This post is trending because it taps into the relatable frustrations many aspiring entrepreneurs face in Korea's highly competitive startup ecosystem, especially concerning government support programs. The author's underdog story of turning anger into action and building a product out of spite resonates as both inspiring and a critique of the system.
안녕하세요, 눈팅만 하다가 오늘따라 마음이 싱숭생숭해서 위로도 좀 받고 싶고, 하소연도 할 겸 글을 적어봅니다.
저는 최근에 정부에서 지원해 주는 '예비창업패키지'에 도전했다가 보기 좋게 미끄러진 평범한 지원자입니다. 나름대로 밤새워가며 사업계획서를 쓰고, 아이디어 하나만큼은 기가 막히다고 자부했는데 현실의 벽은 높더군요.
그런데 탈락의 쓴맛보다 저를 더 허탈하게 만든 건, 합격자들에 대한 놀라운(?) 소문이었습니다. '예비' 창업이라길래 저처럼 아이디어와 열정만 있는 사람들이 경쟁하는 줄 알았거든요. 알고 보니 작년이나 올해 합격자들 대다수가 '사업자등록증'만 내지 않았을 뿐, 이미 앱 다 만들어놓고 매출까지 내면서 사실상 사업을 다 운영하던 굇수분들이라는 얘기를 들었습니다. 그분들과 서류 쪼가리 한 장 들고 간 제가 경쟁을 했으니... 계란으로 바위 치기였던 셈이죠.
며칠 동안은 '아, 이 바닥은 꼼수가 없으면 안 되는 건가' 싶어서 술만 마셨습니다. 그러다 문득 오기가 생기더군요. "그래? 완제품이 있어야 뽑아준다면, 까짓거 나도 한 번 만들어보지 뭐."
그렇게 예창패 떨어지고 난 뒤, 홧김에 평소에 코딩 연습 삼아 끄적이던 프로젝트를 각 잡고 파기 시작했습니다.
제가 평소에 동네 소극장 연극이나 인디 밴드 공연 보는 걸 참 좋아하거든요. 그런데 주말에 뭐 볼 거 없나 찾아보려면 인터파크, 예스24, 티켓링크에 지자체 홈페이지까지 다 찾아야 하는 게 너무 짜증이 났습니다. (심지어 메인 화면은 맨날 비싼 대형 뮤지컬이 다 차지하고 있고요ㅠㅠ)
그래서 '내 주변(동네)에서 열리는 숨은 공연만 싹 다 모아서, GPS로 보여주고 지금 뜨고 있는 실시간 랭킹도 알려주는 앱을 만들자!' 하고 만들기 시작했습니다. 이름하여 '동네무대' 입니다.
처음엔 그냥 화풀이(?) 겸 연습용이었는데... 제가 진짜 필요해서 만들다 보니 욕심이 생겨서 어드민 대시보드에 실시간 통계 기능까지 밤새가며 욱여넣게 되었습니다.
그리고 오늘, 이 제대로 작동하는 프로덕트를 무기 삼아 '모두의 창업' 이라는 프로그램에 방금 지원서를 냈습니다! 서류 한 장 덜렁 들고 갔던 예전과는 달리, 이번엔 당당하게 시연 영상과 사이트 링크까지 꽉꽉 채워 넣었습니다.
이번에도 떨어지면 진짜 재능이 없는 건가 싶어 포기할지도 모르겠습니다. 하지만 최소한 '해보지도 않고 남 탓만 하진 말자'는 마음으로 후회 없이 부딪혀 보려고 합니다.
새로운 도전을 앞두고 괜히 쫄보가 되어서 주저리주저리 떠들었네요. 볼품없는 글 읽어주셔서 감사합니다.
혹시 지나가시다가 따뜻한 추천 한 번, 혹은 응원 댓글 한 줄 남겨주시면, 이 초보 창업가에게 정말 코끝이 찡할 정도로 큰 힘이 될 것 같습니다.
🇰🇷 KOREAN REACTIONS 10
Hey there. I was just passing by, but I logged in after a long time to share my experience, hoping it might help a little. I also tried for the Pre-Startup Package and got selected after about three tries (my item was pretty similar to yours too!). To be honest, looking back now, I think getting selected for the Pre-Startup Package was a mistake for me. A good idea and a good startup are different things, and a startup and a startup support program are yet another. For support programs, they mostly focus on the business model. Even if the idea is good, if the revenue model is weak or the market is deemed small, you often get rejected. Also, aligning with the current government's policy direction seemed important. I heard there are a lot of brokers around government support programs too. After getting in, I saw a lot of incredible people, but also many who were clearly just starting out (I was one of them). Getting dragged by the program's deadlines and focusing on deliverables sometimes made the actual startup take a backseat. Not many people I know who got into these programs are still running their startups. Most just made deliverables to meet the schedule, then gave up on the project, switched to other businesses, or went back to their main jobs. For my item at the time, it was hard to expect immediate profit, so I've changed to a different business now. I think support programs and actual entrepreneurship are different paths. Don't be too disappointed if you weren't selected for the program; it doesn't mean your idea isn't good. I also started my business with just an idea after getting into the Pre-Startup Package, and it was even harder after being selected. Still, I gained a lot of experience by challenging various support programs. If you can connect your startup item's prototype with a good revenue model, your chances will increase. Setting your service's target customer well is also important. I know the struggles of aspiring entrepreneurs, so I might have overshared a bit. I hope you create a great service that lasts! I'm rooting for you.
As someone with experience, let me add this... A crucial part of selection is whether you have the will to continue a difficult business. As you said, those 'who just haven't registered their business yet' are people who intend to keep going, regardless of support. What's important for continuing a business is its viability. You need a revenue structure to keep going even if there's no immediate profit, otherwise, you'd just take the grant money and close up shop. If you keep going after getting startup support, there's a lot of linked support. I personally received nearly 1 billion won (approx. $750,000 USD) in cash and in-kind support over 5 years. In that sense, I recommend you check the revenue structure and scalability of the app you developed.
Wow, you can see so many performances all at once! I bet a lot of people will use it when it launches. Rooting for you!
Fighting! (You can do it!)
Looks good haha. One more feature I'd like to see is the ability to search by selecting a region.
This is it! This is where Dongne Mudae was first talked about! I hope this place becomes a 'holy ground' (a famous spot for its origin story).
Calling it a 'trick' to actually put in effort and build a real product, rather than just submitting a flimsy piece of paper, is absurd.
It's actually amazing if anyone got into the Pre-Startup Package this year. The number of selected candidates dropped to a fraction of last year's, while the number of applicants for all government support programs skyrocketed compared to last year. Prepare for something else!
You need a finished product, and there are fields for company size and number of employees. I also applied with just an idea and a patent and got rejected... ㅠㅠ I found out it costs about 300 million won (approx. $225,000 USD) to make a finished product, so I'm just maintaining my patent. It's amazing that you made a finished product, I respect that!
It would be good if it said 'purchase link' next to the purchase link. I've added it to my favorites. There were so many performances I didn't know about!