The 2023 Global Startup Internship Seminar (GSIS) was held from November 29 to December 1. Organized by the Center for Global Strategies and Planning (GSP), GSIS provided support to students wishing to gain guidance for their future startup careers. The event consisted of various on-site and online programs with professionals who have founded and worked in startups in the US.
Separated into groups of ten based on their experience and personal interests, participants attended online company introduction and mentoring sessions held by the CEOs of B GARAGE, VESSL AI, and UNEEKOR on the first day.
VESSL AI CEO Jaeman An, a KAIST alumnus, shared his experience pitching his startup in the US and recommended that students take their chances whenever possible. He also informed how students can join VESSL AI’s journey of streamlining and popularizing AI as interns.
Kevin Lee, the Product Owner of Bringko, explained real-life applications of AI and illustrated the company’s vision to pioneer the “uncharted territory” of merging short-form videos, gamification, and hyper-personalization in shopping apps.
On November 30, Sungwon Lim and Jamin Koo, the co-founders of ImpriMed, presented on the topic “How to write a cover letter, CV, and email,” during which they shared their insight into how students should prepare their applications from the employers’ point of view. During a 30-minute-long Q&A session, they provided practical opinions on questions such as whether separating overall and major subject GPAs on CVs is helpful, how reference checks work, and cold-emailing etiquettes to avoid “red-flagging” employers.
On the last day, Kangsan Kim, a senior student at KAIST whointerned in B Garage, shared his experiences about the working environment, living costs, and safety in Silicon Valley. He also gave advice regarding funding, visas, and networking. He emphasized that students should “keep their chin up” despite difficulties.
Lucas Barbosa de Oliveira, a senior student from the Department of Bio and Brain Engineering, commented that it was worthwhile to “engage with an alumnus who founded a successful startup like VESSL AI and learn about the skill sets needed to work in such an environment.” Subin Kim, a master’s student from the School of Computing, said, “As the CEO of B Garage graduated from KAIST, his advice on applying to overseas startups was relevant.”
Woo Seok Seo, the Lead Developer of Bringko and a KAIST alumnus, left an inspiring message during a short interview with The KAIST Herald:
“I didn’t start a startup career with a definite desire; it was a coincidence that my friend introduced me to a startup when I was looking for a part-time job around 2009. Startups sound grand, but it is, in the end, doing something you want to do by borrowing the form of a corporate body and asking investors to pay for that. Of course, they won’t just fund your ideas — you have to persuade them by describing the blueprint on your mind with like-minded people. There are lots of opportunities like incubators and hackathons, so start with them.
It is true that founding startups are risky, but the more nervous you are, the more immersed you should be. Failures are natural. Many startups fail to cross the valley of death, in fact. But even if you become one of them, don’t consider it to be the end. It is also important to find good people, as it will help relieve the massive fear you have about starting a career in startups. KAIST has a lot of alumni who have plenty of experience in startups, so you might consider starting networking with them.
My best advice is to just do it. Don’t worry about the language barrier. Your pronunciation does not matter, your ideas do. If you are still worried about the weaknesses in your language skills, try finding a teammate who can fill that gap. Don’t try to solve all the issues yourself. You will fail that way.
Lastly, don’t expect to be in Silicon Valley right away. Take one step [at a time]. The South Korean market is extremely difficult to persuade, which is also why many global enterprises use it as their test bed. If you can’t persuade people in South Korea, you [wouldn’t be able to] in Silicon Valley.”
Kevin Lee added,“University years are the best and virtually the only viable time when you can put in the utmost effort into your startup. Once you start a career in established companies and start your social life, the opportunity cost skyrockets. Now is your opportunity — perhaps take a break from school or cut down your recess time to develop your ideas. In the initial stage of your startup, make sure you give your potential investors trust.”