Senior Founders Share Tips for Applying to Orange Planet’s Second Half Recruitment 2024-07-18

Senior Founders Share Tips for 

Applying to Orange Planet’s Second Half Recruitment 

Every year, Smilegate Foundation’s Orange Planet holds two rounds of regular recruitment to select and support startups and young entrepreneurs who can contribute to building a better future.  

Orange Planet Gangnam Center resident companies (Left) Hudson AI CEO Shin Hyun-jin, (Right) Whoyaho CEO Jeon Min-young

“Orange Garden” selects teams that need support for early-stage business models and preparation, while “Orange Farm” targets teams ready to advance their business and raise initial investments. Selected teams can move into Orange Planet’s Gangnam Center and receive various benefits, including office space, investment mentoring, and community support. 

We spoke with Jeon Min-young, CEO of Whoyaho, the mobile game developer behind “Master of Tanghulu,” and Shin Hyun-jin, CEO of Hudson AI, which develops AI dubbing solutions, about their experiences as residents and tips for applying to Orange Planet. 

Company Introductions

Whoyaho is the developer of “Master of Tanghulu,” a game targeting Generation Alpha. In the game, users make tanghulu, film “mukbang” content, and become creators. The company provides an environment where Generation Alpha can create and enjoy their own unique content.

Hudson AI is a startup developing AI dubbing solutions that help content companies expand globally. Using proprietary AI technologies, they are building solutions that make it easy to dub content into multiple languages so more people can enjoy it worldwide.  

“The Key to Your Application Is Clearly Communicating Your Team’s Capabilities and Goals”

Orange Planet Gangnam Center resident companies (Left) Whoyaho CEO Jeon Min-young, (Right) Hudson AI CEO Shin Hyun-jin

Q. When did you move into Orange Planet, and how long is your residency?

Jeon Min-young We moved in on April 2 this year. The residency is for one year. 

Shin Hyun-jin We started on September 25 last year. We also plan to stay for one year. 

Q. What motivated you to apply for the residency program? 

Jeon Min-young I applied based on the recommendation of Nam Seong-pil, CEO of AB180, an Orange Planet alumnus. I heard that you can get mentoring tailored to early-stage startups and plenty of networking opportunities, which made me interested. Above all, the fact that they provide office space was very appealing. 

Shin Hyun-jin At the time, we were about to start our funding round. I thought it would be helpful to have office space and get mentoring on fundraising, so I applied. I knew we could receive investment mentoring from Smilegate Investment, and that was the biggest reason I decided to try.

Q. For some founders, writing the application might feel unfamiliar. What did you focus on including?

Jeon Min-young We were accepted on our second attempt at Orange Planet’s regular recruitment. The first time, we didn’t clearly show what set us apart. The second time, we focused on highlighting our strengths. For example, in the application, we included the user feedback we had accumulated during development. We demonstrated that we continuously analyze user behavior and monitor responses, emphasizing our efforts to improve the game. 

Hudson A Shin Hyun-jin

Shin Hyun-jin It’s important to include authenticity in your application—something that shows how much you really care. (laughs) I believe sincerity comes through when you honestly share your own experiences. I tried to write as truthfully as possible about why I decided to start the company, the process I went through, and why residency was necessary. It’s also important to clearly state your goals for after you move in.

Q. Let’s get more specific. The application includes common questions like “Introduce your service/product and team” and “Why did you start your business?” What should you highlight to stand out?

Jeon Min-young Rather than simply listing your experience, I recommend focusing on your team’s core capabilities and achievements. For the “reason for starting the business,” it helps to present a vision—like how you want to open a new market or contribute to social change. In our case, we emphasized our vision of “creating a new playground for Generation Alpha.”

Shin Hyun-jin We highlighted our teamwork. Hudson AI was founded by four people with expertise in different fields. We emphasized that we are a strong team where diverse experts come together to create synergy. We also made sure to show that our service was about to be commercialized and that we were already collaborating with many companies. That gave the impression that we could create a new market.

Q. The recruitment process includes an interview. What preparations would you recommend?

Jeon Min-young, CEO of Whoyaho

Jeon Min-young You should think about potential questions in advance and practice giving specific answers. (laughs) Especially, you need to be able to clearly express your motivation for applying and your goals for the future. 

Shin Hyun-jin I think it’s important to prepare answers that are organized and concise so you can communicate the essence of your company and product within a limited time. Another good approach is to create a list of expected questions and practice answering them to better understand what the interviewers are trying to learn. 

Q. The presentation review focuses heavily on the IR deck. Do you have any tips for putting one together?

Shin Hyun-jin It’s good to include a demo in your IR deck that judges can intuitively understand. A demo is a strategic tool that can effectively showcase your company and service. 

Jeon Min-young We put a summary on the very first page of the IR deck. We hoped the judges could get the gist just by reading that. Rather than simply listing company information, it’s better to include an analysis of users and the market, and to describe in detail how you plan to target that market.

Q. As residents, what advantages have you experienced in the Orange Planet support program? 

Whoyaho Jeon Min-young
 

Jeon Min-young One strength is getting mentoring from the Orange Planet Center Director. Another unique benefit is that during mentoring, they connect you to more experienced founders, which helps you build your network. Smilegate Investment also gives you advice on growth strategies, which has been very helpful. The biggest advantage, I think, is that Orange Planet makes you feel like you’re being supported as part of a family. 

Shin Hyun-jin I think a big advantage is being inspired by seeing other resident startup teams working so hard. Since the companies here are similar in size, many of our challenges overlap. It’s really helpful to freely communicate and share concerns with others. Also, having a great office space provided for free has made it much easier for our team to stay focused. Thanks to all the events—seminars, mentoring sessions, and family days—we get to meet people from other startups. That often leads to synergies, like improving our services together.

Q. What are your future plans and goals?

Jeon Min-young We want to become a company that leads trends for Generation Alpha on the global stage. We hope kids all over the world will enjoy “Master of Tanghulu” and become fans. Through our game, we want to help children play creatively and develop their own unique content.

Hudson A Shin Hyun-jin 

Shin Hyun-jin AI dubbing technology has only just emerged, and the market is slowly taking shape. Our goal is to become the leading company in this field. With platforms like YouTube and Instagram getting so much global attention, people will have more opportunities to access diverse international content. If AI dubbing becomes mainstream, we expect people everywhere will be able to enjoy content from other countries more easily.