Founders anywhere and everywhere face challenges when developing their technologies and businesses. Nothing is new here. But for various reasons, founders have limited access to support that would help them tackle the usual startup problems.
<aside> 💡 Seoul Startups recommendations: Organize solution-thons with local universities, international schools and digital nomads’ communities, where real-life startup challenges could be solved in a 3/4-day hackathon reley. This would also enable founders to connect with the local community, meet potential talent and partners. Founders4Founders - accountability group, where entrepreneurs meet on a regular basis, share their short and mid-term goals, struggles and obstacles on their journey, and give each other unsolicited feedback and advice. It’s a way to make the entrepreneurial journey a little bit less lonely.
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Jeju founders may be bustling with ideas, but they are still struggling to find experienced developers and designers, who would make their dreams into reality. Jeju is an attractive travel destination, but it’s still not seen as a place one goes to ‘for work’. This is especially obvious in the fact that Seoul-based companies usually offer better salaries and employee packages, that Jeju-based ventures just cannot compete with.
<aside> 💡 Seoul Startups recommendations: Ecosystem roundtable - a gathering of all startup ecosystem players, with a discussion around what are the attractive points of Jeju and how to highlight them to the potential workforce. Jeju Startup Open Fair - to convince people to leave their cushy jobs in the capital, organize a fair (offline and virtual), where the talent can meet startups, learn about their businesses but also discover the virtues of Jeju as a workspot and a place to live in.
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Despite numerous cafes, a wide range of accommodation facilities, Jeju still has a very limited offer for digital nomads. Now that COVID-19 has pushed Korean companies to look ‘the future of work’ in the eye, it’s time to tap into that freelancer hub potential, that’s sitting under the Hallasan.
<aside> 💡 Seoul Startups recommendations: Open more coworking spaces & cafes - We know, easier said than done. Create English-language content for a global audience - once travel kicks-in again (someday?), people will want to continue on their remote work streak and will be looking for attractive locations to set themselves up in. It’s a great opportunity for Jeju to say ‘Hi! Come here! We have everything you need and more!’.
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Despite two universities and numerous vocation schools, Jeju’s educational system is not really focused on entrepreneurship and innovation. Rather, young people are mostly offered hospitality and tourism as a career path, limiting them to later working as low-level employees in various tourist centers and hotels. The innovative and technological pathway is mostly reserved for those from ‘better’ schools from the mainland. It’s time to break that vicious cycle and give the youth of Jeju a chance to tap into their innovative potential.
<aside> 💡 Seoul Startups recommendations: Mid-, long-term innovation education programs - Together with local academia but also the startup community, build and conduct a series af entrepreneurship & innovation bootcamps, that would cover popular themes (i.e. green energy, social impact, gender empowerment etc.) and encourage youth to use the taught skills to take things into their hands. Also, put strong emphasis on founder wellbeing and sustainable entrepreneurship. Connect with global innovation networks - In collaboration with international startup and innovation communities, use virtual hackathons, webinars and workshops to help young people connect with peers from around the world, and find inspiration through a growing network.
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Jeju has a lot of communities, but from what the Seoul Startups observed, these communities have very little interactions, rather each keeping to themselves. It is especially obvious when it comes to the foreigner community around Global Education City, which has so much to offer, yet seems to be unaware of the booming tech and entrepreneurship scene in Jeju. The ecosystem is only as strong as the bond that ties various ecosystem players.
<aside> 💡 Seoul Startups recommendations: Co-hosting events - Take advantage of each other's infrastructure and connections to create space and events for people to connect. Especially challenges make perfect opportunities for those with different backgrounds to work and create together. For example, use Branksome Hall’s amazing Makers Space to run a hackathon for the school’s and local university students.
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