Week 1 ~ J. Miguel Delacruz

What is a startup?

At this point in time when the tech industry is seriously blooming, startups have been the hottest craze in the business world. With the success of now huge, billion-dollar companies such as Facebook, Uber, and Pandora, it’s no question why so many young minds are giving it their all to become the next Marc Zuckerberg. A quick look at the networking website Angel.co shows that there are over 27,000 startups in the Silicon Valley alone. However, as popular as they are, the question remains: what makes a startup, a startup?

You can ask many different people, and consequently receive many different responses, so it’s concludable that there isn’t just one answer to this question. An article on Forbes titled “What is a Start Up?” offers several definitions given by successful entrepreneurs and business people. Some define startups through parameters, such as size, age, or profitability. The article writes that a business can’t really be a startup if it’s passed a certain age mark, which could be mirrored by the size and profitability of that company. For example, at the five-year mark of a ‘startup’, it wouldn’t make sense to call it that anymore if it now has 200 employees as opposed to 8, and generating millions in revenue. In my opinion, a more abstract approach offers a more accurate definition, and so I find co-CEO of Warby Parker Neil Blumenthal’s description to be the one that really nails it: a start up is a company working to solve a problem where the solution is unclear, and success is not guaranteed. When using this definition, you’re able to see a common trait that mostly all startups have; that they are all looking to satisfy a need, that no one else has yet satisfied.

There are many businesses like this, but to take this to an even grander scale, we can look at an entire industry as a startup. For example, the emergence of South Korean pop-culture allowed for a complete make-over of the country. This new genre of entertainment takes western pop, but with a South Korean flavor that gives a new, fresh perspective for the global audience. ‘K-Pop’ has picked up so much, that the government controls many aspects of South Korea’s entertainment industry. We can look at K-pop as an industry that satisfied a global need, and in turn, re-branded an entire nation.

*perhaps this question is too out of the scope of this discussion, but just how ethical/healthy is it for a government to control the image of it’s people?

(a start up flow chart defining what it really takes to be(or not to be) a start up)

https://tagdabe.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/how-start-a-startup-infographic.png

Works cited/consulted:

1.     1. Robehmed, Natalie. "What Is A Startup?" Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 15 May 2015. Web. 25 Jan. 2017.

2.      2.Hong, Y. Euny. The Birth of Korean Cool: How One Nation Is Conquering the World through Pop Culture. New York: Picador, 2014. Print

Connie Tsai: Week 2

Remaking a Country

Japan's tourism industry places the country in a strange position: it must straddle its position as a somewhat xenophobic nation while also embracing its culture of respect. In the future, Japan will have to consider its position as both a nation largely considered with traditionalism and a protective culture, while also being able to accept its growing tourism.

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Government Systems

In terms of re-branding a nation, the best government system would likely be a democracy or a democratic republic. In order for a nation to brand or re-brand itself, there must be the possibility of communication between the national government and the citizens of that nation. It is not likely that a government would establish an identifier without the possibility of its citizens relating or connecting to that identifier. Eco-tourism in a nation unconcerned with ecology would quickly become a losing battle, and it is unlikely that citizens of that nation would feel compelled to participate in the service industry required to support eco-tourism. In South Korea, for example, "culture and the arts have come to be considered as an essential part of government policy" because of South Korea's strong connection to the formation of a wholly Korean culture despite colonialism and Western imperialism (Yim 40).

In a country like Thailand, where export has become the largest producer for its economy, the movement into inexpensive manufacturing has been due to government allowance: foreign countries base factories in Thailand, taking advantage of cheap labor, creating goods which are less expensive for consumers and raising profit margins.

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Question

Is it possible for a different government system to support the branding or a re-branding of a country? What changes in the situation of a non-democratic system of governance?

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Sources

Bloomberg. "Workers inspect and trim smoked rubber sheets at the Thai Hua Rubber Pcl factory in Samnuktong, Rayong province, Thailand." Getty Images, 30 May 2013. Accessed 15 January 2017.

Yim, Haksoon. "Cultural identity and cultural policy in South Korea." International Journal of Cultural Policy, 17 September 2010. 8:1, 37-48. Accessed 15 January 2017.

Connie Tsai: Week 1

Remaking a Country

South Korea established itself as a country focused on the entertainment industry. In order to do so, the nation as a whole examined the best ways to grow the industry within its own borders. Music, film, and television all have large budgets and high production quality. To grow further, the industry as a whole may invest in the production of digital goods like 4K cameras within South Korea, preventing import costs and allowing for the subsidy of such products.

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Startups

A startup is a company which is focused on rapid growth. A startup targets a large audience which has a specific need, and acts to serve that need. For a startup to grow quickly and competitively, many are founded on unique ideas which have not been considered by other companies. In order to explicate the difference between a startup and a traditional company, we can think about the way that restaurants are created. Imagine a family-owned restaurant that has been opened in a small town. That restaurant would likely be unconcerned with growth, and more focused on excellent customer service in order to forge stronger connections between the restaurant and the community. Compare this image to that of a restaurant which desires franchising and expansion. The largest difference between these two restaurants is that the expansion-focused restaurant must "sell to a big market" (Graham 2). Therefore, this restaurant might sell quickly-prepared food at a reasonable cost, targeting the need for convenient, filling meals. As an example, healthy meals that have been designed for quick consumption would easily reach a demographic of busy workers with disposable income who are also concerned with their dietary habits.

Such is the case with Everytable, a healthy fast food chain based in Southern California which changes the price of its food according to the area that restaurant serves. This prevents those in low-income food deserts from being priced out of healthy meal options, while also ensuring that the company as a whole is profitable to allow for expansion. Everytable is unique, serves a market concerned with health, and serves everyone who relies on it as a source of food—most importantly, however, it has plans to scale in a manner which prevents the company from collapsing on itself.

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Question

Consider another startup company. What did this company do that established itself as a startup? Were there obstacles to its growth, and what did the company do to avoid these obstacles?

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Sources

Graham, Paul. "Startup = Growth." Paul Graham, September 2012, http://www.paulgraham.com/growth.html. Accessed 14 January 2017.

Harris, Jenn. "This L.A. restaurant will charge different prices for the same meal, based on the neighborhood." Los Angeles Times, 27 July 2016. http://www.latimes.com/food/dailydish/la-dd-everytable-20160722-snap-story.html. Accessed 14 January 2017.

Coronado, Gary. "A bowl of chicken tinga..." Los Angeles Times, 27 July 2016. http://www.trbimg.com/img-57979f0d/turbine/la-1469554452-snap-photo/750/750x422. Accessed 14 January 2017.

Michelle Wang: Blog #2

Korea was able to remake itself into a more democratic and stronger nation because of government, industry, and people. In addition, Korea was able to remake itself into a stronger nation and economy with government funding invested in pop culture and entertainment industry. Joo discusses that Korea’s nationalism connects back to its pop culture and the role of nationalism can shape how nations perceive cultural and global experiences (499). Korea immerses cultural and global perspectives. Pop culture is available in global markets and Korean films compete with European and American films. This is because Korea focuses more on foreign cultures and the needs of other nations. By focusing on foreign cultures, the Korean government plans to develop tourism after western theme parks in order to create an enriched nation. Joo states that Korea focused on growth in creating cultural, tourism, and IT industries (499). With this, Korea will be more open and modernized with a stable economy and job market. Yim states that Korea was able to rise into a highly culturalized nation because culture and arts were important in government policy (39). This ties back to the government’s role in creating laws and funding. The arts and culture allow Korea to develop itself into a modernized nation with a better economy and bringing creative individuals and tourism in Korea. I believe it is important for Korea to focus on its GDP and provide opportunities to all citizens, build infrastructures, and renovate areas in order to maximize national aesthetics. I would prefer a democratic government with the government, industry, and people working together in order to rebrand a nation. In addition, rebranding a nation is transitioning to a global market. Global culture focuses on capitalism and a more free market. Tourism is under the capitalist model. On the other hand, a framework without capitalism can lead to socialism and authoritarian regime and there cannot be tourism industries, global ventures, and capital expenditure source as there are strict measures. For example, Chen, Lee, Lee, Yang, discusses that industries and producers created a positive image for Taiwan with tourism (6765). The Taiwanese government and industries work to rebrand the nation with tourism. Globalism helps redefine and rebrand nations. It helps improve a nation’s economy and development and OECD countries like Taiwan are more democratice and developed. 

Image Citation: Number of Views of K-pop Videos on Youtube . 2011 . JoongAng Ilbo, n.p.

Question: Do you think cultures or individuals have a greater role in influencing a country’s policy?

Citations:

Chen , Chun An , Hsien Li Lee, Ming Huang Lee, and Ya Hui Yang. How to develop Taiwan's tourism nation brand. African Journal of Business Management, 4 May 2011 . Web. 14 Jan. 2017. <http://academicjournals.org/article/article1380377254_Chen%20et%20al.pdf>.

Joo, Jeongsuk. "Transnationalization of Korean Popular Culture and the Rise of ‘‘Pop Nationalism’’ in Korea." Journal of Popular Culture 44.3 (n.d.): 489-504. Blackwell Publishing Inc. , 2 June 2011. Web. 14 Jan. 2017. <https://canvas.ucdavis.edu/courses/72045/files/folder/Readings/Week2?preview=617741>.

Yim , Haksoon . "Cultural Identity and cultural policy in South Korea." International Journal of Cultural Policy 8 (2002): 37-42. Korea Culture and Contents Agency , 17 Sept. 2010. Web. 14 Jan. 2017.

  

Michelle Wang: Blog #1

We discussed that a country remakes itself from a government that creates laws, technology, and products. The government focuses on what the people wants. The government, industry, and people work together in order for modernization and changes. Hong discusses that South Korea was able to modernize into a large economy from a less developed nation and became known for its popular culture and entertainment industry (3). Most importantly, Hong states that South Korea provided an immense amount of government funds, spread Korean culture through the internet, and focused on global perspectives in order to entice nations (4). Unlike other countries, South Korea was able to understand development of other nations and what was favored. Rebranding and innovations do not happen if there is no government funding and more government funding can lead to a prosperous economy. Hong emphasizes that the Korean government allocated a huge portion of funds in order to save South Korea record industry and rescue pops (5). In the end, the government affects a country’s stability. South Korea is one of the nations that allocated government funds to start ups and entertainment industries. Graham defines a startup is a company that focuses on growth, new innovations, ideas that are overlooked, what individuals want, and solves problems (1-3). In order to create a successful startup, Graham discusses there should be good people in startups, focusing on who to hire, and spending little money as possible (1-2). I believe South Korea was able to maintain its startups by understanding its business sector and entertainment industry.

As for Indonesia, “the nation launched laundry startups globally with mobile home cleaning and air conditioner” (Amirio, 1). The startup, Ahilijsa, connects laundry services and customers through internet and mobile which makes it more convenient for users. The startup serves the Indonesian people and the Indonesian government provides support to internet infrastructure. This is an example of a successful startup and modernizes the nation.

South Korea can continue to achieve its national aesthetics with more labor-intensive services. Emmott states that South Korea has a lower labor-intensive services sector with only 66% compared to Japan and the United States 70%-80% (2). As there is an increase in the job sector, this can help South Korea create infrastructures and focus on sustainable growth.

Image citation: Startups Archives-PC Quest. 2014. Cybermedia, n.p.

Question: What other strategies that nations with fewer startups can use in order to develop more startups?

Citations: 

Amirio, Dylan . "Indonesian startups take to global stage." The Jakarta Post . PT. Niskala Media Tenggara, 25 Aug. 2017. Web. 14 Jan. 2016.

Emmott, Bill . "South Korea: Finding its place on the world stage." McKingsley & Company , Apr. 2010. Web. 14 Jan. 2017. <http://www.mckinsey.com/global-themes/asia-pacific/south-korea-finding-its-place-on-the-world-stage>.

Graham , Paul. "How To Start A Startup: Want to start a startup?" N.p., Mar. 2005. Web. 14 Jan. 2017. <http://www.paulgraham.com/start.html>.

Graham , Paul . "Startup=Growth: Want to start a startup? ." N.p., Sept. 2012 . Web. 14 Jan. 2017. <http://www.paulgraham.com/growth.html>.

Hong , Euny. The Birth of Korean Cool: How One Nation Is Conquering The World Through Pop Culture. New York : Picador , 2014. Picador . Web. 14 Jan. 2017. <https://canvas.ucdavis.edu/courses/72045/files/folder/Readings/Week1?preview=617725>.

Week 2 - Regina Kwon

When thinking about re-branding a nation, I prefer the government system of Malaysia. I choose this particular government because it focuses on national sovereignty and is home to multi-ethnic communities. Startups don’t always work out; however, Malaysia’s government seems promising enough to consider, as it has demonstrated the collective ability to grow and prosper rather peacefully. Malaysia is home to tourist attractions, activities, as well as marketing. When most people think of Malaysia, such images of historical buildings or mosques might surface. While it’s true that these historical leftovers have value and had impact on Malaysia’s overall development as a nation, I argue that Malaysia highly embraces the global culture of technology, mainly because technology is nationwide. Haksoon Yim explicitly mentions the phrase “cultural identity” and how this helps regulate effectives states of culture and arts such as cinema, while globalizing national cultures. Nowadays, in terms of the arts, Japan is highly known for its anime while Korea is known for its K-dramas. Therefore, exchange can take place, both socially and economically. In relation to Korean pop culture and nationalism, otherwise considered as the “Hallyu Wave,” Malaysia can achieve maximum “national aesthetics” by introducing filmmakers to new ways of storytelling through transnational film production. For instance, filmmakers can specifically delve into cultural diverse characters and worldly settings. By doing so, filmmakers can begin to make transnational movies that begin to question national policy, deviate from generalized views/quick judgements of ethnicity and race in Malaysian films, and overall, establish a rebranding of Malaysia. In other words, Malaysia can maximize national aesthetics through a new national identity by essentially benefitting from its own communities and projecting it within an international sphere of filmmaking. 

Question: How is malleable cultural identity key to maintaining the idea of fixed cultural traditions amidst globalization?

Sources: Joo, Jeongsuk. “Transnationalization of Korean Popular Culture and the Rise of ‘Pop Nationalism’ in Korea.” The Journal of Pop Culture: 44:3, 2011, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.   

Yim, Haksoon. “Cultural Identity and Cultural Policy in South Korea.” International Journal of Cultural Policy: 8:1, 37-48, 2002. 

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