“It’s all about hiring the right person!” stated Jake  Park, CEO of Value Creators & Company, VCNC, for short. VCNC is a Korean mobile application and internet services company that develops “Between,” a mobile social-networking application for couples. Between was created to enable couples to share their special moments with each other and remember them forever.

It’s Thursday night in Gangnam and time to network with fellow entrepreneurs from Seoul’s startup community, at the monthly gathering of the Startup Grind, a community of Seoul’s brightest entrepreneurs. The Seoul chapter of the Startup Grind, was hosted in Maru 180, directed by Mr. Joon Oh, Chief Strategy Officer at MangoPlate. Mr. Oh even led the way as cheer-leader while welcoming the guest speaker for the evening, Mr. Jake Park. While cheering at such a distinguished event might seem slightly odd for Korean culture, it quickly raised the energy levels in the room and gave a warm welcome to Mr. Park.

Don't miss the next Startup Grind in Seoul with Mr. Alvin Foo, the Ex-Head of Mobile for Google China

Throughout the night Mr. Park’s experiences revealed that customer satisfaction is the most important component to the rapid growth of the Korean Startup Ecosystem. He stated, “Before launching the product, we test it until we are 100% sure that it’s what our customers really want.” He also reiterated that hiring the right people is the other key component to the success of his company. While hiring the right people sounds obvious, it was their fundamental strategy on the path to success for Between.

Mr. Park then explained how VCNC established its customer base for Between through word of mouth. “We found people who really love our products, and let them test Between. They really loved it, started using it themselves and recommended it to others. That’s how we created such a strong network effect.”  Mr. Park’s successful strategy also resulted in attracting two important new investors: Japan’s Global Brain Corporation and the US-based 500 Startups.

Besides sharing how Between took the lead in the “couples” market, Mr. Park also shared some valuable insights with the audience about how they continue leading the market and their competitors. “We focus on the user and base our next decisions on what they want. We are building a new platform entirely to support our loyal customers and give them what they want from us.”  Throughout the rest of the event Mr. Park demonstrated his insightful perspectives on building a successful start-up by sharing his thoughts and experiences as well as answering endless questions from the captivated audience.

Startup Grind Seoul Chapter’s event was a great success. Creating a friendly and casual atmosphere that enhanced everyone’s learning and networking experience within the Korean and international startup community.

In case you missed this event, the next one is on November 20^th and features Mr. Alvin Foo, the Ex-Head of Mobile for Google China. as the guest speaker. If you want to know more information check-out Startup Grind Seoul’s Facebook page and follow them on Twitter. I am definitely looking forward to attending that event.

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