[Job Interview] Jeongwan Koh COO – EP 2. Organizer — COO’s Growth Equation

EP 2. Organizer — Growth Equation of COO Jeongwan Koh

Q. What’s the most important team culture of WEFLO?

I think the most important thing is to have the will to grow and that passion.
If you have such a will, the attitude or behavior that follows is what we naturally pursue.
They actively look for new things, try to make up for their shortcomings, and have good resilience.
I think that mind-set is the most important thing.

That’s why we’re also supporting welfare in the direction of growth.
Self-development expenses, outside education expenses, and support for AI tools are all in the same context.
When you’re thinking about whether to do something or not, if you have a little support, it can be a trigger to ‘try it’.
It makes it easier for people who want to grow up to try.

Working from home is in a similar vein.
Anyone who is willing to grow is good at it wherever they work.

Q. What kind of talent does WEFLO pursue?

There are things I always ask applicants in interviews.
First, what career path do you think you want to go in three, five years.
Second, do you have a clear hobby.

I’ve asked myself, “What do I like?”
It means someone who has tried this and that and experienced ‘this is not it, this is right’.
I think that tendency proves the will to grow.

Also, in terms of work, I’m not just doing what I’ve been asked to do,
I want someone who can suggest something new beyond that.
If that doesn’t work, in the end, there will be no work beyond the capabilities of the person requesting it.
Whether it’s management or anyone, it becomes difficult to create new things.

Q. What was your most rewarding moment as a COO?

There are two things.
One is the attraction of Series A investment.
Of course, the purpose of the company is not to receive investment.

However, the company’s logic eventually persuaded me to receive investment,
It was rewarding from that point of view because I thought it meant that I was recognized that there was enough possibility.

The other is when we did an internal survey at the end of 25 years.
The comprehensive evaluation result of the company was 8.2 out of 10.
Since not many people usually evaluate the company as that good, I expected a score of 6-7.
In particular, it was a moment when most of the members answered positively to the question, “Do you think you have grown up after joining the company?”

Q. On the contrary, what was the most difficult moment?

It’s an issue with people.
Before starting a business, I thought I could be good at leading a team and making them reach their goals.
I experienced that a lot when I went to graduate school.

But when I came out to society, the reality was different.
The graduate school was much easier to motivate because it was a place where people from similar occupations and similar backgrounds gathered.
On the other hand, the company was a different matter because there were people with different jobs, different backgrounds, and different motives.

When members follow as much as I think, or when it’s not perfect, that’s the hardest thing.
If the business doesn’t work, I can understand it, but I can’t do it well with people.

So the solution is to continue to create a place together.
Things that start with minor misunderstandings often become entrenched,
I think it will get better if I see and talk often.

Q. Before and after the establishment of a business, What changed you the most?

I think I’ve become a little more cold about people.
In the past, whether it was a relationship or a person’s effort,
I think I put more thought and effort into making everything good.
Now, we have set a reasonable standard, and if it fits, we have changed to decide and move on.

From the perspective of growth, I think I’m growing fast.
I experienced a lot of things that I would never have done.
How the investment works, how the accounting works,
If you were a researcher, you would never have known about legal issues.
I’ve talked to almost all the occupations, and I’ve come to understand what those occupations are doing, and I’ve definitely expanded my view of the world.

Q. What kind of company will WEFLO become in 10 years?

Now, I think it’s a company that’s just at the starting line of the game.
Until then, I actually couldn’t even participate in the game. Now I’m at the starting point where I can run a little.
So I think this year is really important. I think whether you do well or not this year will determine how many years to come.

In 10 years, we have a solid and sustainable business structure,
I think it will be a company that has completed one big thing.
I don’t want to have more than 100 employees.
The goal is to become a much more efficient organization.