I analyze the intersection of economics and future technology, sharing practical insights on how individuals can survive and grow as economic agents within this massive technological shift.
I aim to go beyond simply introducing shiny ‘new technologies,’ focusing instead on the sharp logic of ‘capital’ happening behind the scenes and its impact on our ‘real economy’ and ‘survival strategy.’
In that vein, the world is currently ablaze with talk of AI. Everyone is passionate about AI models and their astonishing capabilities.
However, the true face of capitalism—the ‘reality’ we must know to live as economic agents—is unfolding behind the dazzling stage lights of AI.
Today, I will deeply analyze the painful IT news stories that directly concern ‘money,’ ‘power,’ and ‘survival’ in this very moment, not just AI. These stories will provide the practical insight needed to protect your side hustle, your job, and your assets.
We truly live in an age of paradox. An age where on one side, AI is heralded as the savior of humanity, and on the other, tens of thousands are losing their jobs.
Today, I bring you the story of one company that epitomizes this paradox: Amazon. This story contains a brutally realistic and painful lesson that should hit us hard as we get complacent about sweet future prospects.
The ‘7 Trillion Won’ Toast to the Future
First, let’s look at the shining news. Amazon (AWS) concluded that the future of the Korean cloud market—the future of AI and data centers—is enormous.
And they acted on it. A staggering 7 Trillion Won (approximately 5 billion USD).
This is an astronomical sum of money that would take you 200 million years to save if you didn’t spend a single won of your current monthly salary. Amazon decided to ‘invest’ this immense capital into the Korean market.
This is what ‘investment’ is: the act of boldly throwing current capital toward greater future profits. The market cheered this news, and headlines raised a toast, proclaiming, ‘The Future Has Arrived.’
The ‘14,000 Emails’ for the Present
But at that very moment.
A completely different event was unfolding at Amazon headquarters on the other side of the globe. Before the ink was dry on the spectacular investment announcement, 14,000 employees received an email on their computers.
It was a ‘termination notice.’
The very company that executed a massive ‘investment’ of 7 trillion won simultaneously categorized the payroll of 14,000 employees as ‘cost’ and cut it.
This is not a story about robots replacing a factory line. These were core personnel working in innovative departments like ‘Alexa,’ in HR, and in the retail sector. People who came to work yesterday with the pride of being an ‘Amazonian’ woke up this morning to find themselves labeled ‘a cost to be cut’ via a single email.
Cursing the ‘Bad Company’ is a Novice Move
This is capitalism. More accurately, this is the ‘bare face’ of capitalism we desperately want to ignore.
To a company, ‘money’ (7 trillion won) is an ‘investment’ meant to generate future profits. To a company, ‘people’ (14,000 employees) can become a ‘cost’ that erodes current profits.
Watching this news and expressing anger—”Amazon is such a bad company,” or “How can they treat people like that…”—is, frankly, a meaningless waste of emotion. That is a novice (下手) reaction.
Why? Because a company is not a charity. The company’s heart beats not with ‘warm blood,’ but with the cold logic of ‘shareholder value’ and ‘profit.’
“Am I a ‘Cost’ or an ‘Investment’?”
Faced with this cruel reality, the only question we must ask is this:
“Am I currently a ‘Cost’ or an ‘Investment’ within my company?”
If you can’t answer this immediately, or if you think, “I’m loyal to my company…,” that is an alarmingly dangerous sign that should snap you awake.
As a ‘K-Worker’ (Korean employee), we are loyal, often sacrificing our ‘liver’ (health) for the company. We routinely work overtime and take work calls on weekends. Will the company view us as an ‘investment’ for this?
Absolutely not.
The company is happily consuming your ‘loyalty’ for free, while faithfully categorizing your ‘salary’ as a recurring ‘cost.’ Your dedication does not make you a ‘higher-value investment’; it merely makes you an ‘easy-to-manage, obedient cost.’
The company’s loyalty is to its ‘shareholders’ and ‘profits.’ The company is not responsible for your life. While you sit at your desk worrying about the future, the company might already have you on a ‘cost list,’ simply timing the perfect moment for a cut.
Survive as an ‘Economic Agent,’ a ‘One-Person Enterprise’
So, what is the solution? I am not telling you to despair. Growing into an economic agent begins with acknowledging this cold reality.
Do not entrust your life to the company. Regard yourself as a ‘One-Person Enterprise.’
The company you currently work for is not your sole employer; it is merely your ‘biggest client’ as a ‘One-Person Enterprise.’
The 14,000 Amazon employees had their contract with their ‘biggest client’ terminated overnight. If they had no other ‘clients’ (side hustles, investments, side projects), their survival prospects are bleak.
But what if you, the ‘One-Person Enterprise,’ continuously strive to increase your ‘value’ (skills, assets)? What if you hone your unique skills and build your own assets?
That is the only way to keep your name off the list of 14,000 layoffs. Even if you do end up on that list, it is the only way to coolly say, “Okay, I’ll go find a better client.”
This bizarre story from Amazon is not someone else’s problem. Will you be categorized as a ‘cost’ and vanish with an email, or will you become an ‘investment’ in yourself and survive?
That choice hinges on your ‘execution’ today.
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Oing contemplates realistic side hustles and survival strategies in the capitalist structure, together with you.
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