Changes

[I’m going through this internal thing, so bear with me.]

Korea is constantly changing. It’s what drove me here in the first place. Vast potential.

Now, I know what you are going to say: Conglomerates never change, rote repetition, and a small country (Korea, UK, SE Asia, etc.) and a big country (USA, China, etc.)… and the list goes on.

No. Korea is ALWAYS changing.

Micro and Macro via startups in Korea.

(Well, not just the startups… everything. 🙂 )

Micro-sense is startups and small business real hard.

Startups going against conglomerates, and government mixed in the middle somewhere and the normal thing of being “startup” (remember, 1% of startups make it big) is hard.

For example, too much money in the startup community run by government people in Korea ($4+ Billion (!) dedicated to startup scene. That really good chunk of money.), and in the USA, you never get startup and government mixed up. It will be, like, government 1% – 5% percent – maximum – in the USA, and in Korea you get 70% – 80% Korea ventures-backed in startups. The difference is huge. That’s just one example. There are tons more. Ebb and flow. Having a start the first Seoul Space Accelerator (Richard Min, David Lee and Rodney Yim) in Korea… you get around.

Everyday I hear from startups in Korea “It’s too difficult!”.

Huh? Too much money? Or the government is holding my hand? Is it a Google setting up Google Campus right in Seoul, the first one in Asia? Or Accelerators Leaders Forum who has 30 such accelerators in them? Or setting up tons of startups spaces all across Korea and WeWork setting five rental spaces? Or the Angel board setting up 3000+ angels? Or startup conferences and demo days? etc. etc. etc.

What is it? I don’t get it. There is plenty of ideas and startup businesses. You just have to pick one and go for it.

A friend asked me, “What do you about Elon Musk… [car or something like that…]. He is in trouble, and he might be fired and Tesla is go to hit the sh#tter.” Basically, something ‘present’ and… I wasn’t interested.

I replied,”50 years or 100 years is Tesla going to be a Company?” He got it.

But let’s not the forget the “macro”. I’ve seen changes – big changes – all around the startup scene. Korea is the doing massive in startup scene. Tiny, little changes, and some big one, but it can sweeping effects on the economy.

While people in other countries may be hesitant to take the leap on something so new and unproven, South Korea has a track record for quick adoption of new tech offerings — even ones that are truly culture-changing. Koreans created the first online microtransactions and MMORPGs (1996 by Nexon), social networking (1999 by CyWorld), one of the first major VoIP companies (Dialpad Communications founded in 1999), and mobile messaging content distribution (2010 by Kakao). South Korea has also been the worldwide leader in broadband technologies and adoption since the late ‘90s and the leader in wireless technologies and adoption. So it isn’t surprising that South Koreans would move so quickly into cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology.

• Macro: High-level goals centered around your (business or) life objective
• Micro: Smaller goals helping you achieve and measure progress to macro goal

Korea and what is means to the future

Always changing, education is key, and technology, ideas and innovation is number one. That is huge. Oh and Kpop being the world leader from Asia in music. Look at Gangnam Style. It’s the number one (!) is video on YouTube today… and it’s Korean. Amazing.

It always changes… for the good.

And I am right where I ought be: Korea, eventually Asia. (Next: USA)

Little inch of that conglomerate, government and innovation, I live there. In that tiny space in Korea (and Asia), trying to bust out… and I love it. I love the grind and the hustle. No wonder I am in the Startup Accelerator game. I love the “F#ck you!” at its innovation & entrepreneurship, and all of its frustration, at highest in Korea.

Prediction:

Silicon Valley and Hollywood started it, and random spots (Switzerland, Sweden, Ireland, etc.), but Korea and Asia are coming. Coming in a big way.

[end]