Press

Underdogs, a startup education specialist company (CEO Sang-rae Cho), announced on the 3rd that it is launching 'Underdogs Hustle' and recruiting participants. Underdogs Hustle is a military academy for cultivating core startup talent for office workers, designed based on know-how gained from directly educating over 12,000 entrepreneurs at Underdogs. The first job category for this training program has been selected as startup business developers (BD). Domestic venture investment in the second half of 2022 was 3.8305 trillion won. With approximately 48% decrease compared to the second half of 2021, the startup industry is prioritizing stable revenue generation over rapid growth. Since startup revenue generation is achieved through rapid market demand testing and iterative model improvements, the demand for specialized business developers (BD) capable of executing these tasks is increasing, which is why they are considered core talent in the startup industry. The rising demand for business development positions is not limited to Korea but shows an increasing trend globally. According to research by the UK National Careers Service, the job growth rate for business development managers is 7.5%, showing above-average growth compared to other positions. It also predicted that approximately 38,000 new jobs will be created by 2027. According to statistics from US job search site Glassdoor, job postings for startup business development positions in the US increased by 140%, and the average salary also increased by $10,000 (approximately 13 million won). Underdogs stated, "Business development is emerging as a core position in the startup industry, but in contrast, the competence to actually lead business as a business developer cannot be developed in the short term, so there is an absolute shortage in the supply of qualified professional business developers." Accordingly, Underdogs launched 'Underdogs Hustle,' a training program for cultivating core startup talent with lead-level experience and competence, not just practitioners. Underdogs Hustle provides 'execution-focused business development projects' based on real business cases. Through phased training up to the final performance presentation, it comprehensively supports core competencies for becoming a business developer. The goal of Underdogs Hustle is not to produce graduates who end with training completion, but to cultivate 'colleagues' who grow together. To this end, in addition to this 12-week intensive training program, long-term career coaching is also provided. After completing the training, continuous care will be provided through Underdogs' alumni care system, including performance care during employment and job offer connections utilizing the Underdogs network. CEO Sang-rae Cho said, "The demand for business developers with understanding of business and strategic thinking is increasing and establishing itself as a new vision. Through Underdogs Hustle, I hope to cultivate lead-level startup talent and meet colleagues who can drive the business forward."