[People Met Through Books] The 'Human Connector' Who Connects People... The Key Is Giving 'Opportunities'

Gary Vaynerchuk's Book Release and More
Publisher, Planner, Entrepreneur Active Across Fields
Creating Value by Connecting People
New Challenges for Medical Startups

Woo Taeyoung, who went to study in the United States with his family when he was in elementary school, experienced a thrilling success during his high school years. At that time, he invited Philip Schiller, then Senior Vice President of Marketing at Apple, as a guest speaker at his school. This was the result of emphasizing “He’s my son’s friend” after seeing Philip Schiller’s contact information on the school’s emergency contact network, nicknamed ‘Facebook.’ Since it was a time when the whole world’s attention was focused on Apple following Steve Jobs’ death, many were skeptical, but Philip Schiller surprisingly agreed readily. The exhilarating experience of filling a 100-seat lecture hall became a catalyst for Woo’s life of connecting people and opportunities. Following his suggestion, Anderson Cooper, CNN anchor; Kim Yong, President of the World Bank; Ji Youngseok, Chairman of Elsevier; and Oh Jun, UN Ambassador, among others, willingly took the stage. He also translated and published two books by the world-renowned marketer Gary Vaynerchuk for the first time in Korea. Although he is described as a publisher, planner, and entrepreneur, he can be defined as a ‘human connector’ who connects like-minded people. He connects people and creates and passes on value through these connections. We asked Woo Taeyoung, author of Studying the World, about a life that creates value through connection.

Woo Taeyoung [Photo by the author]

- How have you been? I heard you started a startup.

▲ Two years ago, I started a medical startup in New York. During the COVID-19 pandemic, I read an article about someone getting a $4,000 (about 5.21 million KRW) bill for a COVID test. I thought that was absurd. Although I lived in the U.S. for about 20 years, hospitals were places I avoided because of the high costs. Just as websites that disclose employees’ salaries have emerged, I thought it would be helpful for people if hospitals disclosed medical costs. The timing was perfect: in January 2021, the federal government passed a law requiring hospitals to disclose their prices. Since it became mandatory to reveal prices, I rode that wave and started planning. Along with two childhood friends, we launched a beta version last year and plan to launch a new version next month. We are also in the process of securing additional investments worth several hundred million KRW.

- I thought you were extroverted, but your book reveals you are actually introverted. Your MBTI is ‘I’ as well.

▲ When I came to Korea this summer, I invited about thirty acquaintances who are YouTubers for dinner, and I realized again that I am introverted. Since influencers are so energetic, I felt drained and went to lean against a wall at one side of the table to rest. I prefer one-on-one meetings rather than large groups. It’s hard to have deep exchanges when there are many people. At a party with 100 people, I just say hello and that’s it. I do attend big events, but I prefer smaller gatherings.

- Were you afraid of rejection or failure?

▲ I tend to think of everything as a ‘Number-Game.’ You might think I’ve had several successes, but behind that, there were many more failures. Many proposals were ignored. Through those experiences, I approach things with the mindset of ‘If it doesn’t work, find another way’ rather than ‘absolutely.’ It means having backups or alternatives. Sometimes, if you are desperate, things work out dramatically, but I think life is often about things not working out. At those times, I think, ‘If I want something, I can achieve it in another way.’ As I always say, I have 10 years of planning and 5 years of publishing experience, totaling 15 years. I hope those just starting out don’t get discouraged by simply comparing themselves to me.

- You emphasized ‘execution.’ How should one start executing? Where should one begin?

▲ Many people say, ‘I don’t know where to start,’ but I believe everyone always has something they like. Whether it works or not, you have to try to know. When I was a college student, UI (User Interface) and UX (User Experience) experts were highly valued in Silicon Valley. I came to Seoul during vacation and registered for an academy, but I realized I wasn’t good at design. You have to try first to know. Even if you don’t get paid, it’s important to identify your interests by observing things you frequently watch on YouTube or people you pay attention to. Anyone can discover their tendencies, and now it’s an era where you can make money from that.

- Many people willingly help you. Many influencers even make guest appearances at your book talks. What’s the secret?

▲ I try to understand what the other person likes and needs. For example, if we drink tea together at a cafe and the other person likes yuzu mint tea, I remember that and later give them a tea bag that’s good to drink at home. I figure out their preferences and offer within my capacity without expecting immediate returns. Still, it comes back someday. (laughs) When I was a student, I used my ‘student status’ as a cheat key. When a student asks, ‘Please spare some time,’ few people refuse. Thankfully, I realized this early and worked hard to connect people.

- It seems your accidental success in high school was a turning point.

▲ Inviting Philip Schiller, Apple’s Senior Vice President and my friend’s father, when I was in high school was an incredible experience. Seeing over 100 people lined up to hear the lecture was thrilling. The original intention was to build a resume for my college application. After graduating college, I planned to get an MBA and enter finance, so I needed a strong resume. In the U.S., it’s more important to appeal why you want to study something than just scores. But since I was away from my parents and alone at a rural school, it was hard to participate in competitions, so I decided to create my own resume, which led to good results. It was truly lucky. That experience became a major motivation for achievement later on.

- You lived abroad from a young age. Did that environmental difference affect your ‘execution’?

▲ Of course, being exposed to various environments influenced me. But now, anyone can easily access information. There are so many opportunities to connect with the world through laptops and smartphones. Although I gained advantages from living abroad, not all friends in similar environments are like me. ‘Mindset’ is important. The difference between ‘That person succeeded because of their environment, so I can’t’ and ‘That person had that environment, so what should I do?’ is huge.

- You said many famous people are ‘givers’ (people who give without expecting anything in return). Did you notice any common traits among them?

▲ The phrase I heard most often was ‘How can I help you?’ Usually, it’s not even people I’ve known for long. They ask right after the first greeting. In the U.S., the culture of introducing people via email is well established, and influential people often say, ‘If I mention your name, they’ll respond well.’ They have confidence in their reputation. Also, many of them received help in the past. They have the mindset of ‘I received help, so I gladly give.’ Of course, not everyone is like that. It’s necessary to build rapport by attending the groups or events they belong to.

- Many people have willingly given their time with good intentions. But a medical startup must consider profitability along with goodwill.

▲ The responsibility has indeed increased. Beyond gathering people and delivering messages, I have to grow the business and soon be responsible for colleagues and employees. While daily life may be about being a ‘giver,’ business is a thorough ‘give and take.’ I believe that growing the business well enables me to give as a giver in other areas. The core is ‘giving people opportunities.’ Through lectures and publishing, I want to provide students with new insights, and through business, I want to give opportunities to those who are sick but cannot go to hospitals.

- Is there anything you would immediately recommend readers to practice?

▲ I believe the more choices you have, the happier you are. If you have lived your best within a limited range, expanding that range can lead to a better life. Just by being interested in how people live and earn money in other countries, your understanding of lifestyles broadens. Knowledge equals the choice of opportunities. I want to emphasize the phrase, ‘Interest leads to knowledge, knowledge leads to opportunity.’ One practical way to start is to read paper newspapers. Online articles often draw you in with words like ‘controversy,’ ‘shock,’ or ‘astonishment,’ but paper newspapers allow you to scan from the top left to the bottom right and encounter content you might have skipped on a portal site. Also, when you visit a bookstore, don’t just look at books lying down; looking at books standing up can be a good chance to encounter unfamiliar worlds.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.