarzan the car. That wasn’t the answer that he wanted to hear.

She stared blankly at him, and he stared back at her, waiting for her to grasp what he was really asking her.

She then thought that he was asking about HER goals. Teasingly, she asked, “Why? If I tell you my goal, can you make it happen?”

Without hesitation he answered, “Sure.”

😂

To me, he was expecting her to talk about her LIFE goals, like be a successful CEO, get married at 31, have a baby at 33, win Entrepreneur of the Year award, go on trips, and so on. So he said sure. He could make those happen. Remember, he promised to be her dream, wings, and all that stuff in Ep 15.

But instead of serious goals, she told him about her crazy fantasy about Tarzan in the movies, and her even wilder imagination that their Tarzan car could navigate in the air just like Tarzan could swing from vines.

Dosan being Dosan, he just listened to her, although he was confused. A car that can fly??? 🤪 Huh? Where did that come from?

He blurted, “What?”

Dalmi said that she was just joking, and Dosan repeated himself, “Not like that.”

Dalmi then became somber.

She reminisced about her father who died in an accident. (He was hit by a car that didn’t have an automatic braking system. But he should have gone to a hospital, too.) And she thought of her Grandma who had limited mobility because of her vision problem. She wanted *Tarzan* to make sure nobody would die like her dad and that Grandma could go around. Then she asked Dosan if HE could make this happen.

To me, she made a significant pivot there. She shifted from talking about Tarzan the car

to Dosan, the personification of her Tarzan. She wanted to hear from Dosan if he could achieve these for her.

Her vision of the future was possible only if Dosan said he could make it happen.

Dosan answered yes. Objectively speaking, he projected that he could make it happen in five years and a half. But he could do within a shorter time frame — three years — if they scaled up properly and invested in Research and Development (R&D).

That’s when Dalmi asked him for his honest opinion on their bid. “Do you think we’ll win the bid?” Earlier, he asked her how far SHE thought Tarzan could go. Now, she was asking HIM how far HE thought Tarzan the car could go. The first round? The second round? Win the actual contract? Did he really think they could win this? 

Without blinking an eye, without hesitation, Dosan said, “Of course.”

Dalmi reminded him that he said they were doing this project simply to gain experience.

Dosan replied that he changed his mind. They weren’t submitting a bid just for trial or experience. It was going to be a real thing.

Rhetorical question: Since when did he change his mind?

Lol. It was clear he changed outlooks when he declared that he’d proposed to her IF they win. As soon as he dropped that statement, the conditional “if” turned to an imperative “when.” He would make it happen. He must make it happen.

They exchanged looks again. At this point, she’d grasped his intention. She knew why he was insisting that he’d make it all happen.

lol. That face.

Dalmi smiled and teased him that he sounded like a fraud. “Not delivering what you promise makes you a fraud.”

Now she was acting coy here. She already knew that he wasn’t talking about the bid per se. They weren’t just talking about the Tarzan the car. They were talking about that Tarzan who promised her a rock (or a ring) after the bidding. In effect, she was warning him that she’d hold him to his promise. If he didn’t propose to her if when they win then he was a fraud.

Dosan quickly reassured her that he’d deliver it. At all costs.

She looked up at him and he looked down on her. These close-up shots of his/her faces were actually helpful in establishing an emotional connection between the two. Dalmi’s face was on the left side of the screen, while Dosan’s face was on the right side. Viewers are left with the impression left that the two were coming to an understanding.

She understood what he meant.

On one level, he was telling her to expect Tarzan the car to go very far in this bidding process and even succeed. On another level, he was letting her know that he — Tarzan, lol — would go the distance to make it succeed since his marriage proposal was riding on its success.

That’s why a kiss would have made sense at this point. It would have been like sealing the deal between them. But Chunsan happened. Lol.

They weren’t going to kiss because of the bid. Good heavens, no!  They were going to kiss because of the proposal. She thought he was simply kidding around when he said it in front of the group. But he’d been earnest all along. 🙂