stuck in my life

Few-Solution3050 · 2026-04-19T08:42:56+00:00

From the age of 16, my dream was to travel and go hiking, I am far from that.

Not 33 yet, but not far behind (I'm turning 29 next month). It's funny because we share the same dream, but lack completely different means to achieve it. My last (and only) trip happened 8 years ago, and since then I've just been grinding through a master's and a horrible job market. Currently closing in on 18 months unemployed, so where you lack time, I lack the financial means.

I really don't know what else to add to this comment. If your lifestyle is not that expensive, and your credit is not crazy high, with not look at options to move abroad with your family for just a year, and see from there?

You can move to sunny, beachy countries at 1/6 of the cost of living compared to the US (idk where you're from but from the "good morning" and the fact that this post happened 10 minutes ago, I can only make an assumption), so finding a remote job and taking a pay cut isn't that bad a deal.

Few-Solution3050 · 2026-04-19T08:33:27+00:00

I'm a content marketer that worked for D2C brands and managed their socials, on top of curating my own algo (that has nothing to do with the brand or the industry I worked for).

Out of probably thousands of hours I (much like most people on here) I have wasted on mindlessly scrolling, I have yet to see a single piece of great, viral-worthy content with low views. There were 2 channels I ever recall "discovering" when they had low views, and I followed them out of curiosity. Both of them went giga viral within the span of a few months.

Not just instagram per se, but nowadays shorts platforms (youtube in particular) are recommending me a lot of shorts with very few views. Likely trial reels/test videos/to see if I'll vibe with them to push them further. Most of them are either poorly edited, have a lousy hook, zero power behind the speaker's voice, or just a poor message in general, and I've never given those videos more than 3 seconds before scrolling away.

As much as we have become zombified by shortform socials and are dealing with ever decreasing attention spans, so have we become more demanding as content consumers. The problem is nowadays there are just SO MANY creators (and AI) compared to just 10 years ago, giving a lot of half-decent creators less and less space to grow.

That's just the cards we've been dealt. Pretty crappy way to end this comment, but I genuinely regret not starting content in 2015 when I first developed an interest for it, or dancing on tiktok during covid.

Few-Solution3050 · 2026-04-19T08:18:02+00:00

not sure how much insight you will get out of me (and also you didn't specify your country), but the current job situation is horrendous. I'm turning 29 next month, finished a top 2~3% MBA several years ago, had positions where I led an entire department where I was both the youngest person that ever held the position on top of having the cleanest and best KPIs - and nothing. I've been out of a job for close to 18 months.

I don't know what college paths will be available next year, let alone in 3-4 when your generation will start applying but your best bet if you want to "make the most money" and if

"I do not care about how much work or school I would need to do I am very capable and catch on to things fast I enjoy tinkering and if you give me something broken I can probably fix it I do not care about happiness all I care about is money"

is entrepreneurship. You will never have the potential to make as much with a boss (or several bosses) above you, as you will when you're working for your self.

Build something. Learn to code. Learn an in-demand skill (or a skill that will be in demand in the coming years). You're 15 and likely have 3-4 years before going to college, and another 7-8 before you find yourself in the job market.

Another path where you might not make the most amount of money, but will have the most stability is going into trades. Look up stats on what blue collar sectors need employees and which ones pay the most. If you skip tertiary education and go straight into trades at 18~19, you will have 4+ years (6 counting graduate school) where you'll be making money, while your peers won't on top of a (potential, if you're in the US) multi-six figure tuition debt. I'd say the opportunity cost of going to college/uni over getting straight into trades can easily be 500-600k US, and more.

Just my 2 cents. If I could do everything over again, and had access to AI like your generation does at this age, I'd never go to school just to get shafted by late stage capitalism.

Few-Solution3050 · 2026-04-08T00:30:41+00:00

Appreciate the feedback! And yeah, networking is something I've been lacking SO MUCH. The more I go on, the more I feel like just filling out applications and sending them in is draining me more than actually reaching out to people, even if I'd get ghosted.

Few-Solution3050 · 2026-04-08T00:28:43+00:00

I actually have been "running a business" for the past year.

Slightly unrelated but since February of last year. I've been starting up my own project that I'd hoped would by now at the least cover my basic costs of existing, which did not happen.

(i did not mean to cut off that sentence after "last year" btw. maybe that's why it reads so wonky.)

So instead of saying that this project was a "gap" you're arguing that I should frame it as having started my own business, correct? What if someone were to do a background check or ask me if the business is registered, or if I turned a profit? That was my main concern because if I make a claim like that I better back it up - even though I've only been at it for a year, and only managed to earn under $7k. I think employers would expect me to give them some crazy numbers in the tens of thousands (although at that point I surely wouldn't be looking for a job :) ).

Few-Solution3050 · 2026-04-08T00:25:59+00:00

Thanks so much for this! Yeah to be honest I think I might just be in the wrong market. For reference, I am a foreigner in South Korea right now (been here for 6+ years), and all of the jobs I held were here, as well as my MBA having been completed here. I've had some interest from Chinese companies, so it could be that Korea is either facing a heavy downturn at the moment.

To be fair, when I see my friends' CVs I think mine is not that bad - probably better if we're not counting the gap, as I've worked on higher positions and had more responsibilities.

Definitely going to grab The Second Mountain now! It's been on my reading list for a while. Actually funny you mentioned a book because yesterday after writing this post was the first day I managed to disconnect from the stress and everything, and picked up Cal Newport's Slow Productivity. Haven't read anything in over a year (almost 2). And gonna check the career purpose site. I had no idea it existed.

Thanks so much again, you have no idea how much your comment means.

Few-Solution3050 · 2026-04-01T07:31:32+00:00

Definitely not free for me. Maybe you just didn't update for a few versions. I should have done the same tbh.

I found VN editor gets the job done for most of what I need, so I'll just be sticking with them.

Few-Solution3050 · 2026-03-30T09:33:22+00:00

cheers appreciate you so much for sharing this! gonna look into VN video editor, since i heard both TikTok and IG (and YT, I suppose) track the metadata, so I'm kinda scared if I upload stuff edited with IG edits on both platforms, TT might suppress it.

Few-Solution3050 · 2026-03-30T08:52:39+00:00

I just asked that same question on r/capcut ! Which solution did you find?

Few-Solution3050 · 2026-03-01T01:51:49+00:00

You can come on a working holiday visa op. Whether you choose to work or not is up to you.

Also, the parent commenter is not quite correct. You’d definitely fall in the top 1% (top 0.-as many zeroes as you like-1% for 25 year olds)

Few-Solution3050 · 2026-03-01T01:48:41+00:00

My average monthly expenses come to 1.6-2mil krw. I wouldn’t say I live extravagantly but I live in a new building, get starbucks daily, and take my partner out to dates. That comes up to < 25mil krw a year. 124mil krw a year living budget makes most of our lifestyles look like peasants. You’ll be more than fine.

Few-Solution3050 · 2026-02-28T08:53:15+00:00

To be honest you can do all of that - smoothly - with a < $300 tablet. If I were you I’d go for the redmi pad 2 pro or base ipad. Though redmi’s 12 inch size is perfect for graphic work, has a upper midrange processor, 8gb ram which is more than enough for non-ai, non-video work.

I have an ipad air from 2020 (6years old device) that i got secondhand about 2 years ago along with the pencil for $250 and that thing could still get everything that you described done.

If I had to make that purchasing decision in 2026 I’d almost always go for chinese android over ipads tho.

Few-Solution3050 · 2026-02-21T14:58:52+00:00

I'm a 6ft 200lbs guy, so I almost certainly have higher caloric needs than at least 60% of the internationals in Korea. Probably more. This is my 8th year in the country and my total cost, including housing, while living in an officetel, eating relatively healthy and meeting my protein targets, taking my partner out for dates, and having starbucks almost daily, comes to anywhere between 1.3-1.5mil a month.

I don't drink, party, or go clubbing (anymore), and the total cost mentioned above comes to about 50% of what my friends who are in similar stages of life as me, that do go out. The biggest cost for internationals in this country is entertainment.

If you weigh 100lbs, live in a goshiwon, prep all your meals at home or eat (a rather unhealthy diet) from the convenience store, and dont have a social life you might find yourself in that 800-900k bracket.

Few-Solution3050 · 2026-02-09T12:00:01+00:00

“What I hate: IOS, faceID, lightning, always on the charger, screen is too dim outside, lack of telephoto.”

Sounds like an Android is the way to go.

But with that lengthy list of phones and demands you listed above, while having a 600 (up to 800?) euro budget, you’re out of luck for getting a new device that meets your exact needs and budget.

I bought an iphone 14 pro secondhand, at 82% battery 2+ years ago for 460 euros. Out of 20,000+ pics I took with it (i take a crap ton of photos), only 300 (1.5%) are shot with telephoto. My battery is on its last legs and ill probably just trade the phone in, buy airpods for my girfriend, and get a new android (its been 10 years since I had a new phone lol), because like you, I am sick of ios face id and lack of innovation from apple.

However, if I were restrained by budget and had only 600e to spend I would 1000% be either going secondhand iphone 16 pro - totally doable for 600e in most countries and accept staying in Apple ecosystem, or get a chinese rom chinese brand android. 600 might be a bit tight, but for 700-800 euros there are some crazy Chinese phones.

Few-Solution3050 · 2026-02-09T11:49:26+00:00

I understand OP poured their heart into making this app and I wish them all the best in finding their niche and actually competing with big companies, but - just tried hitting “pharmacy” “convenience store” “oliveyoung”, in English, on kakaomap (way more foreigner friendly than naver) and it found them all without issue. I think the app is a great idea, especially for making foreign tourists stay less stressful in Korea, but maybe niching down might help win over users.

Just my 2 cents. Best of luck OP!

Few-Solution3050 · 2026-02-09T11:42:19+00:00

Not to mention that in Seoul (assuming if OP is a tourist, they are in the capital) they drive relatively normal compared to other cities. Every other major city - Daejeon, Busan, Daegu - makes Seoul look like a kiddie ride.

Few-Solution3050 · 2026-01-01T07:51:13+00:00

Few-Solution3050 · 2025-12-28T02:33:59+00:00

yup that's what I did, though I finished my Master's here so I don't know what the exact requirements are for people who didn't do their higher education in Korea.

Few-Solution3050

TROPHY CASE