Chairman Park Jin-yong tilted his head the moment Lee Hyun-woo mentioned an e-book reader.
“Can’t you just read e-books on a computer? The market seems too small for us to collaborate on it.”
He meant that the market was too small for a partnership. However, Lee Hyun-woo spoke with conviction in his voice.
“Reading e-books on a computer can hurt your back. It can even cause a condition like ‘turtle neck.’ So, people will eventually want smaller e-book readers. I’ve already heard of people reading e-books on PDAs.”
“I’ve heard that too, but it seems like a very niche market.”
“That’s even better. We can enter a market where no one else has ventured. Isn’t this what they call a Blue Ocean? Can you think of a better Blue Ocean?”
“Really?”
Chairman Park looked intrigued, so Lee Hyun-woo pressed on.
“I’m not planning to target just the domestic market with the e-book reader. The U.S. market will bring in big money for you and 【Samjin Computer】.”
“Oh? Hearing you say that makes me interested.”
“I’m confident.”
“But why do you keep mentioning only me and 【Samjin Computer】? What about you and 【Jungle】?”
“I’m not planning to make money from the e-book reader.”
“What?”
“As I mentioned earlier, let 【Samjin Computer】 take the profits.”
“No way, what about 【Jungle】?”
“We’ll take the credit.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“I mean the brand that makes the e-book reader will be 【Jungle】. In other words, please ODM our product at 【Samjin Computer】.”
“ODM?”
“Yes, I’m asking you to handle everything from design to production. We’ll just put our brand on it.”
The difference between OEM and ODM lies in the design.
The value of product design becomes evident later. Once the e-book reader spreads across the world, numerous companies will order that device from 【Samjin Computer】.
Even if that’s not the case, they could make their own e-book readers.
Lee Hyun-woo was willing to give that up.
Why? Because what he needed wasn’t the design and production, but the content within it.
In other words, the e-book reader could be used to test mobile apps.
Then, when smartphones emerged, they could stand tall as a powerful platform company in the operating system market.
Just like how 【Single】 dominates the app market through Droid.
For this, Lee Hyun-woo was willing to bear losses.
“How about it, will you make it?”
“Hahaha, I came here looking for help to hire a good new employee, but it feels like I got hit with a big idea instead.”
“Are you saying no?”
“Quite the opposite. I’m the kind of person who always does what you suggest. But I’m dying of curiosity. What exactly are you aiming for with the e-book reader?”
“I can’t fully explain it right now. I’ll tell you the whole picture later after I’ve thought it through. Even if I don’t, industries never go exactly as one plans, right? Since it’s still uncertain, just forget about my ulterior motives and make the e-book reader well.”
“Alright, I’ll do that.”
Another piece of the puzzle fell into place.
Lee Hyun-woo smiled with satisfaction.
‘In the future, through 【Guseong】’s PDA and 【Samjin Computer】’s e-book reader, the foundation for an operating system will be perfectly laid.’
When I mentioned this to Woo Sang-won, his eyes widened.
“Is it true? 【Samjin Computer】 will make our e-book reader?”
“Yes, we agreed on that. From design to production.”
“Wow, that’s great news. I was really worried about the design. Honestly, the hardest part when approaching other contractors was the design.”
Just as Woo Sang-won said, most companies had difficulty with the design.
That part was related to the quality of the engineers. Not just anyone can design, so at least computer manufacturing engineers had to be involved.
But would any major company be willing to make a product without their own branding?
However, 【Samjin Computer】 was trustworthy enough.
Overjoyed, Woo Sang-won’s face lit up, but then he quickly said something.
“Oh, there’s one thing that’s a bit disappointing.”
“What is it?”
“The design. Team Leader Jang wanted to personally design the e-book reader this time. But since we left everything to 【Samjin Computer】 from the start…”
“Hm, in that case, I think we could request a joint project. But I’m not sure if Chairman Park will agree, so I’ll check and get back to you.”
“Yes, CEO.”
Lee Hyun-woo immediately contacted Chairman Park Jin-yong.
Fortunately, not only was he open to joint design, but he also said it would be fine if 【Jungle】 took full responsibility if Lee Hyun-woo wanted.
I’ve always felt this, but he’s a very straightforward person.
Lee Hyun-woo discussed it again with Woo Sang-won and told him that 【Jungle】 would handle the design of the e-book reader.
“Team Leader Jang was very eager, so this is really good news. Hahaha.”
“I’m looking forward to it too. Hahaha.”
In fact, Lee Hyun-woo had emphasized design at some point and increased its importance both quantitatively and qualitatively when hiring new employees.
‘The era of design has already begun.’
A good-looking rice cake tastes better.
When you think about why 【Pineapple】’s smartphones always sell well, you can’t overlook design.
Some time later, Jang Kang-hyun brought the initial draft of the e-book reader to a private meeting with Lee Hyun-woo.
“It came out faster than I expected.”
“I was actually preparing for it.”
“Oh, I see…”
Lee Hyun-woo thought that if this had been handed to 【Samjin Computer】, Jang Kang-hyun’s preparations would have been in vain, and he slowly reviewed the draft.
It wasn’t bad. No, it was actually quite sophisticated.
In his previous life, Lee Hyun-woo’s eye for design wasn’t bad either.
In this life, condensed with the experiences of his past life, how much sharper could it have become?
The design was created based on current technology, and it looked very sleek.
“This right side is a wheel, right? You turn it to move the cursor?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
It was regrettable that the keyboard took up the bottom part, but this was also a part that would disappear with advancements in touch technology for a cleaner e-book reader.
In short, it was as well-designed as possible with current technology.
Lee Hyun-woo was satisfied.
“It looks good even with just the initial draft.”
“Really? Is that true?”
“Of course.”
Jang Kang-hyun’s eyes sparkled with joy.
Although he hadn’t been at 【Jungle】 for long, he realized that it was different from other corporate organizations he had worked for.
While there were some who tried office politics, everyone from the CEO to the lowest employee worked with pure passion.
He regretted not working in such a place from the start.
“In that case, I’ll hurry and show you the final design.”
“But don’t stay up all night.”
“Yes…”
He always felt the CEO’s genuine concern for the employees.
However, he had no intention of keeping his promise not to stay up all night.
Passion kept Jang Kang-hyun from sleeping.
Not long after, the deputy team leader, Kim Young-hoon, was surprised to see his face.
His dark circles had grown significantly.
“Did you stay up all night again?”
“It was worth it. Take a look at this.”
“……”
Kim Young-hoon looked because he was told to, but it felt uncomfortable.
It made him feel like he should stay up all night too.
Sensing his concern, Jang Kang-hyun spoke as if to say not to worry.
“As you know, people’s design sense has improved these days. Ordinary designs don’t stand out. But if the first product with the 【Jungle】 name is called ordinary, what will it do to the company’s pride?”
Jang Kang-hyun was a man who lived by his pride.
That’s why he couldn’t endure long in any place.
There were hardly any places that properly treated designers.
On the other hand, Kim Young-hoon, also an experienced hire, had gotten along well everywhere.
He didn’t move because he was dissatisfied with his previous company but because 【Jungle】 seemed better.
This choice wasn’t bad.
Lee Hyun-woo treated the design department well.
He frequently visited, whether it was the team leader or the deputy team leader, to talk about design.
“CEO often talks about platforms, but I wish there was a design platform.”
“Huh? A design platform?”
“Yes, I thought about it after hearing the CEO. In short, when a product is being made, designers would upload their work there.”
“So…? We’d choose the best design to buy?”
“No. We’d make it public to netizens and let them vote on the best design. As you said earlier, people’s design sense has improved these days, right? So, if a product that netizens choose is released, wouldn’t it become popular right away? At the very least, it would break out of being ordinary.”
“…!”
An exclamation of realization appeared in Jang Kang-hyun’s eyes.
‘Yes, this is it!’
Designers in the industry always worry after creating their work.
Will it sell in the market? If only someone could tell them.
As a result, they sleep less and eat less, constantly sketching in their minds.
Honestly, pure design work doesn’t take long.
Half a day at most.
Most of the time is spent working, revising, and refining in their heads, which delays the outcome.
The problem is that this isn’t the end.
The head of design makes the mid-level decisions, but the final decision rests with higher-ups.
If they say it’s not good, they have to start from scratch and design from a new angle, crushing their pride and sapping their energy.
Fortunately, 【Jungle】 had a culture of respecting designers.
Lee Hyun-woo didn’t insist on making the final decision.
He always said that the final decision on design should be made by the person who knows it best, giving the choice to the team leader.
COO Woo Sang-won was the same, and so were the other directors.
In essence, there was a coordination process before the design work began.
This made the responsibility heavier.
If a design chosen by Jang Kang-hyun for a website or character didn’t receive good feedback, he would face even more severe disappointment than at his previous company.
In a way, this was a scarier method.
Naturally, the first device to be released with the 【Jungle】 brand was a heavy burden on Jang Kang-hyun’s shoulders.
That safety net, no, that brilliant feedback idea came from Kim Young-hoon.
“How can I thank you, deputy team leader? Really, thank you. Hahaha.”
Jang Kang-hyun laughed, and Kim Young-hoon’s eyes widened.
It was almost the first time he had seen his superior laugh.
‘Was it really that big of a deal?’
He realized how significant it was when he received a call from Lee Hyun-woo that day.
“Deputy Team Leader Kim, I heard you suggested a design platform?”
