13th Anniversary: The Wisdom of Heartfelt Listening to Share Sincerity

This autumn, marking its 13th year, feels particularly cold. We, who used to write romantic pieces about how 'the courage of ignorance' allowed us to start and persevere 12 years ago, no longer have such leisure. Over the past few years, the startup ecosystem has frozen, and countless companies have undergone restructuring or shut down. Contacts from entrepreneurs increasingly bring news of 'business model changes' or 'business closures' instead of 'investment attraction.' Platum, too, is no different amid the difficulties of the media industry. In the early days, we reveled in the joy of growth, but as time passed, our backs bent not from humility, but from realizing how much we didn't know. Only after 13 years do we finally realize the true meaning of a single article to an entrepreneur, and the heavy responsibility of media. Recently, when a veteran entrepreneur said they felt 'warmth' in Platum's writing, we finally understood that we had learned not how to write brilliantly, but 'how to listen warmly.' This year, we expected fewer interview requests due to a decrease in good news, but instead, the frequency of entrepreneurs seeking us out increased. However, the reason was different. "Can you listen to our story?" One entrepreneur said that now, after cutting his team in half and completely changing his business direction, it "feels more real" than when he used to boast about securing investments. We listened to his story for over two hours and came to understand why he continues. Paradoxically, our reason for existence became clearest when Platum was at its most difficult. It wasn't to celebrate dazzling successes, but to record that someone was silently enduring. Everyone speaks when things are going well, but they fall silent in difficult times. Media tends to focus only on success, but the ecosystem is filled with times of failure, getting back up, enduring, and persevering. The role we found over 13 years is precisely 'recording those silent times.' To still listen when no one else is paying attention, and to warmly convey those stories. Now, knowing full well not just that 'if you know too much, you can't even start,' but also how difficult this work is and how arduous it is to continue, we try to write more carefully, more warmly. The fact that the number 13 has surpassed a completed cycle (12 years) means we are in this position not out of romance or hope, but out of necessity and responsibility. If someone feels warmth in our writing, that is enough. We still sit at our desks every morning. Our backs may be bent, but our listening ears are more open. Because there are stories that must not be missed. Someone is needed to record this current time, and that is our part. To all the entrepreneurs persevering right now, and to ourselves, we want to say: We are still here. We will continue to be here. Because someone else is still here. And because someone is needed to tell their stories.