실리콘밸리의 일하는 방식을 바꾸고 있는 한국 기업 | 스윗 Swit

The speaker reflects on the hardships faced in their entrepreneurial journey, including two failed startups and a lack of market understanding. Despite these challenges, they were determined to create a business that would not fail, working tirelessly without taking a day off or salary for the first four years. They invested heavily, using all their personal savings and borrowing from friends and family, to reach a seven-million-dollar investment. The turning point came when Google recognized their potential and invited them to an exclusive workshop, leading to a partnership. This collaboration, along with the adoption of their enterprise collaboration software by teams in 180 countries, boosted their confidence. The speaker introduces themselves as Josh from Sweet, a company that streamlines work processes by integrating various enterprise platforms into one service.

The speaker discusses their realization of the size of the U.S. market and the challenges of entering a saturated market dominated by established players. They share their experience of losing a significant amount of investment due to a lack of market understanding. Despite having over 50 intellectual properties and a global patent, they decided to pivot from the education domain to the enterprise software market in December 2017. This strategic move led to the creation of Sweet, a hub-like product that consolidates communication and collaboration tools, addressing the siloed issue in the workplace. The speaker highlights the success of Sweet, which was released in March 2019, and how it has been adopted by nearly 37,000 companies across 184 countries. They also mention the impact of the pandemic, which shifted the market in their favor, and their goal to expand Sweet's global reach by adding support for 11 additional languages this year.

The speaker shares their personal transformation from being a founder who had to demonstrate commitment and leadership to becoming a more balanced individual. They discuss the importance of recognizing that employees have diverse needs and aspirations, which may not always align with the company's vision. The speaker admits to having made employees sacrifice their personal lives for the company's mission, which they now realize was a mistake. They express regret for their past behavior and apologize to former colleagues for their demanding leadership style. The speaker emphasizes the need for a healthy work-life balance and the importance of family, reflecting on their own experiences as a parent. They share their efforts to create a better company culture by prioritizing work-life balance and personal well-being, and their hope to grow as a CEO who values both the company's mission and the personal lives of their employees.