“Creating a Desirable Workplace Culture” … Special Lecture on Entrepreneurship by Yeongseok Cheon, CEO of Twinny

On November 5, the Entrepreneurship Academy, hosted by the Startup Institute at the Business School, took place at The Stage on the 2nd floor of the KUBS Main Building. This event, the third in the Lecture Series, featured Yeongseok Cheon, CEO of Twinny, a company with the vision of 'reducing burdens and adding leisure through autonomous driving technology.' CEO Cheon, a Business Administration alumnus from the class of '00, co-founded the company with his twin brother, a graduate of the Department of Electrical Engineering. Reflecting on the opportunity to lecture in front of younger peers, Cheon remarked, “It feels quite special to speak here today, and I hope my story will be helpful to the students someday.” 

Before beginning his lecture, Cheon shared clips from various YouTube and TV programs, such as Workman and Good Jobs, which highlighted Twinny’s vibrant internal culture. Cheon explained, 'We focus on three core values: "Professional Responsibility," "Purposeful Flat Hierarchy," and "Autonomy Under Goals" to create a company where employees are happy.' Having previously worked for eight years in a public institution, he emphasized, 'We foster a flexible work environment, including adaptable working hours, which is one aspect of our organizational culture that employees appreciate.' He also discussed performance evaluations, noting, “Although completely objective assessments are impossible, we have developed a system that is widely accepted and enhances efficiency by differentiating performance evaluations.” 

Cheon then delved into the functionality of Twinny’s autonomous mobile robots, explaining the four stages of the autonomous driving system: ▲ self-location estimation, ▲ path planning, ▲ mapping, and ▲ real-time trajectory generation. Twinny has developed and commercialized robots that automate the order-picking process in logistics centers, leveraging advanced technologies like LiDAR sensors for precise self-location estimation, which sets them apart from competitors. 'Many robotics companies fail because they focus on flashy projects and exhaust initial investments without conducting proper market research,' he remarked. He added, 'Twinny’s aggressive approach to entering niche markets where others haven’t ventured, supported by our unique autonomous driving technology, has been a key success factor.' Twinny’s solutions are now expanding across major markets, including factory logistics, domestic logistics, courier services, and order picking (selecting and packing items from storage). 

During the Q&A session following the lecture, a student asked about the importance of a founder’s technical understanding and capability when launching a tech startup. Cheon advised, 'If you’re planning a tech startup, it’s essential to internalize the technology rather than relying on external partners. Co-founding with a technical expert is crucial.