I am lucky. As part of the TRIUM Global EMBA team, I get to interact with some of the most interesting and informed people on the planet. This is never more true than in the conversations I have at the margins of the official program – exchanges with people who enrich, educate and entertain. TRIUM Connects seeks to reproduce those moments in a series of recorded conversations on topics from the worlds of business, economics, leadership and political economy. I hope the podcast gives people a ‘taste’ of what make the TRIUM experience so special and lets me share a little of my luck! – Matt Mulford
— Disclaimer: The views expressed in this podcast are solely those of the host and his guests and do not necessarily represent those of the TRIUM Global EMBA program or its three alliance schools (NYU Stern, the LSE, or HEC Paris). The content herein is intended solely for the entertainment of the listener and the host and should not be relied upon in making any decisions.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
I am lucky. As part of the TRIUM Global EMBA team, I get to interact with some of the most interesting and informed people on the planet. This is never more true than in the conversations I have at the margins of the official program – exchanges with people who enrich, educate and entertain. TRIUM Connects seeks to reproduce those moments in a series of recorded conversations on topics from the worlds of business, economics, leadership and political economy. I hope the podcast gives people a ‘taste’ of what make the TRIUM experience so special and lets me share a little of my luck! – Matt Mulford
— Disclaimer: The views expressed in this podcast are solely those of the host and his guests and do not necessarily represent those of the TRIUM Global EMBA program or its three alliance schools (NYU Stern, the LSE, or HEC Paris). The content herein is intended solely for the entertainment of the listener and the host and should not be relied upon in making any decisions.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
What does being a fabulously successful, early stage VC investor have in common with being a world class CEO? The answer, according to Jihoon Rim, my guest for this episode, is the ability to select the right people and then, largely get out of their way and let them do their jobs.
Jihoon, after a stint at Softbank, founded his own VC firm – Kcube Ventures – in 2012 with an initial fund of USD 10M. In 2021, when the fund was liquidated, it returned more than USD 1B. In 2015, Jihoon was appointed the CEO of Kakao. In the 2.5 years of his leadership, Kakao’s revenues and operating profits more than doubled (from USD 932M to USD 1.972B and USD 88M to USD 165M, respectively). Such successes led to Jihoon being recognised in 2017 Korea’s number 1 CEO (by Insight Korea), and in 2018 as one of Korea’s Top Ten Heros (by Maeil Broadcasting Network).
He joined NYU’s Stern School of Business as an Adjunct Professor in 2019 where he teaches some of the most highly regarded elective courses in the entire School. Between 2018 and 2022, he completed his Doctorate degree. This was all completed before he turned 43 years old.
In this episode we discuss what Jihoon looked for when investing in founders and how he took the lessons from that world and applied them in his role as CEO of Kakao. We also discuss how people routinely misunderstand the nature and scope of tech companies’ powers – which he believes is too great, and how transparency will play a crucial role if we ever want to do something about this problem. Finally, we explore why Korean content has been so successful on the international entertainment stage.
Jihoon is smart, articulate, highly accomplished and wonderfully humble. His candour and honesty in our discussion was refreshing. He is proof that wisdom does not need to rely on age. This episode is, in my mind, an exemplar of how a good leader sees the world and their role in it. Enjoy the conversation!
Citations
Frans Johansson (2014) The Click Moment: Seizing Opportunity in an Unpredictable World. Penguin
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.