Kakao grew due to learning from failures like Buru.com and Wisia.com, hiring top software engineers, adopting an open culture with horizontal communication, and strongly engaging users through projects like the 100 Improvements Project. This helped Kakao build loyalty among its over 120 million active users who exchange over 5.2 billion daily messages, more than the total SMS/MMS sent through South Korea's three major telecom companies. Kakao has since expanded its platform and services through initiatives like KakaoStory, KakaoGame, and KakaoLink 2.0.

1. Key Elements that Helped KAKAO Grow
Sirgoo Lee
November 21, 2013

2. 1. Learning from Failure
Speed
Listening to Users

3. Buru.com, 2007
* Social Bookmarking Service

4. Wisia.com, 2008
* Social Ranking Service

5. 2. Top Talent Software Engineers

7. What Differentiates KAKAO from Others?
: A large team of skilled and experienced software engineers helped
deploy reliable service from the beginning.

8. 3. Open Culture

9. Horizontal Communication
Use of English names

10. Sean
Ted
Toby
Arnold
Jess
Jake
Mark
Nill
Harry
Jullie
Daniel
Danny
Reed Jason
Kevin
Shwn Brandon
Chloe
Lucas
Cecilia
Ethan Gary
Brian Edan
Joshua MikeS
Viktor Erica
Robin
Helen Jay Sarah Ina
William
Tosi Scott
Sun
Amy Henry
Colin
Janice
Mike
Young Young K
Karl
Stella CarlosSoaa
Jeff Leslie
Reid
Roy
Namss Jasen
Reann
Torea
Evan
Smith
Irene
Summer
Peter Ryu
Jim
Donald Ray
Jini
Justin
Tod
Jack Bob
JB
Tim Chris
Dean
Ellie Natalie
Myu
Yang Clare
Frank
Hailey
Jun
Rna
Eugene
April
Alex
Anne
Leo
Johney Jeremy
Gilbert Thomas
Leon

11. Open & Share

12. 4. Strong User Loyalty

13. 100 Improvements Project - Together with Users
Moving
emoticons
20 times
faster
Support for
BlackBerry
Check my
own profile
Change friends’
names
Verify by
phone call
Find friends
using index
Send larger
video files
Set a name for
each chatroom
Link between
app & KaTalk
“KakaTalk”
notification tone
Font size
settings
Search settings Notification settings Check the
for my ID
for each chatroom latest version
Hide or block Check the number Send a message to
friends
of KaTalk friends multiple people
The 100 Improvements Project 2.0 is Now Open !

14. Debate with the Korea Communications
Commission over “Free Call” in June 2012

15. Users voluntarily gathered together
in cyberspace to show support for KAKAO
Currently, there is much debate over KakaoTalk’s Free Call (mVoIP) service. SK Telecom said that the service should not be
introduced hastily, claiming that the service “will hinder the growth of the industry, cause inconvenience to users and undermine
our national interests.” LG Uplus, which initially did not impose any restrictions on mVoIP, later changed its position saying that
mVoIP services will be allowed only up to a limit. What's your take on this issue?
- What do they mean by “undermine our national interests”? Last time I checked, SK, KT and LG Uplus are not
government-run enterprises. Their ridiculously expensive monthly plans are what undermine our national
interests.
- Consumers make free calls using the data allowance that they already paid for. Mobile carriers have no right
to intentionally restrict the data use by their customers. It’s time to defend our rights as customers.
- I’m currently using an unlimited data plan. I’m wondering why I should be restricted from using the data plan
that I already paid for. I have no idea what traffic or network neutrality is. All I know is I need to get my rights
back.

16. KAKAO NOW !

17. KakaoTalk User Metrics
120M
Active Users
120 Million
5.2B
32M
Daily Unique Visitors
32 Million
Daily Messages
5.2 Billion
Sum of SMS/MMS sent
thru 3 major Korean telcos:
300 million

18. Plus Friend
Benefit/Contents/Info
Advertisers
Contents Creators
Digital item
Digital Item
KakaoStory
Game/Music/Media
SocialGraph
3rd Party
KakaoGame
KakaoLink 2.0

19. Thank You