AI, Autonomy, and Innovation
An interview with Seungdeok Kim, Yanolja NEXT IAB Leader
"At the intersection of excellent technology and an autonomous team culture, we define problems and forge our own paths."
As an elementary school student, I wrote code on paper and nurtured my dream of becoming a developer. After working as a Senior Software Engineer at Google, I now lead AI innovation at Yanolja NEXT.
Seungdeok Kim, who heads the AI research organization IAB, leads the team in a way no one has ever tried, with two goals: 'maximum efficiency' and 'team member growth.'
We sat down with him to hear about his leadership philosophy, the problems the IAB team is solving, and what kind of colleagues they are looking for.
Q. What do you do at Yanolja?
I lead the IAB team, which is Yanolja NEXT's AI research organization. We freely research and develop AI technologies that are difficult to implement in Yanolja's various services due to operational burdens. Our role is to advance these technologies into practical solutions.
Currently, we are divided into three sub-teams to create synergy.
Solutions Team: Turns researched AI technologies into robust solutions that other organizations can easily use.
Studio Team: Applies these solutions to real services and adds a UI to make them tangible for users.
- Infrastructure Team: Designs and manages the foundational infrastructure to ensure all these solutions operate stably.
Q. What made you leave Google to join Yanolja NEXT?
While I grew with excellent colleagues during my long tenure at Google, I also had a thirst for new environments and challenges. The culture Yanolja NEXT presented was the decisive factor. I was drawn to a philosophy like 'Skunk Works'—focusing only on core goals and stripping away all unnecessary elements. The vast domain of travel, with endless problems to solve using AI technology, was also very appealing.
To be honest, I've been obsessed with development since I was a child. When I was in fourth grade, I got hooked on computers, writing code on paper even though we didn't have one at home. Since then, I've participated in competitions and have been certain that this was my path.
Q. What is the vision of the IAB team?
We value two things most.
One is 'technical excellence'. We express this internally by saying, "Let's not be ashamed." It means that the technology and results we create should not be embarrassing on the global stage, not just in Korea.
The other is 'team member growth'. I believe I should be able to see the team members' growth visibly. It is one of my roles to ensure they feel they have actually grown, beyond simple encouragement.
Q. What is the most important role for you as a leader?
I was heavily influenced by the leadership culture I experienced at Google. I think a leader is like a 'plumber' or 'firefighter' who clears a blockage when a team member gets stuck while immersed in their work. My most important mission is to remove obstacles so team members can perform at their best and quickly correct course if they are going in the wrong direction. To do this, I constantly communicate with my team to see if there are any blockages.
Actually, this is my first time in a leadership position since coming to Yanolja, and I naturally find myself recalling and following the example of good leaders I saw at Google.
Q. What is the most interesting challenge your team is currently solving?
We are focused on using AI to replace repetitive, human-based tasks deeply embedded in the travel industry. For example, when processing hotel or flight reservations, the process of a person manually calling to confirm the reservation status and request payment is very costly and time-consuming. We are working on a project where AI directly makes calls to check the reservation status or payment and automatically records the results in the system. It's fascinating to use technology to directly solve the fundamental inefficiencies of the industry.
Q. What kind of colleague would you like to work with?
It's clear: someone who consistently proves themselves. Here, 'consistency' is a core competency. A company cannot adjust to an individual's fluctuating condition, so we need someone who can consistently demonstrate a certain level of skill. We are looking for professional colleagues who can prove their worth on their own.
Q. If you could describe your team's charm in one sentence?
"It's a team that grows on its own."
When I give out tasks, I don't give detailed instructions. I don't set deadlines or methods; I let them pave their own way and solve the problem with their own skills and approach. When they share the results with the team, they have to convince us of 'why they solved it this way.' If they succeed, I don't hesitate to move forward in that direction.
Q. Finally, what would you like to say to those considering joining the IAB team?
If you join our team, you will experience a 'journey of constant persuasion.' In the IAB team, you will rarely be given clear work instructions or specific deadlines. You must define the problem you need to solve, and you must convince others why the project is necessary and what approach is correct. If you succeed, you can push forward in your desired direction. If you fail, you must go back. That's why discussions are so active on our team. The interviews are no different. You must prove your abilities and convince us yourself.
Are you ready to convince us?