#21: Ultimate Guide to Surviving the South Korean Startup Ecosystem - Albert Shafiev, General Manager at Lmeca

Dive into the dynamic world of global tech transformation with David Solomito, the Global CMO at Yanolja Cloud. With a rich career spanning American Express, NBA, BMW, and AWS, David shares the remarkable journey that led him to his current role. In this insightful episode, explore how Yanolja Cloud, a leading provider of AI-based SaaS solutions for the hospitality and leisure industries, is reshaping the digital landscape. Discover the synergy between its parent company, Yanolja, Korea’s #1 travel app, and Yanolja Cloud's mission to revolutionize the industry. Key points of discussion: - How did David's diverse career path pave the way to his role at Yanolja Cloud? - What inspired him to join Yanolja Cloud and lead its global expansion? - Unpacking Yanolja Cloud's comprehensive suite of solutions for digital transformation. - Leveraging customer insights from Yanolja to enhance Yanolja Cloud's offerings. - The challenges of digitizing the hospitality sector and Yanolja Cloud's strategy to overcome them. - Yanolja Cloud's unique approach to global branding and localization. - The fusion of cultures and lessons learned from working in a multicultural team. - The impact of AI on the future of hospitality and some exciting services on the horizon.

After many years of experience navigating diverse market scenarios and managing hundreds of millions in private equity and venture capital, Michael Lee, Partner at SB Partners, distills the key timeless principles of startup evaluation. Whether you're an investor or entrepreneur, this episode offers crucial insights for prioritizing investment factors and refining decision-making strategies. Key points of discussion: What traits are essential for founders to succeed in building startups? How does a founder's ambition influence startup success? How do you distinguish genuine ambition from delusion? How does a founder's track record impact investment decisions, and for first-time founders? What tips do you give to founders seeking investment? What are the typical startup evolution process and the crucial skills founders need for successful growth? When investing in startups, what are the Tier 2 and Tier 3 factors you take into account? Michael LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-lee-4b38488/

Understand Korea through the eyes of Sharon and Karol, two foreigners driven by a passion for the Korean culture, who moved to Seoul, and are currently working at a startup called Picky (Featured in our 5th episode). Adapting to the Korean work environment - Working 12 hours a day? - Do you have to drink soju to get along with your boss and coworkers? - Will you be fired if you take more than two days off in a row? - Is working in an international startup like Picky different from a big corporate? - Does language pose a significant barrier in the working environment? What to expect as a foreigner in Korea - Will you like to live in Korea if you like K-Topics? (K-Drama, K-Pop, K-Beauty…) - Is Korea as we see in K-Dramas? - What are the main expectations and disappointments when moving to Korea? - Does the perception of Korea differ between visiting and living experiences? - How challenging is it for foreigners to make Korean friends? Tips for Moving to Korea - Initial difficulties and gaining an understanding - Allien card (ID) and its power - Trash system - Online purchases, discovering Coupang - Grocery shopping - Essential Apps for Survival in Korea

Albert is one one the most experienced foreigners involved in the South Korean startup scene. His extensive career gives him a full perspective of all the different aspects of this ecosystem. Today, we are lucky to discuss with him all the relevant matters that a foreign entrepreneur must know if planning to do business in such a unique country. 1. Comparative Ecosystem Analysis and Dispelling Misconceptions: - Explore key differences between the startup ecosystem in South Korea and in other countries and their impact on success. - Be aware of the common misconceptions foreign entrepreneurs have about South Korea, and how to avoid them. 2. Financial Support: Fundraising and Government Initiatives: - Understand how fundraising and financial activities work for startups in South Korea. - Identify common sources of funding, prominent startup accelerators, and incubators available for foreign entrepreneurs. - Explore government startup initiatives, tax incentives, grants, and practical advice for successful application. 3. Networking, Collaboration, and Recruitment: - Discover strategies for building strong relationships, available resources, recommended events, and organizations. - Uncover the role of the foreign startup community in South Korea, including the benefits and challenges of collaborating with other foreign startups. - Address recruitment challenges faced by foreign startups and provide insights on navigating the recruitment process, including cultural and linguistic barriers.

Deloitte is one of the largest and most prominent professional services firms globally. In this episode, we delve into an interview with Richard, the executive director at Deloitte, uncovering his expertise, leadership qualities, and the key factors that lead him to his esteemed position. Leadership - What are Richard’s key leadership principles? - How does Richard balance being a friendly and demanding leader? - You lead people and manage things: Richard’s approach to leadership - How does Richard effectively handle internal conflicts among employees? Secrets to reaching a high Position in a big corporate - The key to success: Constant learning culminated in Richard's attainment of his position at Deloitte, as all he had learned fell into place - Why does Richard consider that soft skills are the most crucial skills for a prosperous top-position career? - Negotiation learnings after closing 5 billion dollars deals E-Discovery - What is E-Discovery, and its importance in litigation processes - How do Richard and his team approach the revision of millions of documents in an E-Discovery process - Tech Assistant Reviewer (TAR). The AI technology that is revolutionizing the E-discovery process

Today we are joined by Seoul Robotics People Team, who will share their insights and experiences managing a team of 71 employees from 14 different countries. As one of South Korea's most prominent startups, they'll discuss the tactics, dynamics, and resources they've utilized to create a thriving and inclusive workplace culture. Diversity and inclusion Why is it crucial to create a diverse and inclusive team (Gender, nationalities, skills…) How Seoul Robotics fostered diversity inside the team Best practices to encourage collaboration and teamwork across departments and teams Why is English so important in the team Company Culture How Seoul Robotics cultivates a positive company culture Programs and initiatives that foster a sense of community and belonging among employees How Seoul Robotics measures employee satisfaction and addresses areas of disengagement Tactics to encourage open and honest feedback within the company Recruitment How to effectively apply to Seoul Robotics How Seoul Robotics attracts top talent and effective methods for reaching potential candidates How Seoul Robotics evaluates whether a candidate is a good fit for the company culture and values Best strategies used to retain employees and make them feel valued and appreciated People team: Cindy Park, Director of People at Seoul Robotics Amy Lee, People Manager at Seoul Robotics Tony Martinez, Global Tech Recruiting Manager Jack Jang, Community Manager

Antler is the world’s most active early-stage investor supporting founders from Day 0, providing capital, accelerator program, and resources to early-stage startups and founders in 25 locations globally. Today, we have the pleasure of speaking with two of Antler's members, JaeHee Chang, Partner in Korea, and Gustav Birol, Senior Associate for Global Portfolio, who will share their experiences working at Antler, building the startup ecosystem. JaeHee and Gustav`s startup journey: - What motivated JaeHee to leave her corporate job and enter the startup ecosystem? Was it a wise decision? - How has JaeHee's previous corporate experience helped her excel in the startup world? - Does JaeHee have any regrets about not starting in the startup world after finishing university? - What are the long-term objectives and vision of JaeHee and Gustav in the startup ecosystem? - Why joining 500 Startups didn't lead JaeHee to become a founder? - What led Gustav to join Antler instead of pursuing the founder path? Working at Antler: - What makes Antler's emphasis on people and ultra early-stage startups so distinctive and effective? - What is the Antler program, and who is eligible to apply? What are the prerequisites, and how much funding do the startups receive? - What is a typical day like for JaeHee and Gustav at Antler, and what motivates them to enjoy their work so much? - What are the key takeaways from working at a VC/Accelerator?

After being the Head of Corporate Sales at Tesla for four years, Mincheol decided to build RIDE, which aims to accelerate the world's transition to sustainable energy transportation through EV pre-sales, sales, and vehicle management. In this episode, we will delve into RIDE's business and the electric car industry, as well as hear Mincheon's perspective on Elon Musk's predictions and unconventional projects. - What makes RIDE innovative and why and how they exceeded its growth expectations? - Why is selling electric cars totally different from selling gasoline or diesel-powered vehicles? - What are the biggest challenges facing the EV industry? - Are electric cars really sustainable? What needs to happen for them to be totally eco-friendly? - What business lines has RIDE opened around EVs and What`s its roadmap and plan for going global? - How did RIDE raise its Series A funding, and what metrics are important to investors in this business? - What is RIDE's user acquisition strategy, and how does it plan to scale it? Which channels have been most effective in acquiring users, and how will it diversify its acquisition strategy? - When does Mincheol predict that the autonomous mobility-as-a-service industry will boom, and what obstacles need to be overcome? - Why does Mincheol think that Elon Musk is leading this industry, and what is his opinion on Musk's predictions and projects (such as tunnels under Las Vegas, the Supercharger network, and the use of cameras instead of radars)?

KOISRA is a leading business consultancy and outsourcing firm specializing in the South Korean market. Its CEO, Eyal, will share with all of us the learnings he gained after helping hundreds of companies develop successful businesses in Korea since 2009: - Key First Steps to Successfully Enter the Korean Market - Best ways to source local partners - Overcoming the Biggest Challenges Faced by Global Companies in Korea - Avoiding Traps: Tips for Dealing with a Korean Business Partner - Building Strong and Lasting Relationships with Korean Companies: Essential Elements - Understanding Cultural Differences: Why Global and Korean Companies Misunderstand Each Other - Pitfalls to Avoid When Entering the Korean Market: Common Mistakes Made by Global Companies - Exploring Opportunities: 4 hidden Industries with Promising Potential in Korea

Today´s guest is Gordon Dudley, CEO of RDI Worldwide, Korea´s n1 talent attraction agency. In this episode we will discuss the following topics: - Gordon´s journey as an entrepreneur (biggest lessons, failures, hard moments, and future plans) - Benefits of outsourcing the recruitment process to a talent attraction agency. - The impact of AI and Chatgpt in the HR world. - Tips for applicants to write better cover letters and perform better in interviews. - Korean new trends in the workforce and company culture.