After doing my Week 1 Retrospective on joining Coupang, things got hectic again for a while, so now I’m writing this to look back on and organize weeks 2 and 3. A huge amount happened on the work side during this period that I can’t share here, so I’ll focus on organizing my experiences and thoughts instead.
First, and the thing that stands out most in memory, is the moment I got my business card. I’d originally planned to have one made later, but a need came up, so I got it made. It was probably the moment it really hit me, since joining Coupang, that I’d genuinely changed companies. Honestly, I thought I’d be carrying a Samsung business card until retirement.
Second, what impressed me was Coupang’s tremendous logistics competitiveness and how genuine it is about its customers. Doing 1-on-1s in every direction, and getting briefed by people directly involved in logistics automation, made me realize that the logistics competitiveness and automation here are more remarkable than I — or the industry at large — had expected, and that there’s a clear understanding of exactly what value this delivers to customers. I’m scheduled to visit a fulfillment center at some point, and if the opportunity allows, I’d like to write up that experience too, within the bounds of compliance.
Most of Coupang’s offices are right in the heart of the city. Some people might envy that, but for someone like me who always lived near the office, mostly walked to work, and had a strong morning routine, spending 1 hour 40 minutes each way commuting has been quite tough, and I’ve lost most of my routine as a result. Above all, taking the packed “hell subway” home after work leaves me in a state where “totally exhausted” describes it precisely. Now heading into week 4, once the holiday passes I’ll need to experiment with what kind of morning and daily routine works best. A strong morning/daily routine is, after all, a real competitive edge.
There are various opinions about Coupang’s benefits. Compared to my previous employer, the benefits are, frankly, quite different. Even so, one thing I’m glad about is that the food is better than I expected, and I’m reasonably satisfied overall. This varies a lot by individual, so some may disagree, but I (and maybe others too?) am satisfied!
Last, what impressed me is the culture of flexibility combined with a strong goal/purpose orientation. I spent a long career believing attendance mattered a great deal, and of course attendance matters at Coupang too, but what matters more is a relentless focus on goals, purpose, and results. People work from home actively as part of that flexibility, but video calls and various tools seem to fill the gap well, and I’ve come to think that this goal/purpose orientation and obsession with results is a major competitive advantage as a culture.
That’s my Week 2-3 Retrospective as a Coupang newbie.
#coupang #exsamsung #career #culture #businesscards #results #gtit
