Meet Cochl’s Team: Seungmin Yoon, Back-end Engineer
“Seniors are more like Sherpas who help people climb Mount Everest. The main advantage seniors bring is their problem-solving experience gained over their careers.”
Q. Could you briefly introduce yourself, please?
My name is Seungmin Yoon, and I work as a back-end engineer at Cochl. I have been a software engineer since 1997, which adds up to almost 28 years of experience. Thanks to my first roommate at university, I immersed myself in the IT scene and eventually started my life as an entrepreneur with my roommate. I spent 10 years there, and at the age of 30, I embarked on my own business. My journey began during the 1997 IMF crisis and came to an end with the 2008 subprime mortgage crisis. After that, I joined a stable and large enterprise, where I had the opportunity to travel to many different countries and cities, work on various projects, and gain new experiences.
Afterward, I joined a Japanese company that aimed to become the best platform company in Korea. However, around the time of my joining, they shifted their business strategy from being a platform company to focusing on the gaming industry. During my time there, which lasted more than seven years, I had the opportunity to meet many incredible people. Developing games requires a very high level of technology to meet the diverse needs of gamers. It was a challenging yet exciting time. However, as many are aware, the gaming industry is notorious for its demanding working culture, often referred to as ‘crunch mode’. This led me to confront some physical limitations. I realized that while I loved the process of creating games, I was less interested in playing them. This realization eventually led me to leave the gaming company and explore startups in search of a place where I could be pushed to tackle more technical challenges and continue learning. Fortunately, I found Cochl, where I am currently working.
Q. What are you responsible for Cochl’s dev team in detail?
Recently, I’ve been involved in a project at Cochl that involves constructing a server architecture in a way we’ve never tried before. This project includes migrating from REST API to gRPC and providing a UI KIT. Additionally, I’m supporting the API 2.0 version update project. When I first joined Cochl, I found it challenging to understand our code because I didn’t have enough background on why our team had written the code in that way. However, through my involvement in the API 2.0 project, I’ve been able to develop a better understanding of our service and code architecture.
Q. What made you join this company?
I found an interview question at Cochl to be quite interesting as it sparked my curiosity. The question asked me to suggest a solution for a problem related to one of Cochl’s products, explaining the architecture and specifications for the proposed solution. It made me feel like part of the Cochl team, working together to address a real-world challenge. Despite my extensive career and experience as both an interviewee and interviewer, this question was unique to me, and the result reflects my joining to Cochl.
Furthermore, I appreciate that Cochl focuses on creating products that have a tangible impact on people’s lives. Unlike many AI/ML companies, Cochl has a clear goal and purpose for its technology, which aligns with my value.
Q. What do you want to achieve in this first half of the year?
As I mentioned earlier, I am currently focused on the construction of a new type of server. Since leaving the gaming industry, I have had few opportunities to tackle challenging technical problems. With the rapid advancement of AI technology, it can now generate APIs automatically to some extent. However, at Cochl, we face various requirements across different aspects, and I am currently working with technologies like WebSocket to address these needs.
Q. Are there any tips you want to deliver to junior developers?
As a senior developer, I believe it’s important to convey to junior developers that operations work shouldn’t be viewed solely as a resource-intensive and tedious task that can only be solved through automation. I hope that they can find some enjoyment in this work, as it can provide valuable insights into where our service may face bottlenecks, how to address these issues, and how our development practices directly impact user usability.
Furthermore, when approaching automation projects, it’s essential to remember that they don’t have massive undertakings. Instead, they can be approached like everyday tasks such as washing dishes or cleaning your room — little by little, day by day. I suggest creating a gap between the completion of one phase and the start of another. This gap can be used to clear any roadblocks or issues encountered, and over time, these small steps will culminate in the development of a robust automation tool.
Q. How was your onboarding process while joining Cochl?
I am thankful to Seonghyeon(Software Engineer) for his substantial help in my adaptation to this company. During my onboarding process, I made a concerted effort to understand the codebase. Recently, we welcomed a new intern to our team, and I have spent a significant amount of time helping him grasp the technical aspects of our product and service. In my opinion, having a 1:1 mentor during the onboarding process is the most effective way to help new team members adapt to a startup environment. This approach allows newcomers to freely ask questions and quickly understand the company and product, enabling them to contribute to the company’s success at a faster pace.
Q. How do you define yourself at work?
Before I answer this question, I’d like to share a YouTube clip featuring Sam Altman from OpenAI. In this conversation, the way he approaches work is similar to how I define it.
It’s a very ‘developer’ style answer, but one thing I’ve learned from working with computer is that when you make your computer multitask and witch between tasks frequently, it requires more resources to operate efficiently. For example, if you’re writing and running code, playing a YouTube video, and using an Adobe program all at the same time, your computer is overworking. On the other hand, if you prioritize tasks and focus on one at a time, your computer will require fewer resources and can handle more tasks efficiently. I think humans are similar to computers in this regard. Instead of multitasking, it’s better to set priorities and focus on one task at a time.
Furthermore, when you spread yourself too thin with various tasks, it becomes difficult to concentrate on any one specific task. Therefore, when there is an inquiry or issue related to a specific task, it’s crucial to address it promptly to prevent it from accumulating in a queue. Delaying responses to emails, JIRA tickets, or other tasks can result in a greater need for time and resources to handle them later. It’s important to manage these tasks wisely and respond to them in a timely manner to maintain efficiency.
Finally, I document all my tasks and processes on JIRA instead of using a traditional to-do list. This allows me to easily share my tasks an progress with others on the team. By doing so, I can effectively track the status of my work and keep my team informed about my current activities.
Q. What was the most memorable event during your time at Cochl?
When I first joined here, I made a mistake while deploying a server to the beta page, which was quite a nightmare for me. Even now, I feel a bit nervous when I need to deploy something to the live service.
I can’t forget the conversation I had with Subin(COO), the leader of the dev team. In my previous experience, when a senior with a long career joins a team, there are often expectations and requirements like ‘reset the system to zero base’ or ‘change everything gin a very innovative way’ from existing members or bosses. However, at Cochl, Subin had a different approach. Instead of demanding immediate changes, he suggested taking things slowly but with certainty, which really lessened my burden.
I believe that even though seniors are called ‘seniors’, they don’t necessarily have all the answers. Seniors are more like Sherpas who help people climb Mount Everest. Just like how climbers need Sherpas, teams need experienced members. Sherpas aren’t inherently more talented at climbing; they simply have more experience climbing their local mountains, which happen to be similar to Everest. Similarly, the technical gap between juniors and seniors isn’t necessarily huge. The main advantage seniors bring is their problem-solving experience gained over their careers.
Q. What type of person fits best in this company?
If I can choose between potential teammates, I would choose the one who has excellent soft skills and personality. In my view, as technology continues to evolve, problem-solving has become easier in many cases, and extreme difficulties are rare. Furthermore, it’s rare to find a company that produces a product that is truly unique and cannot be mimicked or copied by others.
Instead, the main difference lies in how existing technology is utilized and served to customers. Therefore, I see more potential in someone who excels in soft skills. While it takes time to learn technical skills, based on my experience, soft skills like communication and empathy are crucial in life and often require more effort to develop. Therefore, I believe it’s important to have someone who is good at collaborating and working well with others.
Q. One last word you want to say to readers?
First of all, I want to express my gratitude to Cochl for giving me the opportunity to work together. Working on new projects at Cochl has been incredibly exciting for me and it’s been a long time since I’ve felt this level of enthusiasm. Company is the place where we spend one third of our time, so if you find yourself happy at work, it will have a positive impact on your overall life. Luckily, I can say my life is truly interesting and enjoyable at the moment.
