K-Drama Entrepreneurs Who Inspire + Lessons To Learn From Them

Be inspired and gain some tips!

Start-Up is the latest drama to gather a lot of buzz, and for good reason! In addition to its heartfelt stories and heart-fluttering romances, there’s a lot to learn about entrepreneurship. Whether you’re interested in starting up your own business someday or just looking for some inspiration, check out some lessons you can learn from K-drama entrepreneurs here.

There’ll Be Some Trial & Error

Start-Up shows how launching a successful business is hardly smooth sailing. From terms like key man and burn rate, there’ll be a lot to learn if you’re unfamiliar with the start-up world. Seo Dal-mi (Bae Suzy) becomes CEO of Samsan Tech and learns that being a leader means making decisions that not everyone will be completely satisfied with. She and CTO Nam Do-san (Nam Joo-hyuk) realize it’s a dog eat dog world, and it’s important to have wise mentors like Han Ji-pyeong (Kim Seon-ho) to help you survive. Samsan Tech team is still learning as they explore ways to grow.

Don’t Take Your Staff For Granted

Lee Yeong-jun (Park Seo-jun) is the narcissistic Vice-chairman of Yumyung Group in What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim. He’s incredibly intelligent and competent, but he can be difficult to work with due to his ego. After nine years, Yeong-jun is surprised to hear that Mi-so wants to quit because she was unable to live her own life outside of work. He realizes that Mi-so is indispensable to him and he makes efforts to improve working conditions for her as well as the rest of his staff members. With upgraded teamwork, they tackle projects like the inauguration of Yumyung Art Hall and new business ideas.

Follow Your Passion

Crash Landing on You’s heiress Yun Se-ri (Son Ye-jin) struggled with depression and emptiness in her life. She then decided to become independent from her family and create her own business around fashion and beauty. Diving into her true passions, her business becomes successful. Se-ri puts a lot of work into quality checking the items her company sells. While testing a new product, she ends up in a paragliding accident that leads her to meet Ri Jeong-hyeok (Hyun Bin) in North Korea. Her love is evident in her work as she later launches products inspired by and named after her lady friends from up north.

Manage Your Budget Wisely

Jang Man-wol (IU) is the beautiful owner of Hotel Del Luna, a hotel for souls to stay before they pass on to the afterlife. While she has managed the hotel for 1,300 years, she also amassed a lot of debt due to her frivolous spending habits. Her penchant for expensive clothes, champagne, and caviar resulted in serious budget issues. Luckily, Koo Chan-sung (Yeo Jin-goo) is a skilled new manager with a Harvard MBA. Chan-sung helps Man-wol curb her spending and manages the hotel’s budget much more efficiently.

Good Marketing Is Key

Itaewon Class centers around underdog Park Sae-ro-yi (Park Seo-jun) striving to launch a business that will beat his nemesis. He’s off to a good start on his own, but lacks knowledge in modern marketing. He meets Jo Yi-seo (Kim Da-mi) while handing out flyers, and she recognizes different ways his business could be improved. Joining hands, Jo Yi-seo overhauls DanBam and makes significant enhancements. She also utilizes her social media presence to generate buzz and interest in DanBam. Sae-ro-yi, Yi-seo, and the rest of the DanBam crew continue to grow DanBam as they triumphantly franchise their business.

Never Give Up

I Am Not a Robot shows passionate entrepreneur Jo Ji-ah (Chae Soo-bin) pretend to be a humanoid robot. She does this as a favor to her ex-boyfriend who modeled the robot’s features after her and because she needs the money. Jo Ji-ah is actually a creative inventor who was first inspired by her father who worked at a car repair shop. While her ideas are imaginative, many people brushed off her inventions. Nevertheless, Ji-ah can’t stop thinking of new inventions that help people and make them happier. After persistently pursuing her dreams, her heart ball lamps finally receive recognition.

Which K-drama entrepreneurs inspire you the most? Check out all of these shows and more, on Netflix!