Run Headlong While You’re Young, by Kang Nam-gu

There is a Korean saying that having a dream keeps you young. There is something moving about seeing a person go about their day with something particular to work toward.

I wonder how many people have such a goal. Some seem to know where they are headed, while others have yet to find anything they want to pursue.

I was in the second group as a child. When someone asked me in elementary school what I wanted to do when I grew up, I never knew what to say. I knew very little about what was possible, let alone what I wanted.

The author who found a direction early

Kang Nam-gu set his sights on what he wanted relatively early. The book recounts how he chose to pursue it instead of accumulating credentials, becoming Ticket Monster’s youngest team lead at 21 and the youngest executive at Groupon at 22.

When he wrote the book, Kang was starting INGStory. He described it as a venture that would collect and share the stories of young people looking for a direction.

More than a decade later, I looked it up to see what had become of that idea. The company’s own site showed how far its business had spread.

It had built the Jaksim brand around study rooms and gone on to introduce Jaksim House, Jaksim Space, and Jaksim Study Café.

It had also launched Pickko Partners and acquired several businesses, including Howstudy, Coffee Only, Citycation, and Unknown Coffee & Bakery. In 2024 it added Majesty Barbershop.

The businesses are a long way from the original idea, but I was interested to see how much he had gone on to try.

Part 1. Kang Nam-gu’s first 23 years

The first half follows Kang through his early career. He writes about what success meant to him, what he did to pursue it, and who helped him along the way.

He also draws on his time as an interviewer to describe qualities he hoped to see in young applicants.

Part 2. Ten people who made a dream their qualification

The second half introduces ten people who pursued their own goals.

They include desert marathon runner Yun Seung-cheol, VANK member Kim Sae-bom, who wanted to become a diplomat, and Kim Woo-seok, who created the socks brand Socks Appeal. Their work and ambitions range from business to music.

• Kim Sae-bom, an aspiring diplomat
• Kim Su-ho, the young entrepreneur behind AdLatte
• Kim Woo-seok, the founder of Socks Appeal
• Lee Eun-bi, a former national handball player looking ahead to what comes next
• Lee Da-som, the blogger behind Somvely
• Jo Gi-hyeok, a fashion designer balancing ambition and practical needs
• Lee Kang-hyeon, the head of Yaple
• Park Se-yeol, a traveler reflecting on his twenties
• Kim Jun-hui, a pianist who makes music with others

What it takes to pursue a goal

A goal can make ordinary days more engaging. Working toward it can be difficult, but noticing that you have grown is satisfying in its own right.

It also gives you a reason to try things that would otherwise feel too difficult or uncertain.

Reading about people whose ambitions were different from mine gave me a chance to think about what I wanted and how I might begin.

I envied them a little. Some went to extremes I could not imagine, but I understood the appeal of caring that much about something.

What can change over five or ten years

The book left me thinking about how much time a serious goal can take. An ambition that goes nowhere in a few months might look different after five or ten years of work.

For a while I could share the energy of the people in the book. It was up to me to decide where to put my own.

Book details

Run Headlong While You’re Young

Author

Kang Nam-gu

Published

March 15, 2013

ISBN13

9788974255954

View the book on YES24

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