Photo: Kyu-Seung Lee, CEO of OVER THE HAND.

To celebrate the launch of Tech Seoul, we started interviewing Korean startup CEOs. Today, for the 11th installment, we met with Kyu-Seung Lee, CEO of OVER THE HAND.

Hello, Mr. Kyu-Seung Lee, thank you for your time. I think this interview with Mr. Kyu-Seung Lee, CEO of OVER THE HAND, operator of the virtual YouTuber platform ‘Mascoz’, will be very interesting and informative for Tech Seoul readers.

Q. Please introduce your company  

OVER THE HAND is a company that operates the metaverse platform 'MASCOZ,' aiming to popularize virtual culture. CEO Kyu-Seung Lee is an expert in video animation, with strengths not only in technical implementation but also in concept visualization. MASCOZ offers an easy-to-use UI and various customization options, allowing users to adapt quickly through facial capture and 3D modeling. The service is primarily provided for free, with plans to monetize specific features in the future.

Q. What projects did you work on in 2024?

"1. Global Market Expansion-Entry into the Southeast Asian Market : MASCOZ has officially entered the Southeast Asian market by partnering with the global live streaming platform 'SOOP,' allowing more users to experience MASCOZ.-Multilingual Support : The platform has enhanced its multilingual support, enabling users worldwide to access MASCOZ without language barriers.

2. Feature Enhancement-Real-time Interaction : MASCOZ has strengthened its real-time interaction features, increasing viewer participation during broadcasts and providing a more engaging and immersive streaming environment.-Monetization Features: The platform plans to improve its advertising and sponsorship functions, making it easier for virtual creators to generate income, and will introduce various revenue models.

3. Community and Partnerships-Community Strengthening: MASCOZ is fostering a more active virtual creator community, allowing users to share information and collaborate.-Expansion of Partnerships: The platform is expanding its partnerships with various content creators and brands to provide more opportunities for MASCOZ users.

4. Technology Upgrades-Facial Capture and 3D Modeling Improvements: MASCOZ is upgrading its facial 

 capture and 3D modeling technologies to offer more precise and natural character expressions.

5. Events and Campaigns-Content Competitions: MASCOZ will host various content competitions to encourage creative content production among virtual creators.-Promotional Campaigns: The platform will conduct diverse promotional campaigns to attract new users and increase MASCOZ's brand awareness."

Q. What's the story befhind your company?

" OVER THE HAND is a startup founded in 2021, focused on developing the innovative content creation platform ""MASCOZ"" using immersive technologies. 

 Led by CEO Kyu-Seung Lee, an expert in video animation, the company aims to blur the lines between reality and the virtual world, providing users with an environment where they can create diverse content through their own virtual characters. The company's vision is to popularize virtual culture, making it easily accessible to everyone, thereby creating new opportunities. OVER THE HAND provides immersive experiences to users by integrating cutting-edge technologies, with a particular emphasis on enabling interactions between artists and fans in virtual spaces.

 The company has rapidly grown, securing seed funding from early investors, followed by pre-Series A investment from DS Investment Securities and Company X. Recently, OVER THE HAND successfully raised 3 billion KRW in Series A funding from Korea Investment Partners and L&S Venture Capital. OVER THE HAND is continually strengthening its position in the virtual content sector through ongoing technological research and expanding partnerships."

Q. How do you set project goals?

1. Set Specific Goals

MASCOZ emphasizes setting specific and measurable goals rather than vague ones. For example, instead of a general goal like ""improve customer service,"" the goal would be ""increase user satisfaction by 20%,"" which includes a clear, quantifiable target.

2. Collaborate with Team Members

During the goal-setting process, active communication and collaboration with team members are crucial. By sharing goals with trusted team members, the company enhances accountability and strengthens motivation across the team.

3. Develop a Step-by-Step Plan

MASCOZ creates a step-by-step plan to achieve the set goals. Each step involves defining necessary tasks, ensuring that the goals can progress from ""to-do"" to ""completed.""

4. Monitor Progress

Progress towards achieving goals is continuously monitored and adjusted as needed. This approach allows the team to track advancements and respond promptly to any challenges that arise.

5. Provide Ongoing Feedback

Regular feedback is sought throughout the project's progression to identify areas for improvement necessary for goal achievement. This helps maintain the project's direction and ensures that appropriate actions are taken to meet the objectives."

Q. What does the meaning of success for you and your company?

"Success Criteria for Over the Hand- Providing Innovative Experiences: OVER THE HAND’s mission is to offer humanity more enjoyable experiences through innovative technology and character content. Success, therefore, is defined by delivering new and enjoyable experiences to users.

- Popularizing Virtual Culture: A key goal is to popularize virtual culture through the MASCOZ platform. Success means enabling more people to easily create virtual characters and produce content.

- Building the Crossverse: The objective is to create a world where new dimensions of interactions and gameplay, transcending the boundaries between reality and the virtual world, are possible. Realizing this vision will be a key measure of success.

- Continuous Challenge and Growth: OVER THE HAND values the principle of ""not fearing uncharted paths."" Success is thus measured by the company’s and the service's growth through constant challenges.

- Enhancing Human Happiness: The company prioritizes creating services that enhance human happiness. Success is reflected in the increased happiness and satisfaction of its users.

- Global Market Expansion: Achieving success not only in the domestic market but also in the global market through the MASCOZ platform is a major goal.

- Establishing Innovative Business Models: Successfully building and expanding new business models related to virtual content creation is another aspect of success. Ultimately, success for OVER THE HADN is defined by providing value to users through innovative technology and services, and opening new horizons in virtual culture."

Q. If there have been any issues you've encountered lately, please let us know how you overcame them.

"OVER THE HAND has encountered and successfully overcome several challenges while operating the MASCOZ platform. The key issues recently faced and their corresponding solutions are as follows:

Issue 1: Technical Development and Stability

Challenge: MASCOZ needed to provide complex tracking and broadcasting functions in a one-stop manner, which posed difficulties in ensuring technical stability and user convenience.

Solution: OVER THE HAND resolved these technical issues through continuous R&D and updates. They actively incorporated user feedback to enhance the program's stability and usability. Additionally, they strengthened technical support through various collaborations and partnerships.

Issue 2: Expanding the User Base

Challenge: During the initial beta service phase, rapidly expanding the user base was a significant challenge.

Solution: OVER THE HAND expanded its user base through proactive marketing and community engagement during the beta period. As a result, they successfully surpassed 6,000 registered users in a short time, effectively growing the platform’s user base.

Issue 3: Global Market Expansion

Challenge: Expanding into global markets, such as Southeast Asia, required effective localization and market entry strategies.

Solution: OVER THE HAND formalized its entry into the Southeast Asian market through a partnership with the global live streaming platform 'SOOP'. They also strengthened their global market competitiveness by signing an MOU with 'Studio Realive' to develop and commercialize IP.

Issue 4: Improving Revenue Generation Models

Challenge: It was essential to establish a revenue model that allowed VTubers to generate income reliably through the platform.

Solution: OVER THE HAND enhanced viewer interaction features and revenue generation functions for VTubers.  Based on these features, OVER THE HAND introduced and improved various revenue models, making it easier for VTubers to generate income.

By addressing these challenges, OVER THE HAND has been able to develop MASCOZ into a more robust and user-friendly platform."

Q. Where do you see your company in three years?

"OVER THE HAND's Strategic Vision for the Next Three Years

1. Global Expansion

International Market Entry: OVER THE HAND is focused on expanding into global markets, including Southeast Asia. To achieve this, the company plans to strengthen its localization strategies and broaden its global partnerships.

2. Technological Innovation

Advancement in Immersive Technology: OVER THE HAND aims to offer groundbreaking experiences by blurring the lines between reality and the virtual world through immersive technology and character play. This will create a more engaging and immersive environment for users.

3.Community and Ecosystem Enhancement

Meta Creator Platform: OVER THE HAND will enhance its platform to support meta creators in producing and sharing diverse content through their unique virtual characters. This initiative will help users create more opportunities and contribute to a thriving ecosystem.

4.Continuous Challenge and Growth

Innovation and Challenge: Upholding the value of ""not fearing uncharted paths,"" OVER THE HAND will pursue continuous challenges and innovations. By introducing new technologies and business models, OVER THE HAND aims to strengthen its competitiveness in the market.

5.User Happiness and Value Creation

Enhancing Human Happiness: OVER THE HAND prioritizes providing services that enhance human happiness. Through this, we aim to deliver greater value to users and increase their satisfaction.

Through these vision, OVER THE HAND plans to solidify its presence in the global market over the next three years, delivering new experiences and value to users through innovative technologies and services."

Q. How does your company develop talent?

"OVER THE HAND's Approach to Employee Development and Well-Being

1. Education and Training Programs

Support for Self-Development: OVER THE HAND provides various education and training programs to ensure that employees can continuously learn and grow. The company emphasizes the importance of personal development and offers resources to help employees enhance their skills and knowledge.

2. Flexible Work Environment

Flexible Working Hours: OVER THE HAND has implemented a flexible working hours system, allowing employees to tailor their work schedules for better concentration and efficiency.

Support with Latest Work Equipment and Tools: Over the Hand ensures that employees have access to the latest work equipment and various tools to maximize their performance and productivity.

3. Health and Welfare

Provision of Snacks and Beverages: OVER THE HAND offers unlimited snacks and beverages to create a comfortable and supportive work environment, helping employees maintain their energy and focus throughout the day.

4. Performance Rewards

Employee of the Month Awards: OVER THE HAND runs a program that recognizes and rewards outstanding employees each month. This system is designed to motivate staff and encourage high performance across the company.

5.Collaboration and Communication

One Team Culture: OVER THE HAND works as 'One Team', striving to maximize each other's synergy and achieve the best performance through collaboration.

Discussion and Preperation : OVER THE HAND thoroughly prepare for all discussions and strive to be members who complement each other. This contributes to strengthening teamwork and improving work performance."

OVER THE HAND : https://www.overthehand.com/