The Ultimate List Of Inspiring, Heartwarming Quotes From K-Drama "Start-Up"
It's a feel-good series filled with lessons on life, love, career, and self-worth. The themes on family and friendship are moving, too!
Who's on a Start-Up hangover? We know we are!
K-drama Start-Up which premiered last October 17 finally came to an end on December 6, and many will surely agree when we say it's one of the best K-dramas of this year. Like the 2020 K-dramas before it (Crash Landing on You, Itaewon Class, It's Okay to Not be Okay, The King: Eternal Monarch, and Flower of Evil), this series was much-talked about—whether it's praises for the story and the cast members or criticism brought about by the intense love triangle of Seo Dal-mi, Nam Do-san, and Han Ji-pyeong.
At the core of this feel-good K-drama is a heartwarming and inspiring story about the youth and their dreams manifested through start-up companies. Though the romance angle was what got most people talking (and arguing!), underneath that is an enlightening and compelling narrative that motivated and encouraged the viewers to follow their dreams and take risks or make sacrifices if they need to.
The business and tech terminologies, strategies, and insights are informative add-ons, too! Every episode is filled with quotable quotes that could spark self-introspection and ignite a fire in one's soul, inspiring one to find his or her purpose in life or the answer to "why" you do the things you do.
Check out the gallery below for some inspiring and heartwarming quotable quotes from Start-Up:
Inspiring, Heartwarming Quotes From "Start-Up"
Inspiring, Heartwarming Quotes From "Start-Up"
Episode 1
“A few days ago, I said goodbye to my dog, Mongsil. I considered him my little brother. I miss him like crazy. Yesterday, I cried a lot after seeing my shoe that Mongsil chewed on. Isn’t that funny? I thought he’d always be with me. I took the time we spent together for granted when everything was a gift. I should have been nicer to him. I regret everything these days. But then I realized something. The present moment is a gift, too. I’ll regret this moment as well. In winter, I’ll miss the green of summer. In the summer, I’ll miss the white snow. I’ve made up my mind to stop filling my days with regrets.” - Han Ji-pyeong
Episode 1
“You’re drifting in a vast ocean. There are two things that can happen. You either die of thirst. ['Or starve to death?'] No. You survive. No matter how thirsty you are, you should never drink seawater. You have to hold out until it rains. Pursuing profits in the early stage of a business is like drinking seawater.” - Yoon Seon-hak
Episode 1
"Running a business is hard, right? If you succeed, you’re called a CEO. If you fail, you’re called a fraud. It’s a scary world." - Yoon Seon-hak
Episode 1
"You’ll fall and get hurt all time. I wish I could at least fall on sand instead of concrete. Then I wouldn’t get hurt." - Seo Dal-mi and Seo In-jae's dad Seo Chung-myung
Episode 2
"I was happy, and I don’t regret my choice at all." - Seo Dal-mi
Episode 2
"But there could be hidden gems. Who knows? Like a pearl in the mud." - Park Dong-chun
Episode 2
"The Sherpa people serve as guides in the Himalayas. I want to be an investor like Sherpa. A companion who guides and protects entrepreneurs." - Han Ji-pyeong in his magazine interview
Episode 2
"Never let someone’s opinion become your reality." - Les Brown (also later quoted by Kim Yong-san's brother in Episode 11)
Episode 2
"You’re just going through a rough patch." - Yeong-sil to Han Ji-pyeong
Episode 2
"You’re a cosmos flower. And it’s still spring. Wait until fall, and you’ll bloom beautifully. Be patient." - Choi Won-deok (halmeoni)
Episode 2
"What if I opened the pretty music box and I didn’t like the melody? What if it doesn’t play any melody at all? Because of stupid worries like that, I never opened it. Are you wondering why I’m telling you this? What I’m trying to say is, Do-san, you’re my pretty music box. It doesn’t matter if you never open." - Seo Dal-mi
Episode 3
"Have you ever wandered on purpose... Today, I wandered aimlessly on purpose. Have you ever let yourself get soaked even though you had an umbrella? That’s what I did today. It was a sweltering day and the rain totally cooled me down. After walking for 30 minutes like that, the rain stopped and an unbelievably beautiful scene unfolded before my eyes. I saw a huge rainbow. It looked as though it’d grant me any wish. Then it suddenly hit me. It’s actually nice to wander aimlessly every once in a while. From time to time, it’d be wonderful to sail off without a map." - Seo Dal-mi
Episode 3
"Get a good night’s sleep. Tomorrow, when you wake up well-rested, you’ll get fresh ideas." - Yeong-sil to Han Ji-pyeong
Episode 3
"I want to be on the 32nd floor. The elevator we take won’t take me there. I should get on one that will." - Seo Dal-mi
Episode 3
"It’s all about potential. You need to prove at least an inkling of it." - Han Ji-pyeong
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Episode 4
"Even when you think your code is complete, one missing conditional can create a bug and crash your program. There was one conditional in particular. If Sandbox is everyone’s dream, I overlooked one conditional and this is the result of it." - Nam Do-san
Episode 4
"This isn’t the car they’re going to ride. That’s why they just compliment it. On the other hand, I want to know about the tires, the lining. All of it. Because I might actually ride it. Because I am actually interested." - Han Ji-pyeong
Episode 4
"Lord, I decided to work up my courage and start my own business. I do have a destination but the path is steep and rough. So I’m not sure if I can handle it. Please give me the strength to complete this long, difficult journey. And lead me to find a companion for the journey." - Seo Dal-mi
Episode 4
"Be careful. The person may seem like a spring breeze at first but may turn into a strong winter wind and change your life completely." - Yeong-sil to Han Ji-pyeong
Episode 5
"Man is most intelligent because he has hands." - as seen in one post-it held by Nam Do-san
Episode 5
"We should try something new rather than being stuck with the wrong answer." - Seo Dal-mi
Episode 5
"Dad told me that deserts would cover the entire world if it was sunny every day. We need rain and snow for plants and delicious fruits like this tangerine to grow." - Seo Dal-mi
Episode 5
"Keep the intro short but impactful. When you want to emphasize something, speak slowly." - Han Ji-pyeong
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Episode 7
“You know, my nickname is LB. Get it? Living Buddha. LB for short, you know. When I get angry, I knit… While I’m knitting, I try to picture it in my head. Smashing things and yelling at people. Stuff like that. That helps me calm down." - Nam Do-san
Episode 8
"Do you want facts or a future filled with hopes and dreams?" - Han Ji-pyeong
Episode 8
"Cars without brakes can’t speed because they’d have to ram into a wall to stop." - Han Ji-pyeong
Episode 8
"I ran a business like this myself when I was young. I had to beg for money day in, day out. It was nerve-racking... But the thing is, they’re at least clear about the 'why'... As long as they know why they do it, the rest will follow." - Ms. Yoon to Han Ji-pyeong
Episode 9
"Back then, I had solved all the questions except for just one. I used to solve that type of question very easily, but I struggled with it that day. At that moment, a gust of wind suddenly blew in from somewhere. And that one line from the solution caught my eye. I thought that wind was a blessing. But that one line. Because I saw that one line, I forgot that I had solved nine questions on my own." - Nam Do-san on seeing a competitor's test paper at the Math olympiad
Episode 9
"A risk means a possibility of loss. It’s different from danger." - Ms. Yoon to Seo In-jae/Won In-jae
Episode 9
"I was wrong. I’m sorry I’m such a loser… But you know, Dad, because I was wrong, I stumbled upon fireworks… I made a wrong turn and stumbled upon fireworks but it looked so cool." - Nam Do-san
Episode 9
"You wrote that it’s pointless, but to me it’s more valuable than anything. You want her to see and remember more beauty. I can totally relate to it. I’d also like to gift the person I love with the most beautiful scenery so that I won’t regret not doing so in the future." - Seo Dal-mi
Episode 9
"It’s good that we got lost… Shall we wander around more?" - Nam Do-san
Episode 9
"You want to be as bright as the moon but feel as though you’re just a star as tiny as a dust particle. Is that it?... You’re the star over there, the one that looks like a tiny dust particle. A fixed star that is much bigger than the moon. So don’t run away." - Seo Dal-mi
Episode 10
"Does my dream have to be success? Can’t it be a person?" - Nam Do-san
Episode 10
"They say white lies are harmless, but that’s also a lie." - Halmeoni
Episode 10
"The longer you remain unsure, the less confident you’ll feel. Make up your mind no matter how hard it is so that you can overcome it." - Lee Bo-young's cameo to Seo Dal-mi
Episode 10
"It’s very tiring to live as someone’s pride and joy. You’re afraid of disappointing the person so you pretend you're strong and competent. Let’s not be each other’s pride and joy. Let’s just be father and son." - Nam Do-san to his father
Episode 10
"There’s no point in regretting it now because there’s a reason for every choice. So just trust your choice." - Lee Bo-young's cameo to Han Ji-pyeong
Episode 11
"It's never good to move too fast. That speed can hurt many people... We need people like me to slow things down a little. To help find the right pace that allows people to adjust and live." - Nam Seong-hwan
Episode 11
"I wish to make the world a better place. That’s why I'm doing this." - Seo In-jae/Won In -jae
Episode 12
"If you can’t beat them, join them. That’s what you do." - Han Ji-pyeong
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Episode 12
"The moment I first saw you, my dream became clear." - Nam Do-san
Episode 13
"I always do my best and concede when I lose." - Han Ji-pyeong
Episode 13
"You are a faint-hearted batter. Afraid of being called out, you are unable to even swing your bat. But if you continue to hesitate, you will lose. So be brave and just swing the bat. You could be called out, but you also may hit a home run." - Yeong-sil to Han Ji-pyeong
Episode 14
"Why did the three of you launch a start-up? To run a business or to write programs? Either way, the conclusion is simple. If what excites you is writing programs and seeing them run, work as developers at a company that pays you well. If you’re excited about establishing and leading a company, run your own company. As you already know, you’ll face many hardships while running a start-up. The only thing that keeps you going is the confidence that you’re doing what you love. If you think about how it all started, you wont need my criticism anymore." - Han Ji-pyeong to Kim Yong-san
Episode 15
"I believe a business can only grow as large as the CEO’s dreams. Don’t limit yourself. I hope you can keep challenging yourself as a CEO. Sometimes, foolhardy dreams can become reality." - Seo In-jae/Won In-jae to Seo Dal-mi
Episode 15
"You chose the Tower card. They say that arrogance comes before a fall. And recklessness can make hard work meaningless. Be careful." - Yeong-sil via the Believe it or Not app
Episode 15
"I know. I don’t expect us to get it. Still, we should… ['Why bother? It’s a lot of work for something you don’t expect to succeed at.'] That’s why we should do it. That way, it’ll be easier next time. ['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? That’s a lot of time and energy.'] That’ll be a learning experience. You pass failure on your way to success. We’ll build experience. ['That’s just being reckless.'] Reckless? Right. You need to keep digging around to find a good lot. We’ll keep digging and… ['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?'] How could I? Of course, I remember. Sailing off without a map. But to me, sailing off without a map was marvelous. I might’ve failed but I have no regrets. Never did and never will." - Nam Do-san talking to Han Ji-pyeong
Episode 15
"Stop feeling inferior to me. Work on your self-esteem and look at Dal-mi again. Then you’ll know who she really likes. With those hands alone, you beat our memories." - Han Ji-pyeong to Nam Do-san
Episode 15
"Since I’m a CEO, I think I should make a rational decision." - Seo Dal-mi
Episode 15
"Like you said, sailing off without a map could cost me my life. But I could also survive. And people like that become trailblazers." - Nam Do-san
Episode 15
"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." - Yeong-sil to Seo Dal-mi via the Believe It or Not app
BONUS!
"Follow your dream." - Park Chan-ho
Start-Up is available for streaming and download on Netflix.
Photos from tvN and Netflix
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