"An Outsourcing Company That Doesn’t Feel Like Outsourcing"... The Secret Behind the Growth of an SI Firm with 90% Developers

Lee Dongsu, CEO of GenesisNest

Achieved 11.5 Billion Won in Sales in Just Three Years

90 Percent of Workforce Comprised of Developers

Expanding Reach with Launch of AI Services

"I do my best not to undermine the pride of our developers. Instead of making unreasonable demands, we strive to deliver high-quality results in return."

On the 6th, Lee Dongsu, CEO of GenesisNest, spoke at a press conference held at the headquarters in Suji-gu, Yongin-si, Gyeonggi Province. Korea Venture Business Association

On May 6, Lee Dongsu, CEO of GenesisNest, explained the secret behind the company's growth at a press conference held at its headquarters in Suji-gu, Yongin-si, Gyeonggi Province. GenesisNest is a system integration (SI) company that develops custom software and builds systems for client companies. Founded in May 2022, the company turned a profit the following year, and last year, just three years after its establishment, recorded sales of 11.5 billion won and an operating profit of 2.6 billion won. Industry insiders predict that sales will exceed 20 billion won this year.

GenesisNest defines itself as "an outsourcing company that doesn't feel like outsourcing." Lee decided to start the company out of concern over the domestic development market, which has become firmly centered on price competition. He pointed out that talented developers leave the industry due to insufficient compensation, leading to a vicious cycle where the quality of deliverables declines and prices drop further.

Lee said, "While many companies develop software with sincerity, there have been cases where only the visible elements are hastily completed, and client companies continue to lower prices based solely on cost. This has severely damaged the overall image of the SI industry," he reflected.

GenesisNest employees are working at the headquarters in Suji District, Yongin City, Gyeonggi Province. Venture Business Association

GenesisNest differentiated itself from the outset with its workforce structure. Of its approximately 110 employees, over 90% are developers. Aside from about 10 employees responsible for design and planning, the majority are directly involved in coding work. This is a remarkable ratio, considering that in typical SI companies, developers often make up less than half of the workforce. The company further strengthened its expertise by recruiting numerous developers from top domestic IT firms such as NHN.

Lee emphasized, "By the standards of an average startup, our developers are capable of serving as chief technology officers (CTOs) anywhere," adding, "Our ability to directly contract and continuously collaborate with major companies like Hyundai Motor Company and Amorepacific ultimately comes down to the competitiveness of our people."

Recently, GenesisNest has been accelerating the development of artificial intelligence (AI)-based services. Notable examples include AI chatbots and AI call centers utilizing distinctive characters, as well as an AI-exclusive messenger based on in-house data. The AI character learning platform 'PuriBot,' developed in collaboration with EBS, is scheduled for launch in June, and the AI internal messenger that learns from company data is also set to be introduced within the first half of the year.

Lee stated, "Our ultimate goal is to build a company that, like Samsung or LG, can positively impact society across all sectors," and added, "We aim to grow beyond merely creating deliverables that meet client requirements, by developing our own services that can contribute to a wide range of fields."

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