KaKao

The if(kakao) conference

 

Korea's mobile ecosystem has bulged for the past decade, and at the center stands Kakao. On March 18, 2010, when KakaoTalk debuted, and all the other days when various Kakao services took the first step have transformed the landscape of the ecosystem. 

 

'How about offering opportunities to share opinions about Kakao services used by everyone and Kakao technologies used in many fields of the industry?'

 

The 'if(kakao) conference,' launched on September 4, 2018, was originated from a question thrown up by Kakao, Korea's representative platform service, and the tech giant. 

 

"We couldn't have got around to the developers' community since we were barely enough to survive in our early days, and soon after then, we lived in a whirl of business. We were just leaping forward like a racehorse. Kakao was given much through various channels. Still, communication among those channels was, in fact, fragmented ― that was our matter of concern. We thought we couldn't delay any longer and, together with our Krews, began to ponder on what we should do." Maydeen, the former CTO of Kakao(Currently, Krust Universe / Head of Klayon CIC), called to mind the month of December 2017. 

 

#The world is all about development

 

A taskforce team was set up then. What's more to differentiate from other developer conferences, home and abroad; and what and how we should deliver at the conference? ― or so went the thinking. Here's the statement from Ean, the leader of if (Kakao) Conference TF in 2018 and 2019. 

 

"It may sound ironic, but we focused on effectively emptying the venue. We thought that mingling around shared opinions mattered. We wanted to create an event where participants could share what they had learned by experience, not an event where everyone was overdramatic or boastful. We wanted to let the world know that people at Kakao enjoyed doing their fun work."

 

Hunter, who had experienced DevOn (developers' conference) several times before Kakao and Daum Communications' merger, said that he envisaged "an event that could initiate relationships beyond merely unleashing one's experience."

 

"Developers tend to take whom to work with seriously when seeking for a job. We wanted to well introduce Kakao's talented developers to their future colleagues, from IT-majored students to other Internet companies' workers."

 

About 10,000 pre-registrations flocked to the 2,000 seats. On September 4, 2018, COEX Grand Ballroom was literally full, which reflected the expectation, ‘What Kakao initiates will make my life better.’

 

Sessions were planned for various developers and stakeholders participating in the Kakao ecosystem. Catchphrase? "The world is all about development work!" Incumbent developers from the Kakao community lectured in 27 sessions on artificial intelligence, machine learning, multimedia processing, chatbot, cloud, mobility, open-source, payment and remittance, search, recommendation and more. The whole conference was held with a clear focus on the thesis, "Technology resolves inefficiencies in the world."

 

The most spoken-about topic was the growth of the AI platform. Maydeen said in his keynote speech, "Kakao makes constant efforts to redefine everyday life by making AI service ubiquitous beyond autonomous vehicles and home solutions." He added that “the company would focus its energies on resolving inconveniences that the existing technology couldn't solve at numerous points of life and creating new values.” Maydeen also pointed out 'bold opening' as a backdrop of Kakao's explosive growth and stressed that the company would exert its full-fledged endeavors to go along with developer communities. 

 

 

The audience's backgrounds varied, from developers of web, app, front-end and back-end, planners, designers, and students who were interested in IT services. They all spent their precious time participating in the conference. Krews showcased Kakao technologies woven into our everyday lives.

 

# if(kakao) 2019

The size of the 'if(kakao)' conference that celebrated its second in 2019 doubled. On August 29th and 30th, 4,000 participants gathered at the conference. Kakao and its eight partners from the Kakao Community held about 50 sessions. 

 

"I'm particularly interested in all about front-end development. Last year, I came to the if(kakao) conference and attended a session led by Daum Webtoon's android developers. They showcased their collaboration cases with designers, which was pretty impressive. It was helpful since we could learn real-world lessons from their actual cases. That's why I came here again to if(kakao) 2019 with expectations." _ Ji-Young Kim, a front-end developer for real estate android app

 

 "I came here because I thought I could learn more about things that I had not personally encountered through topics various Kakao services were dealing with. I will participate in sessions on infrastructure, server tests, and cloud. It's a unique attraction that you can get 'Kakao-like' vibes from its characters or brand identity." _ Chan-Mo Jung, a security engineer

 

Some of the interviews with the then on-site audience. We could summarize the most-heard stories from the audience that they wanted to learn about diversity and trends through the stories of developers who had experienced various services. Many responded that they came to the venue, upbeat with expectations since Kakao had woven technology into its business.  

 

# Brand Identity

Solving problems that arise from everyday life reliably and concisely is how Kakao treats technology. Flexibility and wit are everywhere in its branding, as the conference shares Kakao's technological philosophy that gives us 'sudden relief,' not technological advancement far from the world.

 

The brand, 'if(kakao),' is derived from the fact that programs are a bunch of conditional statements.' If A is input, the result B or C will be derived. This fundamental principle of software development is connected by the attributes of an organization called Kakao. 'How much would the world turn better if Kakao leads the way?' Every move Kakao spearheaded has resulted in curiosities and expectations. The perception people have of Kakao's past moves and the curiosity toward its future ventures are expressed in various images and contents. 

 

Grey, the head of Kakao Brand Center, explained the motif of the 'if(kakao)' brand identity. 

"Usually, people perceive development or technology as something belonging to a specific group, or something hard and cold, or overly rational and mathematical. However, Kakao turned such perception around since 'Kakao technology' goes into everyday life."

 

#if(kakao)2020 opens up toward the world. 

In 2020 plagued with COVID-19, the if(kakao) conference celebrated its third year. About 100 sessions, including tech sessions, were held online for three days from November 18. Not to speak of technology, other various topics were addressed, including Kakao's services, business vision and directionality, business partners, and corporate culture. Beyond contributing to the developer ecosystem, Kakao shared its directionality as an influencer that can make small and significant impacts on our society. Anyone can participate in any session they need, as spatial restrictions are gone. 

 

The CEOs of Kakao and its six subsidiaries, such as Kakao Mobility, Kakao Bank, Kakao Enterprise, Kakao Japan, Kakao Pay, and Ground X, came forward as a speaker. Various service plans ― 'Wallet' for saving and managing one's ID, licenses, certificates, and other personal information, its strategies of content subscription platform both for creators and subscribers, Melon's 'Track Zero' service, etc. ― were first revealed in the if(kakao) 2020 conference.   

 

If(kakao)2021 will also be held online for three days from November 16th without time and space constraints. From Kakao and its partners to creators and users of all ages, the steps to a better world that various people dream of will be revealed sequentially in 120 sessions.

 

Charles shared his thoughts on the if(kakao) conference.

 

“We want to share ideas with people who have the same concerns and develop them together. This is the reason why we announce Kakao's current issues and explain its meaning through if(kakao). In this process, it becomes clearer what role technology has played for a better world. I hope that the various sessions of the conference will be of strength to many developers inside and outside Kakao, who are silently taking steps to solve problems around the world. It's a bit shy, but with this hope, we happily share our work and concerns. As long as there are unresolved problems, the if(kakao) will continue."