Week 21 - The Beginning.

Workout Log

Recent Running Log

Following last year, I plan to run the Chuncheon Marathon again this year. My goal for this year is to break four hours. I haven’t really been training properly yet... but just to maintain my current level, I’m running at least three times a week. Even that is a struggle, so I rarely go beyond 5 km. My goals and actions are a bit out of sync, but at least I’m consistently running three times a week—that’s something.

Heo Gan-min

If I had to name one of the things that’s made me happiest lately, it would be listening to Heo Gan-min while running. Heo Gan-min is an abbreviation created by taking the first characters from Heoki Shibasaki, Kimganji, and Kimminkyung. It all started with a segment called “B-Mainstream Invitation” on the Toss channel “Moneygraphy,” where these three appeared to discuss movies.

Masterpiece Movie World Cup with Three Grumpy Cinephiles | B-Mainstream Guest Spot: Heo-ki Shibaseki

I’ve always enjoyed listening to podcasts while running, but lately I’ve become completely hooked on this trio. In my opinion, it’s the best content of the year. It’s fun to watch the videos, but it’s also enjoyable to just listen without thinking while running, and the occasional “fun button” moments are a real treat. I’m also listening to all the podcasts featuring Kim Min-kyung. She’s been very active for a while now, so I’m happy to have so much to listen to these days.

Job Hunting.

I’m preparing for a job. To be honest, I don’t think I’m doing it properly—I don’t seem to have a sense of urgency. I have a resume and cover letter I wrote earlier, but there’s a lot that needs tweaking. While I’m at it, I’ve applied for the National Employment Program to receive employment support benefits. I have to meet with a counselor in person regularly to make a concrete plan for how to find a job. At first, I thought it would be a bit of a hassle, but preparing with someone else is definitely easier than doing it alone. Voicing my thoughts to someone else really helps me organize my thoughts. After all, we have to live with other people.

On the 9th, I took the second part of the Linux Master Level 1 exam. I failed last year, so I resolved to give it another shot this time. Based on my preliminary scoring, I passed, but since it’s not certain yet, I’ll be a bit anxious until the results are announced on the 29th. Lately, I’ve been thinking I need to find a job, so I’ve been working on getting various certifications, though I’ll admit there’s a bit of anxiety driving me to do so. Still, it feels like I’m studying and reaching milestones, so I’m enjoying the process as if I were playing a game. This week, I took the written exam for the Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA). The scores were posted immediately. Now I need to prepare for the practical exam.

Cinch

I’m working on a side project called Cinch. It’s the first project I’ve undertaken with the goal of generating revenue. I started it because I wanted to experience making money, even if it’s just a small amount. Of course, there’s a lot of talk these days that SaaS is dead (or will die) because of AI, but I still felt I should try doing what I can right now.

Cinch is a clipboard service. I’m still pivoting a lot, so I can’t define it clearly yet, but my goal is to create a clipboard service that’s easy to use today. I started out with a remote clipboard tool, but as I built it, my ambitions grew. However, making something that people actually want to use and find easy to use is incredibly difficult. When building a service on my own, I feel like I’m constantly switching back and forth between the developer and user personas. That’s really tough. And lately, I’ve been constantly realizing just how valuable user feedback is. Even a 1-star rating is truly precious.

Reading.

Influenced by Heo Gan-min (or more precisely, Editor Kim Min-kyung), I’ve resumed reading, something I’d been putting off. Perhaps because the content focuses on reading and culture, listening to Editor Kim’s stories quietly makes me gradually feel the urge to pick up a book. Recently, I attended a [podcast](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/1-27-%ED%99%94-%ED%8E%B8%EC%A7%91%EC%9E%90%EC%9D%98-%EB%B0%A9-%EB%B2%84%EC%A7%80%EB%8B%88%EC%95%84-%EC%9A%B8%ED%94%84-How to Use It - With a Spoon-ED%8E%B8%EC%A7%91%EC%9E%90-%EC%9C%A0%EC%83%81%ED%9B%88-%ED%8E%B8%EC%A7%91%EC%9E%90/id1811246527?i=1000746927301), I was persuaded to buy two of her books. <The Essential Virginia Woolf>, <Mrs. Dalloway>. I started reading them yesterday, and they’re interesting. As expected, I prefer novels to essays. And I like novels because they let me experience lives I haven’t lived and feel like I’m stepping into and out of someone else’s mind. Learning about things I’ve never experienced myself.

Life has a certain inertia. Reading like this makes me want to write now. Wandering aimlessly on YouTube, I came across editor Kim Min-kyung... saw Heo Gan-min... started reading... and wrote a post on my blog... lol I really do just go with the flow. But then again, what’s wrong with that?

The U.S.

I spent two months in the U.S. earlier this year. I saw and felt so much that I wanted to organize my thoughts on my blog, but I just couldn’t find the energy to write, so I kept putting it off until the first half of the year was over. I’ll definitely write it down in the second half of the year. For my own sake.

Getting Started

After seeing My Favorite Developer do a weekly retrospective, I wanted to try it too, so I started. I plan to do my best to post consistently.