The easiest way to explain Co-up is …
‘Co-up’ would mean co-working space in other countries. In Korea, I would put it as a place where individuals get together and work freely; not necessarily working together! Co-up is more of a free and relaxed community environment than regular offices with cubicles, so people from different backgrounds can mingle, help each other, and work together. But, don’t get me wrong! Co-up is a working environment, so it is not a chatting place like cafes.
When I told my friends about my idea for Co-up they said…
some liked the idea and insisted that I pursue the idea. Some even suggested that we work together and would provide office spaces. But others believed that Co-up would not work in Korea. Regardless of the pros and cons, the Co-up idea was interesting enough to draw people’s attention.
The Collaborative Consumption landscape in Korea is…
still in the beginning stages. However, the level of interest among people is no less than other countries. Media is paying us more attention, and there even are start-ups that are collaborative consumption based. Nowadays, government is paying close attention to collaborative consumption. With current high distribution rate of high tech communication devices, I expect to see more collaborative consumption businesses in Korea.
The biggest challenges to overcome for mainstream adoption are…
the concept of Collaborative Consumption itself is hard for most people to understand. Since there are no success cases in Korea for Collaborative Consumption businesses yet, it will take some time for people to understand. Also, there is a cultural factor. Collaborative Consumption was born in a different culture, so it is not easy for most Koreans to digest the concept without being able to understand the culture behind it.
My three favorite Korean Collaborative Consumption start-ups are…
Bookoob, an online library where users collect books to create a virtual library.
Socar, a car sharing service in Jeju Island.
Pic&Go, a smartphone app for trading used goods.
A unique fact that surprises people about Korea’s start-up scene is…
there are more and more mobile app based start-ups in Korea. These days there are quite a lot of Korean start-ups working in foreign markets, which we did not see in the past. The Korean Government and a lot of agencies are backing up with new policies and resources to create a better environment for startups, so everyone in Korea agrees that now is the time for start-ups.
If I wasn’t doing Co-up, I would be…
creating my own start-up.
It’s 2015 and Co-up has achieved…
a better environment for Collaborative Consumption in Korea and has become the center of Collaborative Consumption for start-ups. I hope Co-up, and start-ups at Co-up, can both benefit from each other.
Three people I would like to meet one day are…
Professor Young-Bok Shin. He inspired me with his motto: “Achieve with togetherness”. I often read his books and get inspired.
Steve Jobs. Though he is gone, I wish I could meet him and get more inspired.
My niece. I like to meet my newborn niece as often as I can. My current busy schedule does not allow to see her often.
My big piece of advice to social entrepreneurs is…
solving small problems will eventually change the world for the better. Rather than trying to become a big game changer of the world, I have been focusing on small issues, and that is what keeps my heart beating faster.
