[Startup Lecture Series] “Work on Something Others Would Not Want to Do”
Soo-Young Yoon, CEO of TREVARI
KUBS Startup Station held its 3
rd
special lecture for ‘Spring 2018 Startup Lecture Series’ on May 15
th
. The guest lecturer was Soo-Young Yoon, CEO of TREVARI. In his lecture, Mr. Yoon discussed ‘How to Start Up a Business’.
Mr. Yoon started his lecture by sharing the story of his business startup. After quitting his job at Daum Kakao, he had this business idea from the book club he was attending to. He came up with an idea that ‘why can’t a book club be a business when it is such a fun activity?’. He thought perhaps it is because it would not be as fun as the book club if operated as a business. Mr. Yoon explained, “So I thought how it works is that basically, a person who gets to have fun spend money, whereas a person who is not having fun gets to make money.” “I suggest you start from a business idea that is not fun but necessary for others at the same time because that’s what makes your business profitable.”
Mr. Yoon emphasized the importance of a mentor to avoid mistakes. He said, “Big difference is often caused by a tiny mistake.” “If your concern is a clear yes and no question, ask someone with experience. You need to take time for thinking only when you don’t know if there is a clear answer.” He added, “it will be time and cost efficient if you gain guidance and insights from someone with experience”.
He concluded his lecture with an additional advice to the audience. He left Daum Kakao when he was 27. He decided to work on his business for 1 or 2 years, thinking that he would be able to look for a job again even if his business won’t work. He advised that “you need to always have a plan B. I know you might want to focus on your plan A, but it is necessary to bring yourself down to earth.”
Each semester, KUBS Startup Institute holds practice-based lecture series ‘Lecture on Demand’ about startups and business venture. Anyone interested in the KUBS startup business teams and any KUBS students are welcome to participate in the lectures. For further inquiries, please contact KUBS Startup Institute at 02-3290-2551.
