A Successful Start and a Decision for My Life

Although my plan of producing monitors in South Korea was a complete success, still a number of obstacles had to be overcome. As I put aside the project of game card temporarily and was devoted to the R&D of monitors, I had no income during this period. I gathered all the money together, but not sure how long it could be maintained.

I thought for a long time, and finally decided to accept the investment from large enterprises. Although this would reduce my first entrepreneurial significance, I still intended to produce my game console with this method. So I decided to meet the vice president of super-large company Atari. Of course, this was not an easy task. The appointment was finally decided after numerous contacts.

I bluntly explained that I was developing game console based on micro-information processing technology, but aroused no interest from the vice president at all. I also proposed that technology sharing was also acceptable, the vice president still showed no concerns. Even the leader of the game industry raised his question of“Is it possible?”, so it seemed that my idea was indeed too forward. I then mentioned monitor to the indifferent vice president:

“We have developed game monitors.”

The VP finally showed his interest in the monitor:

“Really? If it is the monitor, we can immediately acquire, but ...”

Although I had expected such a result, his response was beyond my imagination. Just like Atari, Meidiwei and other large game manufacturers that had been troubled with monitor supply of the only manufacturer Motorola.

Now it was the time for me to make up my mind. Should I stubbornly insist on my plan to produce finished game console to sell; or should I change the direction to supply monitors to game companies? It required a reasonable and calm judgment.

At that time, I did not have to buy monitors from Motorola at high prices, but I could produce our own monitors. Therefore, if those monitors sold at reasonable prices were equipped with our“forward” game cards, the market would be enormous.

However, there were two problems. Firstly, my game console had just been completed trials, and a lot of tests were still ahead for finished products. However, I did not have the capacity to carry out mass production in the future. Secondly, as for the sales network, Atari and Meidiwei controlled the game console market in the world, and was it wise to compete with these giants?

So, how much interest it would be if we just produced and sold monitors? If we provided our rivals with monitors at reasonable prices, was it a surrender before the fight? It was impossible to supply monitors based only on arrogance and self-esteem.

However, I decided to sell monitors to Atari in the end. As an entrepreneur, this was the first decision that I made, which laid an important foundation for the market exploration of“TELE VIDEO” in the future.

I still do not play games and do not like the game. However,I put the game industry as my first business only because of the nature of this industry.

I was regretted that if I had sufficient funds, my original plan for the game industry would have been a great success. Regret was not enough to express the mood when I had to give up the original plan.

Game consoles based on micro-information processing came out 5 years later in other companies. There was no doubt that its launch aroused great response, and led to a transition among other companies that changing their game cards.

From the above situations, it was not hard to find that my idea was so advanced. Therefore, I still feel regret that my idea has not been transferred into goods even today.

Of course, I did not feel regret the decision I made in those days. Business is business, so it has nothing to do with arrogance or self-esteem. The choice I made was the most correct decision. However, I have forgotten the truth that never mix emotions into business: I will talk about that mistake later which made“TELE VIDEO” suffer a huge loss.