Week 1 and Week 2 - Angela Nguyen

Week1 Blog Question: What is a startup?

A startup originally begins with some sort of idea that could then get turned into something tangible and offered to the public. In more simpler terms, perhaps startups describe the act of bringing attention to old/new ideas that have not been developed well and making them better. The initial idea behind startups is often motivated by passion and dreams of which is laid out to make monumental changes that would introduce people to a new norm, culture or even social standard. Many things are taken into consideration for startups as it is a big investment that could either be successful if done right or not. For example, in order to create a successful startup, one should be selective about who to choose to be a part of the startup, know what customers want, and to spend as little money as possible (Graham). It is interesting to note that many successful start ups start at the low end and work their way up to the high end. For example, before South Korea became the world’s fifteenth largest economy, it was once had one of the worst economies with a GDP per capita less than Ghana (Hong). The country was at rock bottom and began to remake its national aesthetics which helped to raise its economy up. WIth the idea of expanding and improving the entertainment industry, South Korea was able to make its country cooler than it was before and underwent a Hallyu culture. While South Korea is doing very well with creating an impressive image for itself, tapping into other countries needs and wants will further its national aesthetics because it would be able to expand its culture and create more wealth. As seen in Iran, soap operas have been so popular that Iranians make sure they are free during showtimes on television. As South Korea expands its culture and industries to other countries, the range of consumers widen which takes it a step closer to achieving maximum national aesthetics.

Question: In Graham’s article on How to Start a Startup, he mentions that one should try to avoid selling things to the government because governments are the biggest companies of all. However, in terms of national aesthetics, it almost seems impossible to create a national image without the help of the government. Is there any instances or is it possible for a country to build up its reputation without government interference? In relation to how South Korea was able to rise its economy through the entertainment industry, would it be able to get to where it is now without government assistance?

Work Cited

Photo: Maddison, Angus. South Korea GDP Growth from 1911-2008. Wikipedia. 28 May 2010. Web. 16 January 2017.

Graham , Paul. "How To Start A Startup: Want to start a startup?" N.p., Mar. 2005. Web. 15 Jan. 2017. <http://www.paulgraham.com/start.html>.

Graham , Paul . "Startup=Growth: Want to start a startup? ." N.p., Sept. 2012 . Web. 15 Jan. 2017. <http://www.paulgraham.com/growth.html>.

Hong, Euny. The Birth of Korean Cool: How One Nation Is Conquering The World Through Pop Culture. New York : Picador, 2014. Picador. Web. 15 Jan. 2017. <https://canvas.ucdavis.edu/courses/72045/files/folder/Readings/Week1?preview=617725>.

Week2 Blog Question: What government system would you prefer when thinking about re-branding a nation? State the nation you are thinking of and explain/justify your answer.

When I think about rebranding a nation, I envision the nation to be similar to the US in that it values democracy and capitalism. I believe that countries need to favor capitalism to allow for growth because with free trade and industry, people will be able to develop private ideas without fearing government interference, which would help to bring in revenue and allow for people to have good income. With decent income among members the public, the nation as a whole would appear more stable and credible to other countries when it decides to project a national image like that of South Korea and its Hallyu culture and would further encourage other countries to buy into their culture as well. Moreover, I believe nations that want to rebrand should favor democracy because this form of government would help to project a favoring image to other countries. If a nation’s government is democratic, it says a lot of things such as the country is developed, value human rights, has some form of rule of law, and has a functioning market economy. If a nation has these qualities, it makes it easier to do business and trade with other countries which would also push for transnationalism. In South Korea, its culture was able to thrive partly due to the country’s ability to negotiate and appropriate with global forces and that brought its culture to exist in the transnational context (Joo). Part of why South Korea is able to spread its culture so well is heavily reliant on its government system and perhaps with continued government support, it will be able to make an even stronger national image. In relation to other countries such as the US and Great Britain with similar forms of government system, like Korea, due to a credible political structure, these two countries have had a lot of influence in other parts of the world. The form of government system really adds to the national portrayal of the country and democracy and capitalism, in my opinion, is highly favored upon which would positively shape the idea of national aesthetics.

Question: Has there been countries that did not practice democracy or capitalism that were still able to project a strong national aesthetic that appealed to many countries transnationally?

Work Cited

Photo: Williamson, Thomas. US and British Political System. Shout out UK. 14 August 2013. Web. 16 January 2017.

Joo, Jeongsuk. "Transnationalization of Korean Popular Culture and the Rise of ‘‘Pop Nationalism’’ in Korea." Journal of Popular Culture 44.3 (n.d.): 489-504. Blackwell Publishing Inc. , 2 June 2011. Web. 14 Jan. 2017. <https://canvas.ucdavis.edu/courses/72045/files/folder/Readings/Week2?preview=617741>.

Yim, Haksoon. "Cultural identity and cultural policy in South Korea." International Journal of Cultural Policy, 17 September 2010. 8:1, 37-48. 15 January 2017.