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Startale HR blog: "Unlock Your Potential: Achieve Extraordinary Growth at Startale as BizDev Manager"

Introduction

Interviewer:
"Hi Lena, thank you for joining us today. Can you start by telling us a little about your background and your role at Startale?

Lena:
Hello, I'm Lena, currently responsible for general use cases in the Protocol BD team at Startale.

As a university student majoring in Computer Engineering, I was interested in various emerging fields such as AI and blockchain. Initially, I briefly worked in marketing at an AI startup and only had a superficial look at blockchain. My formal entry into blockchain began in early 2022 when I purchased NFTs and started participating in NFT community IRLs. While learning about various community cultures and technologies, I decided to change careers. I worked as a marketer for an M2E project, built a web3 game in the Hashed incubation program, and later hosted a hackathon sponsored by the Ethereum Foundation. While considering mainnet BD where I could encounter various protocols, I came across Astar. In October 2023, I joined as the first member of Astar's Korean market team, taking charge of Astar's overall branding. Subsequently, I supported Astar zkEVM launch and Yoki Origins(mainnet launch campaign) in the global marketing team. Since late April this year, I've been working as a BD manager leading general use cases in the Protocol BD team.


Warm-up Questions

Interviewer:
"What inspired you to pursue a career in business development within the blockchain industry?"

Lena:
From a young age, I believed that technology could contribute significantly to the world, which led me to nurture my dream of becoming an engineer. Although I actually majored in Computer Engineering, I found more enjoyment in connecting people and directly communicating with them while interacting with other engineers. As I observed many of my talented friends gravitating towards the blockchain industry, I became more interested in this field. I explored various roles to find what I could do best, and as a result, I'm now happily working in Business Development team.


Role-specific Questions

Interviewer:
"How do you see the Protocol BD role contributing to the overall success of Startale?"

Lena:
In my view, the core of Business Development (BD) is to facilitate smooth connections between internal teams and partners. BD work includes a wide range of tasks, from numerous online and offline meetings to detailed project planning. Startale BD team leads the company's direction from the front lines and executes the most diverse range of tasks. Although it can be challenging at times due to the high workload for a small team, I feel a great sense of fulfillment seeing how my work directly impacts the company's direction.


Culture and Environment Questions

Interviewer:
"What personal attributes are essential for success in this role?"

Lena:

  • Enjoying meeting people and building good relationships is essential.
  • It's fundamental to acquire knowledge about general blockchain concept, industry trends and to conduct prior research on partner companies.
  • The ability to understand what different types of partners (projects, VCs, large corporations, exchanges) want from their perspective is crucial when dealing with various partner types.
  • It's vital not only to establish relationships with partners and secure business deals but also to maintain these relationships well.
  • The ability to coordinate effectively with marketing teams and provide satisfactory support to partners is also important.
  • An often overlooked aspect is the capacity for documentation and internal communication. With multiple pipelines and everyone being busy, it's important to document and share what you're doing and the current status through proper documentation.

Personal Insights

Interviewer: "In the competitive blockchain ecosystem, what would be your strongest assets to stand out among our competitors?"

Lena:
I try to think of our partners' projects as my own and consistently show interest and support for them. Because of this approach, I often ask very detailed questions during meetings, which tends to help me build close relationship with partners easily.

When we actually meet in person, we can have even more fun together like at karaoke, but unfortunately there haven't been many opportunities for this yet. See you all at various conferences ;)


Interviewer:
"What advice would you give to someone looking to join Startale as a Protocol BD?"

Lena:
As BD operates on the frontlines of the team, it requires agility and the ability to quickly perform various types of tasks. In this process, I want to emphasize that communication skills and physical health are the most crucial. If you're mentally prepared for these challenges, I'd like to say that Startale is the best organization where you can do what you want to do.


Conclusion

Interviewer:
"Thank you so much for your time, Lena. We appreciate your insights and look forward to seeing more of your great work at Startale."


Are you ready for a new challenge with us? Take a look at opportunities Startale is ready to expand and open for all talented people. See open positions