Funding, pre-orders, the online store, advertising, partner services, and more. Wadizoffers a wide range of services designed to support makers’ growth and success. When makers use these services, who is the reliable partner right by their side?
The Maker Experience Team, always standing by makers’ side to help them take safe and successful steps forward! We sat down with them to learn more.
Hello, could you please introduce yourself?
Cha Jae-young: Hello. I’m Jae-young Cha, and I lead the Maker Experience Team. It’s been almost eight years since I joined Wadiz. I’m still in charge of “wrinkles” on the team. Over the years, I’ve led a wide variety of teams and handled everything from CX to project evaluation and management, as well as creating product detail pages and giving lectures. But the focus has always been on the makers. Maybe that’s why my wrinkles have gotten deeper? Haha, I’m serious!
Jo Eun-bin: Hello! I’m Jo Eun-bin, a team leader on the Maker PM Team. Previously, I worked in sales management at a distribution company. I enjoy working alongside the talented professionals on the PM Team, freely sharing ideas and constantly thinking about how we can best support Maker.
Please tell us about your current role and team!
Cha Jae-young: The “Maker Experience Team” consists of three teams: the “Maker PM Team,” the “Maker Experience Management Team,” and the “Content Team.” While the team name ‘Experience’ may seem abstract, it’s clear that we’re handling broader and deeper work related to makers than before. Among our recent projects, I recall the launch of the Maker Center website, the Wadiz Awards, support for makers affected by natural disasters, and CRM and promotional activities to promote our pre-order service.
You can think of the PMs on the “Maker PM Team”—which was established just one year ago—as Account Managers (AMs). This role was created to strengthen management, shifting the focus from individual projects to Maker accounts. For our Wadiz, you can think of us as a pacer who runs alongside them from start to finish
We constantly think about and implement strategies to ensure our Maker clients continue to use our service successfully.
Jo Eun-bin: The Maker PM Team accompanies makers throughout the entire project journey—from the moment a maker submits a project until its completion—to help ensure that their endeavors are successfully brought to fruition.
Even after a maker’s project ends, we actively guide them on how to continue using various services within Wadiz platform, such as funding, pre-orders, and the store.
We also seek ways to gather firsthand feedback and make improvements, and we lead efforts to enhance processes and services by collaborating with relevant departments.
Therefore,communicating with makersisalso a key part of a PM’s job. By constantly reflecting on questions such as “What challenges are the makers facing?” and “During the project, what aspects could be improved to make this project even better?” and engaging in ongoing communication, we provide support and build positive relationships as partners.
Wadiz Maker PM Team
How did you come to join Wadiz?
Cha Jae-young: I previously worked in service planning for an education group and a social commerce company. To be honest, I joined Wadizbecause of a friend.A colleague I trusted at my previous job had joined Wadizfirst and told me, “I look forward to Mondays here—I get to do both what I have to do and what I want to do.” I really wanted to see that for myself.I can clearly feel that the customers, the company, and my colleagues are growing in direct proportion tomyefforts, andthat gives me a deep, lasting sense of joy.
Jo Eun-bin: I used to work at a distribution company, where I handled franchise agreements and sales management. Just as I was thinking about trying my hand at the online space rather than offline retail, I came across the Wadiz Maker PM Team. I was really drawn to the idea of helping makers grow and creating value Wadiz, which is why I decided to make the move.
What are the most important skills and experience for this role?
Cha Jae-young: “SinceWadizis a market leader, we’ve always had a lot of eyes on us and many trying to copy us. That meant even small choices and decisions came with a sense of responsibility and pressure. We need to be both cautious and swift, think with a sense of balance, and yet act with bold determination.”
Wadizis a two-sided platform with two types of customers: makers and supporters. We have to think and act from three perspectives: not only those of the two customer groups, but also from the standpoint of the intermediary platform. Of course, there are times when we fail. When failures were frequent, there were days I wanted to write “beta” next to my name. Even when we fail, we mustn’t dwell on it for too long; instead, we need the mindset to reflect on the experience and use it as a building block for the tower of success. It’s not easy, but we just have to try again.
To makers, their products and services are like their own children, and the journey to launching a campaign Wadizis far from easy. While every maker I work with is unique, the reasons they need a project manager are similar. As I communicate with so many makers, there are times when I forget just how long and difficult that journey was. It’s important to make a conscious effort to never forget that.
Do you have any personal beliefs or principles that you always try to follow at work?
Cha Jae-young: The second ofthe five principlesis, “We embrace the rapid pace of change and stay ahead of the curve.”Once a trend takes hold, it’s impossible for a platform company—comprising diverse categories—to simply sit back and enjoy the status quo.
Jo Eun-bin: Of the five principles, my favorite is the fourth one: “We leave a positive impression on our partners and customers.”This principle is the most important competency for the Maker PM team. Since we’re a rapidly growing platform, it’s crucial for us to maintain stability so that our customers—the makers—don’t get confused, even when the service undergoes frequent changes. PMs must provide “accurate” guidance and help them successfully manage their projects.
To summarize, I believe that regardless of the circumstances, the PM team must quickly and accurately gather essential information that benefits makers and provide guidance, while also identifying ways to address the challenges makers face. As a result, I expect we will establish ourselves as a platform that delivers a positive experience to our partners. This will serve as a foundation for ensuring that partners continue to use Wadiz.
Wadiz Maker PM Team
Do you have any current projects or tasks, or any memorable projects (as a maker)?
Jo Eun-bin: If I had to pick one person, it would be the maker of “Ji Yang,” the first project I managed as a PM. They ran a one-of-a-kind project offering Haworthia, a rare plant from South Africa, as a reward. The maker began researching Haworthia back in 2006. They reportedly experimented with various growing media in different environments—such as their home balcony and rooftop—to find the most suitable medium for cultivating Haworthia.
I’ve continued to develop the project and am still running it today. It’s been so successful that we’ve surpassed our cumulative funding goal of 100 million won. It’s a project I’ll always remember because it gave me so many insights and left me eager to help others even more. If you’re a maker who’s passionate about your work and constantly striving to create better products through continuous learning, I’d love to support you even further. It’s impossible not to feel inspired by that kind of passion.
What kind of new colleagues would you like to work with in the future?
If you have any "personal tips for getting hired" to share with those interested Wadiz, please let us know!
Cha Jae-young: There wasn’t a single person at any company who was a genius or particularly underperforming. Given enough time and effort, everyone eventually reaches an average level of competence. However, there is a clear difference in whether someone “works with a sense of purpose, making the most of their time at the company, and enjoys their work.”Those who work with intensity while experiencing a whole new level of joyturn their experiences into success—time and time again. I am working alongside such colleagues, and I want to continue working with them.
Jo Eun-bin: I’d love to work with colleagues who are united by the mindsetof “If it doesn’t work out, we’ll just give it a shot.”As a PM, we don’t just efficiently guide users throughWadizservices; we also explore various ways to support makers—such as sharing insights on project promotion to help ensure their challenges are successfully completed. I’m looking for a colleague who is eager to put these ideas into action, who enjoys this challenge, and who can work alongside us.
My personal tip for applying is this: take a moment to ask yourself, “What is the most important skill a Maker PM should possess?” I encourage you to seriously ask yourself, “If I were a PM, how could I use that skill to help our makers?” If you can confidently answer these questions, you’ll be a great fit for the PM team. So, why not apply to the Maker PM team?
Wadiz Maker PM Team
The Maker Experience Team is looking for people who are eager to take on new challenges and grow alongside makers who are more passionate than anyone else!
The Maker Experience Team is currently hiring👀
▶Click here for the Project Manager (Account Management/Operations) job posting
