From Big Law to Startup Founder: Tommy Kim's Entrepreneurial Journey

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Tommy Kim's career journey has taken him from prestigious law firms to tech startups to founding his own legal tech company. In this wide-ranging conversation, Tommy shares candidly about his experiences working at top Korean law firm Kim & Chang, transitioning to the fast-paced world of e-commerce giant Coupang, and ultimately taking the leap to start his own legal tech startup. He offers a thoughtful perspective on the challenges of entrepreneurship, balancing family responsibilities with startup life, and what he learned from his startup experience. Tommy's story provides valuable insights for anyone considering making a major career pivot or starting their own company.

Some key takeaways from our conversation:

1. Working at a top law firm like Kim & Chang can be an intense but invaluable learning experience. Tommy describes grueling 18+ hour workdays but says it was "the greatest experience of my life" in terms of professional growth. The high standards and exposure to complex work helped him develop rapidly as a lawyer, even if the lifestyle was unsustainable long-term.

2. Transitioning from law to tech requires adaptability and a willingness to learn new skills quickly. At Coupang, Tommy had to quickly get up to speed on areas like engineering processes and e-commerce operations that were completely new to him. Being thrown into unfamiliar situations forced him to grow and expand his capabilities.

3. Starting a company requires wearing many hats and being comfortable with ambiguity. Tommy had to take on roles like leading engineering sprints that were far outside his legal expertise. He advises aspiring founders to be prepared to do everything from administrative tasks to high-level strategy.

4. Age and life stage are important factors to consider when starting a company. Tommy wishes he had started his company earlier in his career before having a family. The financial pressures and responsibility of being a parent made the inherent risks of entrepreneurship more stressful.

5. Reframing "failure" is crucial for entrepreneurs. While Tommy's startup ultimately didn't succeed, he gained invaluable experience and knowledge that will serve him well in future ventures. Defining success solely as building a unicorn company is overly limiting.

6. The entrepreneurial drive doesn't go away after a setback. Despite the challenges he faced, Tommy still has the desire to build something of his own. He's considering starting a "side hustle" business that allows him to scratch the entrepreneurial itch while maintaining more stability.

7. Artificial intelligence tools like ChatGPT have exciting potential for legal tech, but need to be used carefully in high-stakes professional settings. Tommy analogizes it to an F1 race car - incredibly powerful but requiring skill to use properly. Managing expectations around AI capabilities is crucial.