Hello, my name is Wonmin Lee. It's pronounced like one minute.

I'm here to tell you about my experiences and hopefully convince some of you to quit the rat race and pursue your dreams. Life is short! You never know what's going to happen.

In the last 5 years, I...

...and now I'm making a board game about being promoted at a cut-throat corporation. The gameplay is super unique (not that I'm biased or anything) with elements of Mario Kart and Yu-Gi-Oh mixed in.

It's called Welcome to Sysifus Corp. It just recently passed the 100% funded mark on Kickstarter and I cannot believe how blessed I am to have come so far!


Some other notable stuff (in no particular order) that happened in the last 5 years but couldn't fit into the 300 character limit:


Moyamoya Disease

Moyamoya disease is a rare blood vessel (vascular) disorder in which the carotid artery in the skull becomes blocked or narrowed, reducing blood flow to your brain. Tiny blood vessels then open up at the base of the brain in an attempt to supply the brain with blood.

Mayo Clinic

Me in hospital when I first heard about the Moyamoya.

Here are some scans of my brain. You can see that one side has these "puffs" of smoke like things that are the tiny moyamoya vessels in your brain.

My neurosurgeon says I am not at critical risk right now but all Moyamoya patients are just basically ticking time bombs until they eventually have a stroke so he recommends surgery sooner rather than later. I'll be getting a STA-MCA bypass surgery.

I just got my COVID-19 vaccination thanks to this rare brain disease (Phase 1b of New York State) so I got that going for me, which is nice. And I will hopefully schedule my brain bypass surgery sometime after receiving my second vaccination shot in April.

If you or someone you know has Moyamoya, please encourage them to join the Moyamoya patients Facebook group!

Fun fact, "moyamoya" (モヤモヤ) means "hazy / murky / foggy / fuzzy" in Japanese and I think it's so funny how I learned Japanese and then was diagnosed with a rare Japanese brain disease.


Board game - Welcome to Sysifus Corp

I started making this game in my parents basement back in May 2018. There were three reasons why I wanted to make a board game:

  1. My father owns a printing company so I thought I'd have a competitive advantage.
  2. I wanted to make a game but I was super burnt out of coding at this point (knee-deep in start up stuff).
  3. I saw this Reddit thread and thought, why the hell can't I do that too?

For those of you out there who are interested in making a game, I'd highly encourage it, but with some caveats—namely, don't fucking underestimate it.

It took me three whole years of blood, sweat, and tears to get it to where it is and if I had known it would take so long at the beginning, I'm not sure I would've done it. But looking back, boy am I a different man from when I started (see what I did there?)

Oh and I am currently running a giveaway for my board game over on /r/boardgames. Click here to check that out and enter to win a free copy of my game!


My startup - DomaHub Domains

DomaHub was a company that helped domainers (people who buy / sell domains) make sales landing pages for their large portfolio of domain names.

I know what you're thinking. Wow that's the sexiest idea I've ever heard, are you single?

The answer is no I'm not.

How did we come up with the idea?

Well at the time I was dating a lovely girl and our 100 days anniversary (which is a thing in Korean culture) was coming up. I wanted to do something geeky that involved web development because that's what I was good at. That gave me the idea of trying to buy the website www.happy100days.com to make a cute website for her. But then I thought, "I don't actually need the domain name for the entire year—I only need it for a day. I wish I could pay like $1 to just rent it for 24 hours..."

And thus the idea of "renting domain names" was born. Think about being able to rent www.happybirthday.com (currently on sale for $5 million USD) for a few bucks to send to a friend. Or www.imsorryimdumb.com for a few hours to apologize to your girlfriend? (true story).

Stupid idea? Maybe. Didn't stop me and my brother from throwing several years of our prime youth into it. Here's a photo from when we made our first $5.


Proof I'm me

I also emailed the mods about proof of the major stuff but they never responded to me. Please let me know if there is anything else I need to do!

Thanks for reading and please AMA!

Comments: 575 • Responses: 109  • Date: 

mkx_ironman259 karma

If you were a tree, what kind of a tree would you be?

sysifuscorp309 karma

the giving tree!

MeInMyOwnWords72 karma

Shel Silverstein is a legend!

Awesome post by the way. Glad I got to read it today! You seem like a truly genuine dude.

sysifuscorp211 karma

ok since you called me genuine now i have to come clean

when asked what tree id be my first gut reaction was "willow tree" but i thought thats probably a boring answer so i changed it to the giving tree so i can capture the shel silverstein audience and gain their brownie points

fun fact i learned what a willow tree was by playing runescape

^this comment now lets me capture the runescape audience, win win

MeInMyOwnWords41 karma

Lol, Draynor Village with a mith axe!

Confession: I’m maxed in RS.

sysifuscorp47 karma

i havent played runescape since high school well over 10 years ago so uh

arvhult11 karma

Nice, grew up playing RuneScape.

Nice post man. All the best to you. Sorry you got a rare brain disease. Neurologic stuff sucks.

sysifuscorp19 karma

my childhood was runescape, counter strike, and wow. maybe some ragnarok and warcraft3 too

thanks for the well wishes! no worries on the brain disease its pretty cool i think all things considered

arvhult10 karma

You just described my childhood. Warcraft 3 custom maps were the best. Green TD, DOTA, that coop survival thing... What was the name... apocalypse something.

I like your attitude, It does sound pretty cool. But sucks to have elevated stroke risk. I do too we realized since I got a large stroke recently but never found the cause. Good thing is I have to take proton pump inhibitors now - which means i can literally never get stomach acid problems. So that's pretty cool too 😎

sysifuscorp11 karma

damn i had huge stomach acid problems in high school too. turns out i had a stomach ulcer caused by h pylori. but they didnt know what h pylori was at the time so i just got surgery and they patched up the hole in my stomach. now i just have a scar on my belly

im hoping to get a scar on my head now to complete the collection. stomach problems from dads side and brain problems from moms side

oh and hell yes to all of those custom maps you mentioned

arvhult3 karma

Risk factors are like pokemon ,gotta catch em all. I got diabetes risk from dad's side, high blood fats + more from moms side.

I do truly hope you don't get much health problems from your disease. Remember how to recognize a stroke and remember to ask friends/colleagues to help diagnose you if something is wrong. Don't trust your own brain because it tricks you into believing everything is fine even if you fail every test.

sysifuscorp4 karma

yeah something like FAST right? got it! thank you :)

kanch89221 karma

After the surgery, will you be completely fine or it is only to relieve symptoms?

sysifuscorp269 karma

as far as I understand I will be completely fine but there is always a risk of it returning. maybe on the right side because I have it on my left side right now.

i will have to constantly monitor it every few years or so via MRAs i suppose

kanch8994 karma

Wow. Good luck with your surgery. I hope everything works out in your favor.

sysifuscorp53 karma

thank you! i hope so too :)

TrumpsTanLine13 karma

what were your symptoms that lead you to your diagnosis? how long was it before you were correctly diagnosed?

sysifuscorp38 karma

i wrote this in another comment!

i used to have migraines with auras once a month in high school. it would get so bad that the headaches wouldnt go away unless i threw up. it fucking sucked.

then i graduated high school and the headaches just kinda stopped. maybe like 1 every 2 -3 years or so from then on.

then last july i had two headaches with auras in the same week, which has never happened before. combined with the fact that a few people on my moms side had some brain related medical issues, i went to the ER and got a CT scan and a MRI done. thats how they found out.

they pretty much said from the very beginning that it might be moyamoya but i spoke with three different neurosurgeons before deciding to go with the surgery. its pretty much 100% moyamoya at this point confirmed by three different neurosurgeons

TrumpsTanLine14 karma

oops! my bad. i've been having headaches and now tinnitus for like a month so anytime someone mentions a brain issue i like to ask just to relate my symptoms. i did see that after your surgery you should be ok so i wish you the best of luck! that makes me feel better than a brain problem diagnosis won't be the end of life for me.

sysifuscorp15 karma

medicine has advanced so much! doesnt hurt to go get your brain scanned and get the images checked out by a neurosurgeon. if you can afford to do so i highly urge you to! especially with those headaches/tinnitus

TrumpsTanLine6 karma

i've had a brain scan but they didn't find anything however i don't know how series they were about looking. It took less than an hour for them to review and send me home (ER visit). i'm seeing a neurodoc in a month but i'm still worried. the tinnitus is SO annoying.

sysifuscorp6 karma

i sometimes get ringing in my ears i wonder if thats tinnitus.

i hope everything is alright with the doctor and that you are healthy :) or maybe you have moyamoya and can post about it on /r/iama and get a lot of karma! haha

w0mpi2 karma

wishing you all the best for surgery and recovery!! my best friends little sister was diagnosed with moyamoya when we were young kids and she had brain surgery when she was, 7 or 8, i want to say, and has lived a relatively healthy life since without it returning and i am wishing you a successful surgery 🙏🙏💜

sysifuscorp2 karma

thats great to hear about your friend's sister! gives me hope :)

thekidishero2 karma

How did I you learn Japanese

sysifuscorp5 karma

i answered this already! here's my answer copied + pasted

happy cake day!

i took 4 years of japanese in high school then didnt do anything with it for 6 years or so. then starting in 2019 i picked up a few light novels and started reading them (side by side with a dictionary cuz i fucking SUCKED) so luckily i had a solid foundation to build my self-study on.

i am 1000% against flash cards like anki and the like. they only serve to build up stress and dread because there is no human in the world that can keep up with the ever building daily quota of flash cards. instead you should focus on consuming your regular media but in the language of your choice. for me that was youtube, anime, and games. i started playing games in japanese, not just voices but the in game text as well.

then i started watching animes and dramas with japanese subtitles and let me tell you thats what really supercharges the learning. but you have to be at a certain level before you can do that unfortunately.

also shout out to terrace house. i think watching terrace house with japanese subtitles is probably responsible for 80% of the japanese i know

Yourhyperbolemirror117 karma

How do you have the energy to do all this stuff?

Best of luck with the surgery.

sysifuscorp241 karma

You know, when I was writing this post out I realized that I did a lot in the past 5 years but I definitely did not FEEL like I did a lot.

Like if you asked me before I wrote this post out what I did in the last 5 years I probably would look back at all the time I spent on Reddit, endlessly browsing random subreddits, all the time spent on video games, and all the time spent on porn and tell you damn I wasted my life lol

Try writing about what you did in the last 5 years! it might surprise you, who knows?

Kittii_Kat105 karma

I'll give this a shot:

In the last five years I..

  • Finished my degree in Game Programming (or software engineering, but games were the focus)

  • Worked with two indie studios for no pay, which both ended up not releasing the product, so I have nothing to show for it. They were something for the resume.

  • Lost my cat to a stroke.

  • Ended a 5.5yr relationship, it's okay, she was mentally abusive. Mostly because I couldn't land a job.. after I helped her land one straight out of college that paid $100k/yr (they picked her over me.. I ended up doing her work because she'd always come home with a bunch of problems she needed solved, so I'd spend hours every day helping her solve them.. I'm not bitter, honest.) Lost the other cat in the break-up.

  • Found a real job after two years of applications. (One month after the break-up) Often getting told "we went with another person" in the final stage of the three month interview processes.

  • Got diagnosed with sleep hypopnoea, and was put on a cpap.

  • Played at a professional hearthstone tournament, because I'm good? I also got near last place because rng took a heavy shit on me.

  • Returned to work on 30-hr weeks, so I was barely able to pay bills. Ended up super stressed and depressed, had to go on STL... again. While on STL they did company layoffs, and I was hit, so I lost my insurance.. so I lost my income and my cpap machine.

  • Applied for more jobs.. regularly getting turned down at the last step again despite praise from the interviewers about how well I did on the code assessments..

  • Moved back in with my dad, with an additional $7k of debt because of all the previously mentioned shit. (Needing to cover rent, food, medical bills, etc. Without income.. and somehow still not applicable for medicaid)

  • Completed most of the final fantasy series. (Currently working through 12)

...fuck, these last five years have been rough.

sysifuscorp80 karma

theres a lot of bad in there but you seem like the kind of person who isnt letting that weigh you down too much.

i can probably rewrite my original post and add a hundred more sad bullet points but i dont really like to dwell on the small stuff. plus it wouldve started this AMA on a depressing note haha

like life gave me a brain disease so im thinking about shaving my head because when else am i going to get an opportunity to shave my head? might be fun.

i hope you keep your head up and keep finding the little enjoyments of life. you sound like you did a good job of it in the last 5 years so you are already well versed in it!

also im not a huge FF guy ive only really played 10 and 13. i do want to pick up the new 7 though. eventually when i get around to finishing the other billion games i want to play

Kittii_Kat12 karma

There's a lot to cover here.. but you're right. I try to keep hope and look at the bright side - it's just difficult to when it's so darn dark all the time 😂

I did forget to mention that I've met somebody else. But it's long distance, which makes things incredibly difficult. I don't have a passport or the money to fly where she is, and COVID hasn't helped. 🤷🏼‍♂️ So it's a mix of good and bad still.

As for your situation, I read another reply that you'll likely be alright, but there's a chance of it coming back? I'm hoping that's not the case, stay well, you seem like a cool cat - the world needs those.

As for games - I've skipped 7 and 10 in my run so far. I tried 7 for a few hours, but it's just not living up to the hype it gets. Then I moved from 9 to 12, because I had started 12 years ago and was feeling nostalgic with a desire to finish it..

That said, what I should be doing with my time at my dad's, when I'm not interviewing, is working on my own projects. I'm not paying bills, so it's the perfect time to finish the games on my "to make" list, instead of the extensive "to play" list. But motivation is lacking, because depression is rude like that. It's so much easier to play a game than it is to develop one 😂

sysifuscorp23 karma

the real cool cat here is my cat, lou-kun

you can say that playing a game is doing research for your future game!

Kittii_Kat10 karma

I love that cat 😺

And yeah, I've used that excuse many times in the past! To an extent it's true, but unless I complete a project, I doesn't really mean much.

Thanks for the talk, stranger. And I wish you (and lou-kun) the best

sysifuscorp10 karma

no problem! thank you so much.

do let me know if you ever get something shareable with your game. just comment on reddit or DM me i will see it im addicted to this stupid site

toasthans3 karma

She looks very sweet 😊

sysifuscorp5 karma

its a he! his name is Lou :)

backlightradio8 karma

In the last 5 years, I..

-Travelled to other countries

-Graduated High School

-Broke up two times

-Started wearing braces and I’m almost done

-Controlled emotions better and got closer to my mom

-Lost a lot of weight

-Started animating

sysifuscorp5 karma

which countries!
show me your animations!

Xdsboi3 karma

Lol. What porn would you recommend? From what you wrote above in your intro I am going to guess Japanese. Must be nice knowing what the girls are saying/screaming without subtitles now.

sysifuscorp12 karma

lmfao nice question

i wont recommend any specific porn for you but i will say this, learning japanese definitely enhances the viewing experience of a certain genre of porn

mohvespenegas88 karma

Are you me? I’ve been working in the domain registrar industry, am Korean American raised in Japan and studying to be better at it, and I can relate to so many parts of your post. テラハwas so fun to watch, but it was really sad to hear about its dark underbelly, and the tragic loss of a young life.

N1合格おめでとうございます。マジで頑張ったんですよね!

혹시 한국말도 능숙하십니까?

Currently working rn, but I wanted to drop in and updoot/comment so I can read through your posts in-depth later.

Can’t help but think I’d wanna be internet buddies if you wanna chat!

sysifuscorp68 karma

いいな俺も日本に住んでいみたいです!隔離の直前までは東京で旅行してたんですけど、クソコロナのせいで今年は行けなさそうで悔しいです。한국말은 그냥 집에서 할줄 알정도? 읽기쓰기는 일본어가 더 편한거 같아요!例えば "능숙"이 뭔뜻인지 몰랐어요!

i dont envy you working in the domain registrar industry lol lets just leave it at that.

i freaking miss Terrace house so much i wish it would come back but it sucks that the producers suck. though i did discover this chinese knock off so maybe ill start watching this and brush up on my chinese

i'd love to be your internet buddy, do you have discord? (my id is Xcellion#7454) or kakao could work too or facebook or line lol

mohvespenegas21 karma

I’ll drop you a PM with my kakao ID! :)

sysifuscorp16 karma

sent friend request

stealth55011 karma

Just a thought to be careful posting your discord is publicly like this.

Prepare for an onslaught of friend requests on discord if you haven't seen them already.

Also: loved the caddyshack reference. I use that one all the time.

sysifuscorp12 karma

full disclosure i never saw caddyshack but i use that meme all the time lol

and what friend requests? lol i havent gotten any

PulsarPuzzles50 karma

Fascinating story! You should write a book. :)

Renting a domain is an interesting idea. Who knew there would be a market for such niche use cases? Nice work!

Questions:

How did you find a manufacturer for your board game? (Or is your father's printing company handling all of that?) How much of your Kickstarter funding was from people you already had in your network and how much was your own promotion? What did you do to promote?

sysifuscorp31 karma

I made my prototype and starting marketing the game online. (making a website, facebook groups, posting on reddit etc) then out of nowhere I started getting emails from all these Chinese manufacturing companies. I just asked them all for a quote for 1000 units and will probably go with the cheapest without sacrificing quality.

A lot of my Kickstarter was from friends and family who want to support me because this is sort of the first thing I've ever did that is "helpable" by the general public.

Promotion costs a lot of money and it's kind of like a empty vacuum you can just keep throwing money into. No idea how much of it is actually giving me a return in terms of # of backers.

I made a post on /r/tabletopgamedesign about the stuff I tried for marketing

Knightlover38 karma

As someone who is trying to quit the Corp job and start doing something that matters...was it tough for you to make the shift? How did you decide? What motivated you?

Edit: grammar

sysifuscorp45 karma

i wrote some posts about this topic if you want to give them a read

It was definitely tough. I don't think I could've done it without the support of my parents and my network of friends. I am definitely privileged to be able to have afforded the change. I know not a lot of people will be in the same boat and I'm sorry that sucks.

Knightlover12 karma

Thanks will definitely check it out. All the best for you surgery. And congrats on the game! It sounds interesting.

sysifuscorp12 karma

thank you so so much! :) everything will be alright

hopefully

slugstronaut11 karma

Damnit! I was hoping for an insightful, genius answer to the healthcare dilemma. I'm stuck with... 2 rare and incurable conditions plus 2 more common incurable conditions and even with insurance pay thousands a year. For profit healthcare needs to die. I'd move to a different country if I had any of the limited skills that one has to possess for most countries to let you stay longer than a few months. I really should have sucked it up and been miserable learning programming so I could get the fuck outta here and stop living a miserable life. /rant

sysifuscorp5 karma

fuck that sucks. im sorry. from one rare disease owner to another, /hug

ToyDingo33 karma

As someone who also wants to escape my corporate job and start my own thing, how the hell do you do that and not go broke immediately? I got bills yo.

sysifuscorp62 karma

real talk? gotta go home and live with your parents

:( it was hard for my dating life to be back at home when you're in your mid 20s

i was super privileged to have that as an option though, if you don't have that then im sorry. i guess conventional wisdom says you should build up a savings that should last you 2 or so years before quitting? i know how hard it can be to do something while working a 9-5 and thats the reason i quit so i can focus on my stuff. luckily i had understanding parents who were willing to take me back into their basement

slugstronaut38 karma

it always comes back to privilege and wealth. Even if my parents house had space for a bed for me to occupy they're blue collar. And people wonder why so many people are depressed and impoverished. Only takes a second to fall below the poverty line and getting back above it is nearly impossible.

sysifuscorp22 karma

yeah im really sorry that you're in that situation. sucks and i truly wish i had a solution for you

turtlelurke29 karma

How do you get from the point of having a board game idea to actually having packaging and custom pieces manufactured for it?

sysifuscorp98 karma

You write down your board game ideas in a notebook.

Then you buy some index cards and make your first ever shitty prototype.

Then you sit and brood over the game for many days until a vaguely fun turd of a game emerges.

Then you take that and you pester all your friends and family to playtest it.

Then you playtest it some more with people you don't know.

Then you refine the design based on feedback.

Then you playtest it at least a couple hundred more times.

Then you make a "final" prototype via places like thegamecrafter.com (I'm not affiliated with them, they are just the company I used)

Now you have the game!

77P20 karma

Serious question:
How much have your parents/others help you finance your adventure? You said your father owns a printing company so I’m assuming he must have helped in at least that way.

sysifuscorp28 karma

Well if you count the many months I lived at home rent free then he helped a LOT. Otherwise if you mean did he directly give me money? Then no not really aside from the random "keep the change after you get gas" or birthday gifts

And yes having the printing company was a HUGE help. Especially in making rapid iterations of the prototype.

shout out to my dad's company (unicorngraphics.com)

1lluminist6 karma

I think we might have crushed your dad's site... It's not loading now :/

sysifuscorp3 karma

lol thats too funny

Mc-Kryptonite18 karma

Why did you decide on kickstarter? If the kickstarter failed would you have continued with production of your game?

Im currently working on a card game and contemplating using kickstarter or just starting up a website and drop shipping the cards

sysifuscorp27 karma

I did Kickstarter because I definitely don't have the funds to get 1000 copies of the game manufactured. And doing on-demand printing would cost so much that I would have to charge an absurd amount to just break even on it.

A card game sounds much more doable if you want to go the website and dropship route.

Had the Kickstarter failed I probably would've sat wallowing in my sadness for a few weeks and try to drown it with some video games. Then maybe a few months later relaunch with some changes

Mc-Kryptonite7 karma

Yeah i guess a full board game requires a lot more effort then just printing cards. Thanks for the reply!

sysifuscorp9 karma

Yeah! Do let me know when you get your website up, I'd love to check out your game.

Also check out the folks over at /r/tabletopgamedesign if you need any help with the game design.

MiniCale17 karma

You ever thought of doing a book? You could call it "treat every day like you have wonmin left to live"

sysifuscorp8 karma

if i ever do, i will title it that. thanks for the rec :)

aiko70716 karma

How did you discover that you had such a rare disease? and do you plan on expanding your game like other board games or will you create another one after this one is completed?

Hope your surgery goes well :)

sysifuscorp32 karma

i used to have migraines with auras once a month in high school. it would get so bad that the headaches wouldnt go away unless i threw up. it fucking sucked.

then i graduated high school and the headaches just kinda stopped. maybe like 1 every 2 -3 years or so from then on.

then last july i had two headaches with auras in the same week, which has never happened before. combined with the fact that a few people on my moms side had some brain related medical issues, i went to the ER and got a CT scan and a MRI done. thats how they found out.

after this game i plan on making a card game based on terrace house. then i might make a video game after that. my parents hated how much time i spent playing video games as a kid growing up so i kinda want to make a bunch of money (concernedape or notch style) and prove them wrong that it wasnt a waste of time by buying them a house or something

thank you!!!

MelatoninNightmares7 karma

I was going to ask the same question. You're so lucky to have discovered this early. A lot of the time, Moyamoya isn't diagnosed until after the patient has had a stroke.

Will you need to take blood thinners or follow any other kind of maintenance/prevention regimen after your surgery?

sysifuscorp6 karma

i am currently on baby aspirin! not sure if i will be taking it after the surgery though

and yes i was super lucky thank goodness

hamfist_ofthenorth14 karma

man. this hits. i'm 33 and i just sit on my ass waiting for the meteor. its hard to motivate, i envy your drive. may i ask how old you are?

sysifuscorp20 karma

i turn 30 this year!

if sitting on your ass is what you find enjoyment from then theres no real need to change i think.

hamfist_ofthenorth7 karma

wow

sysifuscorp18 karma

turn your wow upside down

mom

bigalbertbake13 karma

Did you have someone come up with box concept art or is it something you thought of?

sysifuscorp19 karma

you mean this one?

I came up with it and made it in Adobe Illustrator. Getting the cards to have that "3D" laid out on a table effect took a long ass time to learn lol I don't think I can redo it if you told me to make it again right now. I'd have to do some googling

TailessKat17 karma

I love how it looks like corporate clip art. GREAT me a good visceral shiver. As someone who decided I'd rather work to live than live to work, cheers!

sysifuscorp7 karma

thats a great mentality you have over there

czv37 karma

I read everything including a few of your past posts and really love your mindset. I quit my job two years ago to pursue my own interests and am loving it too! My question for you is one I’m trying to work out for myself. How do you balance working hard on projects and spending time with people you care about? I’m trying to “release” myself from feeling obligated to work and that’s made it easier to turn on/off, but I’d love to hear how you think about it. Thanks!

sysifuscorp8 karma

it helps if the people you love are also on the same project! like my brother with my startup lol but we got on each others nerves a lot

umm its hard to balance but i try to remind myself that im working to live not living to work. like theres no reason for me to have quit my cushy corporate job if all im gonna be doing is working every day, right? like why did i give up the salary and benefits if im still gonna be toiling away all the time. so i try to get out more, dont sacrifice the stuff i love doing (like video games) and if my work takes a bit of a hit on that then whatever, im still alive i have food in my fridge.

^obviously i am super privileged to be able to say that because im young and i dont have kids or any huge financial responsibilities. so if you do have either of those things then im sorry i dont have the wisdom or experience to help you with that (yet)

i recently found /r/simpleliving and they have the right attitude to life over there i think.

Coolyooo7 karma

Just checked the board game, looks very unique and creative. How much time did you spend making the board game, thinking of how it will work, and designing it? I would be interested in buying it if it’s available soon. Good luck!

sysifuscorp14 karma

I started in May 2018 with a notebook and pen. The game mechanics probably took around 6 months or so to "finalize" the design it took me probably the same amount of time since it's relatively simple compared to some of the other board games out there.

You can back the Kickstarter if you are interested in purchasing the game!

I'm only finally getting around to releasing it now because I kinda lost motivation half way in and started learning Japanese instead lol

Awkawardsizzle6 karma

Is it a prerequisite for people who make board games to have some story about how they quit their full time job to follow their passion in making board games? This is like the tenth story I’ve seen like this on Reddit.

sysifuscorp6 karma

yeah i think so you dont get to making board games without quitting a few things.

or maybe its like a weird chain of events. one reddit post inspires another redditor to do the same thing and they post about it ad nauseam. certainly was the case for me lol i started this whole thing after reading a reddit AMA post about it

Awkawardsizzle2 karma

How hard is it to get into the market? It seems the market is flooded with board games. Also, if you do get a market share, is it a lucrative business venture?

sysifuscorp3 karma

the market is definitely flooded but that shouldnt stop you from pursuing your passions / dreams.

and if you are in this for the money then you should look elsewhere lol. games like exploding kittens and frosthaven are the exception not the norm

Awkawardsizzle2 karma

That stinks, I wish you the best of luck. I’m happy you followed your dreams

sysifuscorp2 karma

thank you so much!

ruinevil5 karma

How can you only play 2500 hours of DOTA 2?

sysifuscorp6 karma

yeah im only a 4k ancient scrub

i decided to quit cuz it was too toxic :(

surryhills5 karma

For how much did you sell your company?

sysifuscorp5 karma

sorry im not allowed to share that detail :(

TheMostHardcore5 karma

So let's be real you created ta board game to fund your addiction to Genshin right?

Real question: is your gom on TTS?

sysifuscorp2 karma

yeah the primos arent gonna buy themselves you know

Amazon_river5 karma

As a fellow Terrace House fan, who was the nicest of the members you met? (And is Ruka as handsome in real life haha)

sysifuscorp11 karma

daiki hands down.

fun story time-

i was in tokyo near daiki's gym at a manga cafe. i found this one manga that caught my attention and took a photo of it for "research purposes" later.

then i went over to daiki's gym (TARGET) and met him and talked about the terrace house card game i made. i was also talking about the terrace house NYC viewing group i made and i wanted to show him a group photo of us.

you know where this is going

so i accidentally show him the photo i took of the manga and was like "oh! oh...." and he IMMEDIATELY mirrors my energy like "oh! ohhh" and i swipe away. he kinda gives me a knowing smirk and we dont mention it again

lmfao

re:ruka i actually never met him and the photo is taken by the owner of the marvel bar ruka worked (or works? i dunno if he still works there) at. i visited the bar and met the owner and shot the shit with him and asked him to give ruka a copy of my terrace house card game and thats the photo that he took for me.

BlueboxSerenity4 karma

I have (had?) Moyamoya too, but I've never met anyone else who has been diagnosed with it so you're extra cool to me! Good luck on the surgery and a speedy recovery after!!

sysifuscorp3 karma

https://www.facebook.com/groups/145861575578487/

join the facebook group! there are literally dozens of us!

gilannister3 karma

People always ask you how to pronounce your name? I thought that the one minute thing was nice. Going to try something similar.

sysifuscorp3 karma

my official legal name is Won Min Lee so people would call me "Won" in high school but i always hated how they would pronounce it like "Juan"

then one day in english class i had this lightning in a bottle moment where i realized my name pronounced in korean sounds super similar to "one minute" so thats where that phrase came from. it has served me very very well in life. an excellent ice breaker

astaxanthin333 karma

You said you quit your job as a corporate slave. What made you consider your job as slavery?

(im a uni student and never had a full time job except in summer)

sysifuscorp3 karma

"boss earns a dollar i earn a dime so i shit on company time"

if you are the go-getter type to climb corporate ladders and really make it big within your chosen industry, then thats awesome. some people are satisfied with working a stable 9-5 and coming home and living their life. thats also awesome.

to me though it was very suffocating because of all the corporate BS that comes with it. like take this response im typing out for example. this is how i normally would type and talk. but i can never send something like this at a corporation for fear of getting fired or "judged"

the whole CYA (cover your ass) mentality of corporate america is what i hate the most. i just want to live life as myself and not have to worry about stuff like that

gloomswarm3 karma

Yo man dope story, always love to support Asian American creators. Will forward your Kickstarter to my board/cardgame crazy friends.

What tools did you use to learn Japanese? I have a dizzying mess of Genki, dictionaries, media, notetaking, and flash cards, but can't help but feel there's a better way.

sysifuscorp6 karma

i took 4 years of japanese in high school then didnt do anything with it for 6 years or so. then starting in 2019 i picked up a few light novels and started reading them (side by side with a dictionary cuz i fucking SUCKED) so luckily i had a solid foundation to build my self-study on.

i am 1000% against flash cards like anki and the like. they only serve to build up stress and dread because there is no human in the world that can keep up with the ever building daily quota of flash cards. instead you should focus on consuming your regular media but in the language of your choice. for me that was youtube, anime, and games. i started playing games in japanese, not just voices but the in game text as well.

then i started watching animes and dramas with japanese subtitles and let me tell you thats what really supercharges the learning. but you have to be at a certain level before you can do that unfortunately.

also shout out to terrace house. i think watching terrace house with japanese subtitles is probably responsible for 80% of the japanese i know

ArcticAcrobat802 karma

What tips do you have for doing a kickstarter? I have a card game in the works with a plan to launch a kickstarter for it by the end of the year.

sysifuscorp4 karma

you need to start marketing immediately. make a website. make a blog. make facebook / instagram / reddit / tiktok / whatever.

and just post every single day. interact with the community. ask questions. answer questions.

marketing is just as important if not more important than making the game. i had the mindset of "make a good game and people will come" and let me tell you. people dont come. (inb4 people say its not a good game)

try to build as large of a email list as you can. then make the kickstarter pre-launch page and try to get as many followers on that as you can

im by no means a marketing expert but if you go into it with the "give more than you take" attitude then you'll do great

xforeverlove222 karma

What are your biggest regrets in life?

sysifuscorp5 karma

  • not quitting sooner at the corporation.
  • not selling my startup sooner.
  • not starting marketing for my game sooner.

and probably in a few years it'll just be-

  • not starting to exercise sooner

ADrySoldier2 karma

Think you’ll ever regret selling the startup rather than seeing where it could go?

sysifuscorp2 karma

not at all lmao i do not want to be in the domain industry long term. if it works for you great, it just wasnt for me

citoloco2 karma

Do you have health insurance?

sysifuscorp2 karma

yes i do!

citoloco2 karma

Sweet! Godspeed mate!

sysifuscorp2 karma

thank you!

chibinoi2 karma

Wonmin, you’re journey is seriously inspiring! I’m looking at changing careers either within my industry or into an entirely new industry, and I’m scared about the potential fir many things, but I’ve been feeling like this is the journey I need to take now (been feeling like this for two years, or so).

What advice or considerations would you suggest I be aware of? Congratulations on having the courage to pursue your dreams, by the way!

sysifuscorp3 karma

hard to give concrete advice without knowing the specific industries (not that i would have concrete advice lol)

so some generic cookie cutter advice might be like:

  • if you dont quit now then in 5/10 years down the road when you have 1000% more responsibilities it will be that much harder to quit
  • if you have the "i need to do my own thing" bug then it wont ever go away so quitting is 100% the way to go imo
  • save up a good chunk of money now!
  • dont talk about changing careers so much. studies have shown that people who talk about stuff they want to do / will do are much more likely to not do it. i may have just pulled this out of my ass but i vaguely remember hearing something along these lines

chibinoi2 karma

I could definitely believe your last bullet point! It’s why I’ve told family and friends, to help keep myself accountable, and to begin the process of bringing my desired goals into the realm of reality.

I definitely like the point about the “bug”. I’ve only really started having this feeling a couple of years ago, but it was up to two years ago that I realized I wasn’t really feeling the satisfaction or happiness I thought I would with the type of work I do.

I am looking at the various avenues of where to begin searching for how to reach my new career aspirations; I’m hoping to find people in similar sectors who could talk about the pros and cons of their industry and/or work to help me better understand a larger picture.

Thank you for your advice Wonmin!

sysifuscorp2 karma

yeah definitely! go on linkedin or something or your school alumni networks and bug some people about their jobs

i used to do that back when i was an ambitious college student but not any more lol

gutterandstars2 karma

When do you feel the most alive?

sysifuscorp2 karma

recently its been when i go hiking or camping

dracapis2 karma

This is wild, I never though I’d have heard of moyamoya twice in my life! A former teacher of mine had a friend with this condition (I’ve lost touch with them, that’s the only reason why I said “had”).

How do you feel regarding the rarity of your condition?

sysifuscorp2 karma

i feel super unique and special

also i think my decision to learn japanese gave me this disease. dont learn japanese!

just kidding i probably had it since before high school 😝 just only recently found out about it

happytaco12 karma

Hi there! It’s all impressive and great but the real question - can I see your island?

happytaco13 karma

Looks great, especially the Satanic bit :)

sysifuscorp3 karma

yeah that satanic circle has been on my island since like day 2 or something XD

xsqually2 karma

Hey Wonmin, thanks so much for taking the time for this AMA. Your story is truly inspirational so thanks for sharing. I'm an old college friend/acquaintance and would see your Facebook posts from time to time about the progress on your kickstarter. Congrats on getting it funded!

I'm in the process of starting up a cybersec consulting business abroad but have a fairly cushy job right now. What were the life/career factors that tipped you over the edge towards quitting and starting your own business? How do you stay motivated and recenter yourself when things aren't going well?

Regarding your former business, how much thought is put into the potential abuse of rented domains? One day it could be used by the owner to host their own web page, and another it's rented out by someone with malicious intent. How do services like that keep the domain owners safe from abuse?

sysifuscorp1 karma

hey! who are you! DM me your name :)

re: second question. honestly there was so little demand in "renting domain names" that it didnt really matter. so thats why we had to pivot away from that idea. in fact thats probably one of the many reasons why nobody would want to rent a domain name lol

Z_is_a_bella2 karma

What an inspiring journey! Wanna pick your brain (non pun intended) on a couple questions:

  1. How do you prioritize all the things you want to achieve, especially between personal goals and relationships.

  2. What are your main takeaways from the breakups? Sorry if this one is too personal. But as a fellow high energy wannabe achiever, knowing what to look for in a comparable partner has been one of the biggest puzzles for me.

Best of luck with the surgery!!

sysifuscorp3 karma

pick your brain lol

  1. for everyone that helped me get to where i am i try to help someone else. the whole pay-it-forward mentality, you know? eventually you build up a reputation for yourself that you are a great friend and genuine human being that anyone would be blessed to have in their life. then all that positive energy comes back to you twofold in karma
  2. some takeaways would be to make sure that your life goals align with your partner. sometimes you meet the right person but at the wrong time and those are the relationships that hurt the most. even if you two are right for each other if the destination you are headed towards doesnt match then you should rip the bandaid off no matter how much it hurts. like right now i have a girlfriend who has some similar interests and very similar life goals and its like a huge breath of fresh air.

thank you so much!

djenrique2 karma

Is it a ”jump to conclusions mat”?

sysifuscorp2 karma

lol from the box art it does kinda look like a bunch of people jumping around to conclusion tiles ive been told that before

that'll be my next project then forget everything else

cheapous2 karma

What was your motivation to want to learn Japanese? And how did you master it so quickly?

sysifuscorp2 karma

i took 4 years of japanese in high school on a whim because i hated spanish and they required a second language.

i got pretty good at it but then didnt do anything with it for 6 years. then i decided on a whim to do some solo travel to hokkaido because ive never been to japan in the winter so i wanted to check out the sapporo winter festival

thats when i realized how much japanese i had forgotten so i decided to pick it up again.

so all in all ive studied japanese for maybe a total of 8 or 9 years so i wouldnt exactly say it was "quick"

the best way to learn is to actually go live there. the second best way is to get a SO who only speaks that language. the third best way is to watch and consume media content only in that language.

Lukks222 karma

Alright I gotta know, what's the story behind imsorryimdumb.com?

sysifuscorp2 karma

lol i made a stupid comment about something and she got pissed you know stupid couple stuff

Lukks222 karma

What was in the site?

sysifuscorp2 karma

iirc i think it was just a picture of me looking sorry and a small note saying im sorry im dumb

HarlodsGazebo2 karma

Looks like a good time! Are you planning on trying to get a booth at any conventions to promote the game if they ever are able to happen again in my lifetime?

sysifuscorp2 karma

yes! ive attended a few virtual conventions in the last few months but honestly nothing beats in person events. once covid is over i would love to make it out to a larger tabletop event!

HarbingersRefuge2 karma

How long did it take from the idea & coding Domahub till you sold to Efty? Also, would you do another internet project in the future, or do you enjoy the physicality of board games more?

sysifuscorp3 karma

it took maybe 3/4 years from domahub prototype to sale mostly because we initially started out as a rental only service and had to pivot halfway into a sales landing page service. but i regret not switching faster and i regret not selling sooner.

i am a video gamer at heart so i want to create my magnum opus which will 100% be a video game. when exactly that will be, i dunno but i will do it

LordDestrus2 karma

What is your advice for someone who has been trying to learn Japanese for 10 years on and off with little success?

Advice on someone getting into IT?

What is something you loved about startup work?

What do you do to keep yourself grounded about having a rare brain disease?

Based on your comment responses, you seem like a funny and balanced person. Wishing you the best, give Lou some love for me, and I will go buy your boardgame as it sounds cool.

sysifuscorp5 karma

japanese

  • stay away from flash cards like anki
  • stick to media that you already enjoy (games, youtube, anime, dramas, etc.)
  • participate in online chat groups (like discord)

IT

  • honestly i dont really have much advice here since i just kinda lucked into my first job
  • if you really want to do IT you should definitely get certified for whatever route you want to go down. like the CCNA for computer networking for example

Startup

  • i love that its my own company and that i control its fate
  • i love that i dont have a boss or a manger that i have to report to
  • i love that if theres a problem with the product i can just fix it instead of having to report it to someone "up the chain" and wait til it gets patches out weeks later

grounded re: brain disease

  • honestly the whole brain disease is so recent i havent really had a chance to sit down and process the whole thing. especially with my kickstarter going on its all been a blur.
  • i try to make sure that i spend at least a few hours a day doing the things i enjoy. like playing video games

lou says "feed me"

thank you so much!!!!!!!

ExcitedAlpaca2 karma

This is inspirational and I love seeing things like these! Will definitely check out your game :D
My question is, how did you learn Japanese and how often did you study?

sysifuscorp2 karma

i already answered this question in another comment, thanks for asking though!

i took 4 years of japanese in high school on a whim because i hated spanish and they required a second language.

i got pretty good at it but then didnt do anything with it for 6 years. then i decided on a whim to do some solo travel to hokkaido because ive never been to japan in the winter so i wanted to check out the sapporo winter festival

thats when i realized how much japanese i had forgotten so i decided to pick it up again.

so all in all ive studied japanese for maybe a total of 8 or 9 years so i wouldnt exactly say it was "quick"

the best way to learn is to actually go live there. the second best way is to get a SO who only speaks that language. the third best way is to watch and consume media content only in that language.

davidhalston2 karma

Hi, do you still play Dota 2? Would you like to get back into it? I need someone to help me get back in the game haha it’s too toxic to play on my own :( I had almost 1800 hours in it.

sysifuscorp2 karma

they warned me about people like you in dota rehab

haha jk yeah i dont play dota anymore. it got really frustrating for me because i would lose half the time (as i should!) and i didnt really see the point in playing a game where i didnt enjoy it half the time. now i just waste my life away grinding useless pixels and artifacts on genshin impact

davidhalston2 karma

Haha I’ve been in Dota rehab for so long... After I ragequit from a match I realised this game is just too toxic for me and sold all of my arcanas and pretty much all of my marketable cosmetics. Sometimes I’ll still see people playing Dota and it makes me sad but I know I shouldn’t go back lol. Best of luck on your journey to bigger and better things!

sysifuscorp2 karma

dota was a magical time where i felt like i was really getting better at something challenging and especially the times when i played 5v5 inhouse with my friends. those were some truly magical times. nothing will ever replace it in my heart

findingmytune3272 karma

Thanks for posting! Can you share some more about what the playtesting process was like for you? (unexpected challenges, good takeaways, etc.)

I'm in the process of (slowly) developing a game idea of my own, and I've just passed the family playtesting benchmark. I definitely feel scattered with my own interests, so it's very encouraging to see someone finding success with a wide variety of passions!

sysifuscorp4 karma

unexpected challenges - COVID

solution - Tabletop Simulator and Facebook / Discord groups

good takeaways

  • always get their email address afterwards so you can personally thank them
  • always write down everything they say
  • (i didnt do this but it just occurred to me that you should) film the playtest session
  • use facebook groups, meetup.com, discord groups to find playtesters. (meetup more so when COVID is over)
  • you should now really only test with strangers, theres no real need to test with family / friends once you get past that initial prototype phase. if anything it's probably detrimental because they will give biased opinions
  • go to conferences. like protospiel.online, they know what they're doing and this will help you immensely

i like to think of myself as a jack of all trades kinda guy, too bad nobody wants to hire people like that, so screw them im gonna find my own success

findingmytune3272 karma

That's fantastic advice! Thank you again for taking the time. It's helpful to have such a thoughtful response. I'll be keeping an eye on your game and wishing you the best!

sysifuscorp2 karma

please do let me know when you get something up for your game. id love to check it out

scottishbee2 karma

You do....a lot. And somehow have time for video games! And reddit!

What's your day look like? Do you meticulously plan out in 15 minute increments? Set SMART goals each week? Wing it based on energy/mood?

sysifuscorp8 karma

lmao holy cow i dont do any of those things.

today is a bit different because i had this AMA planned so i blocked out the day for it in case i got a lot of questions.

i kinda plan things out randomly as they come in. like tomorrow im going upstate to visit a friend at his cabin since i havent seen him in a while (and he also gave me $200 on my kickstarter XD i owe him) then i have to get the COVID test on monday since im going camping next weekend. then i just got a cold email from some distributor guy so now i have a call with him on tuesday, then wednesday i got a call with my mentor, and yadayada

just gotta use google calendar well lol

for the past two months or so ive ended pretty much every day grinding out artifacts on genshin impact

CptRagebeard2 karma

I'm currently working on making a board game myself for an idea I came up with half a decade ago but really just got started putting in the work on it. I think my biggest hurdle is going to be the startup funds to pay for things like art, minis, and basic materials.

It's a strategy game where up to 8 people can play at a time. I've gotten it to the point where it's almost ready to be alpha tested.

What advice could you give to someone like me? I want to self-publish it by making my first hard copy of it and then start a campaign for it on Kickstarter. My rough estimate just for the first copy alone is ~$1,500, but I feel like that's a gross underestimate.

Best of luck with your surgery, and thanks in advance for any advice!

sysifuscorp5 karma

wait what?! it costs you $1500 to make a prototype? thats crazy and definitely not recommendable. are 3D renders of the minis bad? im not huge into minis but they seem like they make huge $$$ on kickstarter. you can just make one mini for promo photos and use 3D renders for the rest of your promotional material, i think

also you mentioned you're ready to be alpha tested and thats a red flag for me. it tells me that you are focusing too much on the fluff like minis and art when you should first finish the game and get it 99% done and fun. if your game is not fun without the minis then you should do some rethinking.

as a consumer and gamer i would be very suspicious of a game designer who said something like that. not trying to be rude or dismissive, sorry if it came across that way!

aidv2 karma

AmA? How do I become 20% of a badass like you?

sysifuscorp3 karma

i think its the moyamoya

EpicCubing2 karma

What made you decide to sell your startup company? since it takes a lot of your time and hard work (would like to know why in adults and creator perspective.) btw good luck on your surgery!

sysifuscorp2 karma

i was super burnt out of coding at that point and it was getting way too stressful.

it was really hard to make the decision to quit and sell my baby but ultimately since it wasnt a positive impact in my life i decided to part ways with it.

thank you for your warm wishes :)

EpicCubing2 karma

no problem! but I think you deciding to quit and selling your hardwork and decided to make your first board game is just so cool! I aspire to be someone like you when I grow up!

sysifuscorp2 karma

i aspire to be the person that inspires people like you!

Rombledore2 karma

what did you do when you quit your corporate job? like, how do you manage the sudden change in finances? i wish i could quit mine as it's starting to burn me out, but i live alone and cant afford to not have this job or take a lower paying one.

sysifuscorp3 karma

i was super lucky and privileged to have supportive parents who took me back when i quit. i realize that its a super privileged position to be in and im so grateful for their support. i would not have been able to do it otherwise.

im sorry this answer probably doesnt help your situation but i hope you find something that works for you

Rombledore3 karma

no i appreciate your candidness! the fact that you had the courage do it is something im still building up to myself. im leaning ever closer to prioritizing happiness over career success. but seeing how much you did in a short time helps give me hope i can do something at least mildly similar in scope.

best of luck with your surgery!

sysifuscorp3 karma

thank you! good luck to you as well :)

-basedonatruestory-2 karma

What’s your advice for getting awareness out regarding a board game Kickstarter?

sysifuscorp2 karma

start marketing as soon as possible

engage with the community

build up your online presence and get your name out there

dont just post about your game, promote others too

Shewantstheglock222 karma

Not really a question for my benefit but for yours (or im being rude, sorry).

How have you gone about educating your close friends and family about signs of stroke/aneurysm? It must be a difficult conversation at a young age, but so critical.

We have a frequent patient with moyamoya, she is the sweetest lady but her next stroke will probably be her last and it is heartbreaking. This last time she did not believe us that she was having another stroke, because her comprehension was just out the window. She was ready to physically fight us to so she did not have to go to the hospital (she was unable to). Have you prepared your friends/family about what to do in these situations?

If not you should!

sysifuscorp2 karma

you know i havent really.

but im lucky to be surrounded by loving friends and family who care for me and are willing to do what it takes to help me recover. so while i never really had the direct one on one conversation about signs of stroke they definitely did the research themselves and educated themselves.

and you aren't being rude at all! no worries

Shewantstheglock222 karma

It's great they are so caring. I would still suggest a light conversation. Stroke can cause altered mental status, and often times people who are altered do not believe they are altered and this can really scare those around them. A heads up that this could happen would be a good idea.

I always tell people not to live in fear, but to always live in awareness.

Best of luck to you!

sysifuscorp2 karma

will do ! thank you kind stranger :)

CreativeEmotion2 karma

What is the key to your success - visualizations, affirmations, any of that?

sysifuscorp3 karma

im not sure what you mean by visualizations or affirmations 😅

the key to my success is probably my supportive family

ZylonBane1 karma

Has anyone ever attempted to hire you to jump into a volcano?

sysifuscorp1 karma

is this code for something? lol

no ive never jumped into a volcano but id be down if it wasnt active