I wanted to record my thoughts on changing jobs alongside my memories of this year. AI suggested I break this into multiple posts, but I’ve decided to write it all in one go.

From June 2021 to December 2025, I spent a total of 4 and a half years at Remember, and I have finally graduated from my time there.
Around the time I joined, people who were leaving used to write “postmortem” emails. It was impressive to see their organized thoughts at the moment of transition. I thought to myself back then that I should write something similar when I eventually left.

However, now that I’ve actually resigned and sat down to write on my blog, I feel like I’ve already talked about it too much—with colleagues before leaving, and in the company-facing postmortem I left on the internal wiki. I’m almost sick of my own story. Still, I think it’s good to leave a record on my blog, so here goes.

Remember

Remember (formerly Drama & Company) was my first company. It was the period when I decided to build a career as a Frontend Developer while finishing my double major in Computer Science during my senior year, right in the middle of the COVID era. Stuck at home due to the pandemic, I was full of passion and looking for a place with an appropriate scale where I could gain diverse experiences. At the time, my only development experience came from club activities and school projects. I ended up taking on the frontend role for a school team project, and it turns out I found it quite fun.

Approaching graduation, I joined Drama & Company (now Remember). That’s how I ended up spending four and a half years there. In that time, I really gained a lot of experience. There was a time in the early days when there were only three frontend developers, but now the team has grown to eleven. We went through two rounds of investment, so it feels like I was there during quite a dynamic period. 4.5 years might not be a massive amount of time to brag about, but realizing that over 200 people have joined the company after me, I definitely feel that a lot has changed.

Tech Lead

One significant change for me this year was taking on the interim Tech Lead role for the team due to the absence of a frontend team leader. It was a major shift in perspective. Since I had been with the company relatively longer than others in the team, I had a lot of context. I believe they offered me the position because they judged I was qualified for it. That is something I am still grateful for—to my colleagues and the organization.

It didn’t come with immense authority, nor was there a strong demand for heavy responsibilities. I think I placed those burdens on myself. Since it was my first time in such a role, I tried to act by recalling other leaders I had observed, thinking, “What would they have done in this situation?”

I focused on setting the direction for team decisions, providing guidance, ensuring a proper balance among the diverse opinions of members, and helping everyone focus on their own tasks. As a novice, I can’t say I performed perfectly, but internally, I put in a lot of effort.

On the other hand, there were parts that were difficult given my capabilities. I believe a leader should be able to offer advice on the direction and velocity of a team member’s growth as a Software Engineer, but this was incredibly hard. It led to agonizing questions like: What kind of experience should one have at a certain seniority? What technical/structural thinking skills are needed to meet that? And do I possess the competence to judge that?

I might be framing myself, but this was my first organization as a developer, and my absolute volume of experience wasn’t vast. Of course, I believe one can cultivate these aspects through discipline and training. However, I felt that building this depth would take a lot of time, and I reached the conclusion that to gain such experience points, I needed to experience different organizations and environments. I thought that even if it meant stepping away from a leadership role for now, it was indispensable for being better prepared in the future. Perhaps that’s why leaving feels bittersweet. In a way, it seems correlated, but rather than avoidance, it feels more like expanding my worldview. It’s like I’ve unlocked a DLC, and now I need to acquire the skillset to match it.

Growth

Like many juniors, I was strongly obsessed with the keyword “growth.” Sometimes this keyword was a desire to improve; other times, it was a fear of falling behind. I think that mindset sometimes made things harder. Because for those thoughts to be resolved, “action” always had to follow—whether it was studying or doing side projects. Or, if the environment didn’t allow for simple growth, I would blame the environment. It demanded psychological resolution, sort of like a compensation mentality or action-reaction. When I reached a point where I felt captivated by it rather than motivated, I decided to let go of the obsession. After all, there is no silver bullet!

Growth is not linear. And there seems to be no single ‘right’ path. This is just my thought, but I believe you light your own path through your own experiences. There might be some universality in the process, though. Rather than trying to achieve something huge by growing, it feels like you’ve grown when you achieve small things one by one. Looking back, what I lacked was the courage to seize opportunities and the courage to take risks. I’ve been making small efforts to improve this. Passively, I resolved to go to an overseas conference alone; actively, I thought about applying to speak at FEConf, took on the Tech Lead role, or tried to reduce the hops in decision-making.

As these things accumulated, my fear diminished significantly, and I learned that there isn’t much to be afraid of when you actually take action. I still need to try harder, though.

Changing Jobs (Move On)

I spent quite a long time (?) at Remember, but I wasn’t in a super active job-hunting mode until recently. Since I wasn’t actively looking, my feelings were a bit complex. My last task was the web renewal of the Remember business card service. Finishing such a large task gave me a sense of career completion. (This isn’t directly related to my resignation. Just a feeling…)

The biggest factor was the need to build the capabilities I mentioned above. I know that moving to a new organization won’t magically solve everything. Nor can anyone else fill that gap for me. I used to fear external evaluations of my current experience points, and a big part of this was wanting to face and overcome that fear. That said, I didn’t shop around everywhere. Having been on the other side of the hiring process, I didn’t want to waste anyone’s resources just to test myself. I waited for an organization where I could gain new experiences and experience a different scale.

In the meantime, I saw a job posting from an organization I had been watching with interest and applied. While that was in progress, I ended up interviewing with one other organization as well. There was a difference in the speed of the process, but ultimately, I was accepted by both places at almost the same time.

By mid-November, the results for both were out. Including the option to stay at Remember, I agonized over these three choices. I gathered as much information as possible for a prudent decision, and I am truly grateful to everyone who helped during this process. I also send my thanks to the AI resources burned for my deliberations.

The interview experiences were really good for all of them. I was able to talk fully about my experiences, and they helped me relax. The dilemma came from the fact that the two places had slightly different roles. If the roles had been the same, comparison would have been easier, but this part was difficult. Thanks to that, it became an opportunity to think about what I would enjoy doing more.

On the other hand, since I personally seek stability, moving up a grade to a new class or transferring schools was always a bit of a fear for me. The current state is a verified environment, while the new environment is still an unknown… But this time, I decided to bet on a newer environment. You never know unless you do it.

An Unexpected Encounter

I had an unexpected experience during the job change process. After agonizing between the two accepted offers, I made my final decision and shared my rejection with the other company. Afterward, there was a meeting to persuade me one last time, where I heard some unexpected words. During the persuasion process, there were unnecessary, joking remarks about personal relationships. While there was persuasion, there were also comments highlighting the risks of the other option that made me think, “Was that really necessary?” Since this was my first time changing jobs, I wondered if this was normal, or if I should just let it slide as a joke. But no matter how much I thought about it, I couldn’t understand why I had to hear such things.

They were jokes (?) like “Let’s not run into each other on Teheran-ro in the future,” or “What will you do if you break up with your girlfriend?” My brain stopped for a moment, wondering if I was in the wrong for feeling uncomfortable if it was just a joke. Anyway, it was a strange experience.

I wonder if it was an attempt to help me detach to lessen the regret of my choice?

Other than that, everyone else in the flow was really kind and nice.

Result/Wish

Ultimately, I joined Naver Financial in a FE role.
When I first joined Remember, it was part of the Naver Works ecosystem since Remember was a Naver subsidiary back then… Have I come full circle? (?) It feels strange.

Developing and solving problems is fun. I pledge to discover joy in the new organization and live a happy life.

2025

I spent this year very diligently as well.

Presentations

I gave two presentations this year. One was at the AUSG frontend small group meeting to promote our team’s hiring, where I presented my experience contributing to React Devtools. The content was based on what I summarized below, and I applied with the resolve to be of even a little help to team recruitment.

React Devtools에 기능 추가하기 | 장용석 블로그

TopLayer(dialog, popover API)를 사용할 때 React DevTools의 하이라이트와 인스펙터가 정상적으로 표시되지 않는 문제와 이를 해결하기 위해 React 오픈소스에 직접 기여한 경험을 공유합니다.

https://yongseok.me/blog/react-devtools-contribute/

GitHub - public-frontend-group/meetup: Collective Intelligence FE Group offline meetup

Collective Intelligence FE Group offline meetup. Contribute to public-frontend-group/meetup development by creating an account on GitHub.

https://github.com/public-frontend-group/meetup?tab=readme-ov-file#19th-meetup

The second was at FEConf 2025. I presented based on my exploration of the React Compiler. You can watch the video attached below for the detailed presentation content.

There were two reasons why I decided to present at FEConf. And a little bit of regret.
It goes back to when I went to React Conf 2024 in Vegas last year. I think the impact of the officially revealed React Compiler was huge. The workarounds themselves weren’t new, but I was curious about how they handled it and what the direction was, so I explored it, and many people read my post.

React Compiler, 어떻게 동작할까 [4] - SSA변환(이론과 구현) | 장용석 블로그

React Compiler의 SSA 변환에 대해 알아보자. SSA는 Static Single Assignment의 약자로, 최적화를 위해 사용되는 중간 표현 중 하나입니다. SSA는 변수가 한 번만 대입되도록 제한하는 특징이 있습니다. SSA 변환 알고리즘의 핵심은 phi함수를 어디에 놓을지를 결정하는 것입니다. React Compiler의 경우 어떤 알고리즘을 사용하고 있을까요?

https://yongseok.me/blog/react_compiler_4/

I felt it was a fascinating technology, and I wanted many people to try it and share their cases. Of course, it was still RC (Release Candidate), but it seemed like many didn’t even know it existed. It reminded me of how I referenced guidebooks or videos when I first learned a technology. Although no grand purpose was given to me, I thought there were two options. Explore and use it diligently alone, or share the technology I’m interested in with others more easily? I believe the great power supporting the development ecosystem lies in open source and the culture of sharing. Even if my presentation wasn’t perfect, I thought if there was an anchor video resource, it could serve as a primer for those interested, and maybe new opinions would emerge.

With the development of AI, accessing resources in other languages has become easier, but I thought having information in one’s native language would still be helpful. Waiting for my surrounding environment to change on its own to what I want is statistically very unlikely. Shouldn’t I at least make a move to try and change it so the ecosystem becomes a little richer? Things won’t flow exactly as planned, but with that resolve, I applied, and perhaps they viewed it with interest because I got the opportunity to speak.

I presented for about 25 minutes. It might seem like a long time, but focusing on theoretical discussions meant I couldn’t include much about practical experience. I wonder if 40 minutes would have been enough. Anyway, since the point I wanted to focus on was the principle, I had some regret that it might have felt a bit boring. Also, there was the sad incident of leaving a typo in the slide I modified at the last minute, immortalizing it forever on the internet.

Still, contrary to my worries, the venue was packed with people, which was a new experience. If I get a chance to present elsewhere next time, I hope it will be a session where I can share more experiences. Let’s continue to make diligent efforts.

Pain/Expectation/Training

I looked back at the thoughts of this year that I had jotted down in fragments in my notepad.

I like the word Dynamic Equilibrium. It refers to a state that looks like a calm equilibrium with no changes on the surface, but is actually maintaining balance through ceaseless (Dynamic) movement. It is also the title of a book by Shinichi Fukuoka that I read in high school.

Many things happened inside and out this year.

To maintain equilibrium in the mind, to reach a calm state, I believe one must not be in a fixed state but in a ceaselessly flowing dynamic state. We must not try to eliminate pain but acknowledge it as it is. After all, doesn’t it stem from inner expectations, greed, and obsession? The way to discard obsession and expectation isn’t to stop thinking, but not to deny their existence and to let them flow through, creating change, isn’t it?
Right. If we could act as we speak, we would have all reached that state already. The gap between knowing and living is that vast. I, too, must constantly rethink and train myself to do so.

Maybe because my mom likes Buddhist philosophy books, we often talk about the attitude of mind based on Buddhist philosophy when we talk on the phone. Every time, we conclude with the importance of “mindset.” That just shows how difficult it is.

We think days and weeks repeat, but actually, there is no repetition; isn’t every day a new day? I think this is also a small loop of life. Reincarnation is the loop of life and death, but perhaps the essence is the same, only the scale differs? That loop isn’t just life and death; it could be a year, a week, a day, or even every moment. For us living in the fleeting moment, isn’t the essence to find small liberation (Nirvana) within these small fractal cycles of reincarnation?

Yes, acting is the hardest part. Unlike scientific technology that stands on the shoulders of giants, even though countless sages have passed, each individual’s mind cannot stand on those shoulders. They are just records of each person’s experiences and reasoning; one’s own path is only revealed through action. As long as we live on the unstoppable time axis, existence itself cannot have meaning. Only the moment of action has meaning.

Isn’t an empty vacuum also a repetition of the creation and annihilation of particles, antiparticles, and particle pairs? Emptying is identical to constantly filling with change.

I’m not trying to be a philosopher, but I think I spent a lot of time thinking about finding a sustainable attitude while going through this year.
Let’s become a person who can let things flow well next year too.

Film/Travel/Video

spacecell님의 웹사이트

No description available

https://www.spacecellfilm.com/

Early this year, I discovered a lab called Spacecell. I found out they were hosting a Super8 workshop, so I took two workshops: Super8 and 16mm. I filmed personally and developed the film in a darkroom—it was a truly enjoyable workshop. Although it was just two workshops, it was fun to talk briefly with people in a new field outside of work. It was interesting to hear what kind of people make movies and what thoughts they have when creating their works.

I also took some Super8 film to Svalbard to try and make a documentary of sorts. Although scars remained from the CT scanner I accidentally passed them through, I still captured meaningful footage. I shot three rolls, developed them at Spacecell, and then sent them to Andec in Germany for printing. I wanted to project the printed version on Global Super8 Day, but the timing didn’t work out due to lab issues. I played the digital version instead, but since I could also play sound with it, I think it might have been better.

After about 4 months, I was luckily able to receive the film, which had been in Germany, quickly thanks to a benefactor who was traveling there and pestered (?) them for me. Since I used a professional lab, the cost was enormous, so I’ll have to make a big decision if I want to use them again. I’ll write about this in another post later.

When I bought a camera again the year before last, I pledged to shoot videos diligently, but I haven’t picked it up much this year except during trips. It remains a piece of unfinished business. On one hand, I want to make something good, but maybe I lack enough motivation yet. I still haven’t finished the Svalbard videos. I hope to finish them before this year ends… Why is it “unfinished business”? Thinking about it now, maybe it was the ambiguity of not knowing what or how to study because it’s an unfamiliar field. Next year, I should focus more on finding methods rather than just achievement.

[[I will insert the videos here once they are organized this year.]]

Language

At the beginning of this year, I studied Norwegian before going to Norway. As written in my Svalbard travelogue, it was a huge help. I continued with Duolingo after returning to Korea. However, my motivation dropped a bit.

Around that time this summer, a Finnish couple who were friends with my girlfriend from her exchange student days visited Seoul. Since the timing worked out, I traveled around Seoul with them for a short two days, braving the heat to visit various places. Trying not to lose the “local” title, I tried to avoid the cliché tourist courses, but it was harder than I thought. Although we had just met, when they said they were leaving after two days, I felt a lingering regret in a corner of my heart. Around that time, I started Finnish on Duolingo alongside my Norwegian studies, and I’m still keeping it up steadily. I thought Finland would be similar since Norway and Sweden are somewhat related, but it was a completely different family. Norwegian had some English-like (?) parts, but Finnish felt like a completely new system. It felt like a more difficult language.

I don’t know how consistently I will do it, but let’s not let go of learning.

Things to strive for next year

The things I felt I lacked this year are as follows.

Documenting

In the early part of the year, I was part of a retrospective group, so I did write weekly reviews. After I stopped halfway through, using busyness as an excuse, I couldn’t record much about my life. Perhaps because of that, looking back on this year, situations occurred where I couldn’t remember many parts. Writing a diary every day is hard, but I need to cultivate the habit of leaving behind even a little bit day by day, or whenever there is something worth remembering, in a way that is comfortable for me. I felt it even more when leaving my job: documenting is really hard. (For me) I pondered why it is difficult. Usually, “what to write” precedes the action, so I focus on that. As I branch out from the content or phrases I want to write, things like who the audience will be, what meaning I want to convey, and what flow I should take become absent. Consequently, only undeveloped fragments remain, unfinished or wandering. Then I get tired of it and procrastinate. This flow seems to have occurred frequently. Next year, whether documenting work or my day, I should look at it from a slightly larger frame. Or break it down into smaller pieces.

Finishing

This seems similar to the point above. Even looking at my blog now, there are several unfinished posts left. From a writer’s perspective, the problem above is one cause. Another reason is getting lost by going too deep while writing, or falling into the fatigue of feeling like I have to write a piece with perfect completeness in one go. No one forced me to… It’s like that for writing, and for trivial things, there are cases where motivation depleted easily. Like filming videos but postponing the editing. It often happens because it feels overwhelming. Next year, I hope to become a person who wraps things up well. Instead of focusing too much on perfection, I think it would be good to finish even if it’s lacking, or keep the attempts small.

Fast Execution

I have a lot of worries. As a result, there were often cases where I worried for a long time before decisions or consumed more time than necessary, falling into a swamp of deliberation. Usually, in those cases, the answer is actually already decided internally, but I hesitate due to other external factors. Unless it requires incredibly rational analysis, deciding and experiencing quickly has generally been more effective. If the risk following a decision is scary, it would be helpful to build the capacity to mitigate the risk afterward. I’m watching Culinary Class Wars these days, and I see chefs facing problems while cooking within a given time. Experienced chefs seem to solve these by quickly finding alternatives. Risk preparation has its limits. Just as I mustered a lot of courage this year following last year, next year, let’s face many experiences quickly and accumulate various coping methods. (I don’t mean I should recklessly break things.)

Let’s Go

I combined the short notes I wrote while resting in December. Looking at the unfinished posts, I started thinking a retrospective would be a quick write, but looking back seems to be harder. Let’s live a rich and diligent life next year too.